As FDR said, “In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.”
While we might be thinking the recent election had a surprise outcome, it was the result of many actions leading to an ultimate conclusion.
We want to bring about different conclusions in the future and that requires a plan.
Some reforms we might want to consider (some things for everyone to love and / or hate):
1. Restructure the primary map — make it more reflective of a 325 — 375 electoral vote strategy, not a 538 strategy. That is, it’s OK (and likely very good) for purple states to come early, but deep red states are a non-starter.
2. Eliminate caucuses and move to a closed primary only model. We should want candidates who can drive votes and an organizing structure that reflects some loyalty to something other than personality-driven candidacies.
3. Eliminate super-delegates as nomination voters.
4. Encourage (require) a broad group of candidates / no coronations, i.e. something less than the 17 person clown show the Repubs had, but minimum of more than the 3 we had.
5. Redefine super-delegates as super-drafters. Super delegates shouldn’t come at the end of the process with a thumb on the scale. Instead (and especially if there aren’t enough self-starting candidates per #4 above) allow / require the party leaders to suggest / draft people into the nominating process. This gives the party leaders an influence they want but ultimately requires the candidates to drive the passion and votes. As example, by this we might have had both Joe Biden and / or Elizabeth Warren drafted this time around — how would that have affected where the passion was in the race and who won the nomination?
6. Return to a 50 state strategy. Even though the primary sequence may gear toward blue / purple, we must be participating everywhere. Control of the Senate requires this.
7. Turn our guns outward rather than inward. Yes, we need to do lessons learned from this election, but it doesn’t help us to fight with people over issues on which we mostly agree. It’s time to move past the cult of personality arguments and what-ifs. We have a real enemy and we should focus our fire on them.