[The New Zealand Herald, New Zealand]

NRC Handelsblad, The Netherlands

U.S. Primary System

Is 'Unfair'; and Has

'Significant Flaws' …

"The U.S. Primaries are just vulgar mud fights with rules so complicated that they could have been invented by American football. They are all about campaign financiers, advertisers, media of all stripes, advisers, volunteers, and lobbyists who try to push candidates or squash them."

EDITORIAL

Translated By Jan de Nijs

January 9, 2007

The Netherlands - NRC Handlesblad - Original Article (Dutch)

For most American primary voters, it's advantageous that none of the candidates in either party have yet to wrap up their respective nominations. For both Democrats as well as Republicans, the results from the New Hampshire primary differed from the Iowa caucuses. The result is that these tiny states will not play a decisive role for the rest of the country and the majority of the electorate will now have an opportunity to choose.

But the momentum has reversed. The winners of Iowa, Democrat Barrack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee, only got as far in New Hampshire as second and third place, respectively. With Republicans handing John McCain victory in New Hampshire, that race remains completely open. After Hillary's devastating loss in Iowa, victory in New Hampshire put her back on top. But even though the New Hampshire primary is more important than the unpredictable caucuses in Iowa, Obama is certainly not out.

That leaves several candidates on both sides with enough prospects to ensure them adequate campaign financing. Because the U.S. primaries are just vulgar mud fights with rules so complicated that they could have been invented by the American football. They are all about campaign financiers, advertisers, and media of all stripes, advisers, volunteers, and lobbyists who try to push candidates or squash them. The candidates in turn seek to create favorable images of themselves. For example, Clinton for a time succeeded in steering voters away from Obama by portraying herself as the inevitable candidate.

This system has significant flaws. It's quite unfair that because of the primary schedule, small groups of early voters can have a major influence on the election of candidates. The old oligarchy of the two parties has been replaced with an oligarchy of early voting states.

That has led to disputes and a game of hopscotch between the states over the primary schedule. The season begins increasingly earlier. By February 5th, most primary voters will have already cast their ballots. This resulting extension of the formal election is undesirable, because it leaves less time for actual governing. That leads to the question of whether this current system remains tenable. There are proposals to organize primaries next time by region. But then a rational order will have to be maintained so that candidates have a chance to canvas the entire country. Furthermore, there is virtually nowhere that the primaries are completely honest.

The only thing that Americans learn from this slug fest is that whichever candidate builds an organization that survives the fight must be a political talent. It's not until the actual Presidential election takes place that voters all cast their ballots at the same time. Then the impact of the voters is more evenly divided. In that way, America is no different than other democratic countries.

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