Reply #11: Change it, here's some concerns...

[RichardRay]

We need a candidate selected, confirmed, in place and ready to rumble by May 1.

Under the current party organization the national party is basically powerless. The states have control of how each state carries out it's selection process. The mere effort to get primaries scheduled effectively this year has caused the MI/FL food fight. I'm don't know that we should go to a nationally run/organized primary process, but if we don't there needs to be some sort of an agreement about what the DNC can do, with all states signing on. That's going to be very difficult to accomplish.

The process of deciding who gets to compete for the Democratic nomination needs to be controlled by the Democratic Party. The standard needs to be consistent nationally. Once the hats are in the ring the voting/caucusing/rock skipping contests/????? should be open to all voters regardless of party registration. But, you can't vote in the Democratic Primary if you vote in any other party's selection process. If a candidate in the D process is sufficiently compelling to attract voters from other parties that's great, but 'tactical crossover voting' needs to be discouraged.

I'm guessing that if the national convention in Denver this year resolved to overhaul the selection process it wouldn't be done before the next election cycle. We keep what we have for now, but work for a new system by August-2010 to be ready for the next presidential go around. Even that could be challenging!!