NOSTALGIA FOR FAVORITE SONS.

NOSTALGIA FOR FAVORITE SONS. This article describes how states other than New Hampshire and Iowa are trying to provide an opportunity for their voters to get a meaningful vote in a primary. The difficulty, as the article points out, is that that the states contemplating the changes are four very large states and, “The changes would appear to benefit well-financed and already familiar candidates and diminish the prospects of those with less money and name recognition going into such a highly compressed series of contests early next year.” An open convention would solve these problems. We could arrive at an open convention very simply, the same way contested conventions arose in the past, through favorite sons. Imagine a senator or governor from California and New York locking up most of the delegates from their states. Other candidates could campaign without the expenditure required for a national campaign. They would only need to remain in the running at the convention. No change in the rules would be needed. I don’t see it ever happening. There are a lot of supporters of the current system. Campaign consultants have built up property interests in their Rolodexes for New Hampshire and Iowa. Contributors want an early decision because they don’t want to spend money for candidates who will not be the nominee. But the biggest obstacle is the slogan. The slogan that primaries represent direct democracy carries the day despite the practical problems of giving all voters a meaningful vote in a primary.