Reply #37: The present system favors the fat cats. [View All]

Fat cats just have to spend their money on the early primaries and get whom their want in most cases. As the "winner appears", more money goes to the "winner". Thus the "Fat Cats" know they have the best advantage if they donate early. Obama and Hillary BOTH spent much of their money upfront to push all the all candidates into "Defeated" Status. As "Defeated Candidates" they could NOT raise the money needed to stay in the election and forced to drop out. Thus it is who spends the most money early that wins the primary system, and this year that was Hillary, but Obama was #2 in money early on (And is #1 in money now that he appears to have won the nomination). People "invest" money into campaign of people who they think will win, NOT in campaigns that appears to be losing (This Hillary's present problem since she is close but #2 in delegates).

The better solution is to dilute the advantage of such "Fat Cats" by having a one day National Primary day. In such a situation people who are strong in one region of the country can win in that area. We can then force the Conventions to do what conventions were design to do, PICK THE CANDIDATe from among the winners in the Primaries.

For example, Edwards would have won a lot more delegates in a one day primary then he did over the time period he had to do so this year. It would have put him in a stronger position to have the candidate actually selected to support more of the things he supports (Included Universal Health Service, something Obama has refused to do for it requires MANDATORY participation to work and Obama's plan includes that the plan be "voluntary").

I am sorry, Conventions should be where we pick candidates NOT primaries. There is no way any candidate can make himself know to the Country without support of "Fat Cats" in the present system (You need money to run). By permitting candidates to pick what states they want to run in, you can get a mix bag out of the primaries but that can be resolved in the Conventions.

Let make the Conventions more than a good time bash, lets make it mean something i.e. where the candidate is to be selected out of the people who have shown their have support in various parts of the Country.

No this will force most states to reduce the number of signatures to get on the ballot (Through you can solved this by permitting just write in votes). Another solution will be if you are on the ballot in ANY state, ALL other states must put you on the Ballot. This avoid the situation like I had in Pennsylvania where The person who was my first choice to vote for, Edwards, was NOT even on the ballot (Do to the fact he had suspended his campaign do to a lack of money).

Yes, there are problems with one day primary, but those problems are NOT caused by who has the most money when the campaign starts. Hillary had the most money, but Obama was #2 and that is normal, the people with the most money tend to win early and often in the present system. This year, for the first time in decades, two candidates survive the primaries with a chance at getting the nomination. This may very well go to the Convention, so that the people who will probably run this campaign at the local level will pick the Candidate. That is a good way to select the nominee and a National Primary day will provide the same.