I’m a solutions guy. Always have been. So, while I always tell people “play the game you’re in”, I can’t help but have some thoughts on how I would try to improve things.
1. Get Rid of Debates.
Before you get out the torches and pitchforks, hear me out. Think back to the town hall events where we had an interviewer talk to each of them in turn. Remember how much more positive and illuminating they were? Interrupting and talking over each other is not a healthy way to debate policy.
Replace the podiums with couches. Go round-robin in 5-minute segments where only one candidate is allowed to speak.
2. Hold the Debates on Sunday Afternoons.
The networks hate scheduling them. Begin on the third Sunday in February (more on this below) so NFL football is over with. Make sure that there’s a live-streaming alternative and upload all the video once it’s complete.
3. Get Rid of Caucuses.
This should be obvious, but we have to commit to paying for primaries. It should be seen as the cost of having a clean and transparent process.
4. Close our Primaries.
I know that there are some legal challenges here with how the states handle party affiliation, but I don’t care. Democrats should pick the Democratic candidate.
I think that the deadline to register for the primaries should be February 1st.
If that is absolutely impossible, Michigan’s system might work.
5. Change the way Delegates are Awarded and Seated.
- There should be one pledged delegate awarded to the candidate who wins a congressional district (435).
- There should be additional at-large pledged delegates awarded proportionally according to the overall state tally (435).
- Each candidate should earn one pledged delegate for every 50,000 votes cast for them (500 delegates for 25,000,000 votes).
This system insures that small states do not exert undue influence while guaranteeing them representation. It also rewards getting out the vote and retains the value of late-voting states, which is what we want.
Each candidate will nominate people to fill their delegate slots. These candidates will be vetted by the state committees (They must remain registered Democrats, they must reside in the district and state if they were selected as a regional delegate, etc.). This process will continue until all the slots are filled.
6. Change the way Primaries are Scheduled.
There should be primaries held every two weeks (a “slot”) starting with the Tuesday following the third Sunday in February. They should consist of as close to one-fifth of the congressional district and at-large pledged delegates and one-fifth of the electing bodies (states, territories, Democrats Abroad, etc.) as is practical.
No electing body may be scheduled in the same or earlier slot as the previous presidential election unless they were in the last quintile.
7. Change the way Superdelegates Work.
Superdelegates shall consist only of sitting governors, congresspeople and senators, ranked by seniority within the party (date of first assumption of office as a Democrat). They will only vote when there is not a clear, convincing leader among pledged delegates — which shall be defined as 10% of the pledged delegate count (~137).
Superdelegates will be seated according to their seniority. Their votes will be added to the totals, not take the place of them.
I know that this is easily the most controversial of my proposals and I’m the least wedded to it.
That’s it. Now to fire up the grill.