In response to Trapper's Diary Last night)
And This BAN Superdelegates Diary
I offer this idea for a national Primary system, below the fold
A series of three national primaries with threshold limits
No one may announce or raise money for a presidential bid before October, the year before the election.
In January, ALL announced candidates hold a series of debates on specific topics on a variety of national and cable outlets.
Then at the end of January, a 10% threshold vote is taken. This eliminates all the minor candidates with no following.
All candidates who get at least 10% move on to the next vote. At the end of February, a 35% threshold vote is held.
This should reduce the vote to only 2 people. A final winner-take-all vote in mid-March. The winner receives the nomination.
Delegates would be assigned by the threshold number: 15% of delegates would be distributed evenly to all who broke the 10% threshold, so they will have a voice at the convention.
30% of delegates would be distributed to each of the 35% threshold survivors (totaling 75% distributed at that point)
The remaining 25% of delegates would go to the winner of the final vote, giving the winner at least 55% of all delegates, assuring a first ballot victory. Those other delegates still give a voice to the other significant players for things like setting up the platform, opportunities to speak, and so on. It eliminates 'first in the nation' Iowa and New Hampshire, instead offering low thresholds to get started and give the Dodds and Kuciniches a chance to be heard.
Thoughts?