Sun
Sep 2 2007
07:54 am
Time to end taxpayer funded primaries?
By: R. Neal

Remind me again why taxpayers should have to continue funding this nonsense?

Topics:
bill young's picture

party caucuses?

Submitted by bill young on Sun, 2007/09/02 - 2:49pm.

are you for party paid for caucuces? Like Iowa.

Anarchist's picture

Good question!

Submitted by Anarchist on Sun, 2007/09/02 - 3:48pm.

Let the parties pay for them...and let only party members vote in them.

bill young's picture

define

Submitted by bill young on Sun, 2007/09/02 - 4:24pm.

how would you define,for example,a democrat?
Are we just talkin president or other federal,state,local offices?

R. Neal's picture

are you for party paid for

Submitted by R. Neal on Sun, 2007/09/02 - 7:09pm.

are you for party paid for caucuces? Like Iowa.

Maybe. What are the alternatives?

I think the parties maybe ought to pay for it, at least for the presidential primary. There seems to be plenty of money to throw around.

Mabye it could be a vote by mail system of some kind.

Or maybe it ought to just be by petition. You get enough signatures, you get on the ballot. Maybe that's how it ought to be for all elections, local, state, and national.

Not sure. But this primary is already a big, expensive joke.

bill young's picture

primary/caucus

Submitted by bill young on Sun, 2007/09/02 - 7:52pm.

'72 was when I got involved & thats the first year Tn had a primary.So I've never been invoved with the caucus system.

A caucus would be per congressinal district(the 2nd has 4).I would think anybody recieving enough votes would win delegates.If we had a caucus system I think Gore would win delegates.

Now I think this is the way it works.If a candidate recieves 15% of the primary vote..they get a delegate.In '92 Clinton got 3 delegates & Tsongas got 1.

If the Party's paid for a primary would every county Party contract with the county election commission..like the city does.Or would the state Party pay...this would get kinda pricey.What would happen if the Party could not pay?

With respect to who could vote
The Knox County Democratic Party by-laws says"any registered voter...who supports the goals & purposes of the Party SHALL be entitled to membership & FULL participation in the Party."...How a creditials committee would define that would be interesting.However,the State election commission told me last year that a Party could challenge a primary voter & not allow them vote.

Hoseman19's picture

Absolutely

Submitted by Hoseman19 on Sun, 2007/09/02 - 8:10pm.

We, the taxpayers, pave the streets with gold to help the major parties figure out who they are going to run. If the parties want to nominate someone, let them pay for it. If we have to pay for it, why don't we get a vote in each one. Seems fair. I am paying for 2, why not have input into both?

Defiant Lobster's picture

absolutely

Submitted by Defiant Lobster on Mon, 2007/09/03 - 11:09am.

very good point, Hoseman!!

any election anywhere that is publicly funded should be open to everyone in that precinct.

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