The arguments for scrapping the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party's precinct caucus system are just as valid as for keeping it. I'm going to write about what should replace it if we were to scrap it. I'd like to see June DFL endorsement voting and publicly financed elections. Even better, I'd like Instant Runoff Voting in the DFL endorsement process.
-- cross-posted from mnblue.com, home of the Norm Coleman Weasel Meter --
Scrap it!
It's obsolete. With 10% of registered voters attending precinct caucuses, it just can't handle this kind of volume. It's undemocratic. It filters the power to a select few insiders who get to decide upon horrible gubenatorial candidates like Mike Hatch, Roger Moe and Skip Humphrey. There are easier ways of doing it. Too many people don't understand it. The process is too complex when there are better and simpler solutions -- IRV.
No, no, no, we need to keep it.
In this nation our motto has become "Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death!". People had to spend one night to further our DFL party -- is this too much to ask? The people who get to decide are the people who show up. All you have to do is show up. It's a great way to build a grassroots political base.
Instant Runoff Voting
Ever been to a DFL convention? Ever sat there for a mind-numbingly painful number of hours during bitter in-fighting and power plays? So long you thought your butt was going to fall off if there were to be yet another ballot?
Imagine ranking the candidates in the order in which you prefer them! You'd find out who won in maybe an hour. Then you could go home. Imagine.
Let's review how IRV works really quick. Voters rank their candidates in the order in which they like them. If nobody has 50% + 1, there's an instant runoff. The bottom candidate is dropped and the votes cast for the bottom candidate are transferred to the voter's second choice. This process repeats until someone has a majority.
If candidates needed you as their second choice, what would you think of them if they campaigned dirty? I'm guessing you might not like them so much.
Public financing
Do you find it shocking that Al Franken will raise and spend $12-20 million to defeat Norm Coleman and seems to be on course to actually outraise Norm. $40 million spent on a Senate race?
What if TV stations needed to provide candidates with 30 second spots during the 6pm and 10pm news? What about another slot during the 7-9pm timeframe? They are using the public airwaves, after all. What if KQ92 and WCCO had to provide candidates 30 second timeslots during the morning and evening drive times? What if the Strib and PiPress were required to provide half page ads prominently placed?
There have been plenty of proposals for public financing, we should consider them.
June DFL endorsement vote
So instead of needing to become a delegate at your February precinct caucus, then become a state delegate at your senate district caucus, why not just stage a June IRV election for DFL endorsement?
Let's pretend that you have State Representative, State Senator, US Representative, US Senator and Governor to endorse. So at your DFL voting location, you'd rank the candidates for each seat. You'd have five endorsement votes to make. You'd go home and find out who won the IRV election via TV, radio or internet. The "Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death!" crowd would certainly like this. It wouldn't be up to under a thousand political activists to decide who should be the DFL candidate.
Imagine.
-- cross-posted from mnblue.com, home of the Norm Coleman Weasel Meter --