John Oliver Shows Why U.S. Primaries And Caucuses Are ‘An Erratic Clusterf**k Every 4 Years’

[Beacool]

May 23, 2016

How is it that a presidential candidate can win a primary or caucus, but get fewer delegates than those who lost?

Supporters of Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders remain angry over a superdelegate system they see as proof the primaries were rigged against their candidate. And on the Republican side, Donald Trump has complained about winning states such as Louisiana but receiving fewer delegates than one-time rival Ted Cruz.

“The thing is, I get why he’s annoyed,” John Oliver said on HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” on Sunday. “And there’s no clearer piece of evidence that our system is broken — no more thoroughly dead canary in the coal mine — than when Donald Trump is actually making sense.”

Oliver explained why the U.S. has “an erratic clusterfuck every four years” and proposed a way to solve the problem... on Groundhog’s Day next year.

Best explanation of our nominating process.

[auntpurl]

1. I watched this earlier.

I thought it was very well-explained - as is everything on Last Week Tonight. I do hope something is done about it. Otherwise, as he says, we do this every 4 years and it's not any better year to year.

My candidate won this go-round, but that doesn't mean I don't think we need reform.

[Beacool]

3. Yes, the way we choose nominees is archaic and not democratic.

That applies to both political parties.

[Dem2]

2. Hah!

That was worth watching.

[Beacool]

4. Thanks.

I liked it too, that's why I posted it.

[pokerfan]

5. Beat me to it

I was about to post this.

[Beacool]

6. Great minds......

[ladjf]

7. .... and he's putting it mildly. We obviously have NO valid process

for choosing qualified, ethical leaders.