Do state delegates matter or do only chairman?

[acroso]

It seems like these chairman can do whatever they want. Cancel the conventions and pick secret list, throw out supporters because "they're not Republicans", etc.


Do we really need delegates or is it chairmanships we need? We need to throw out all McCain delegates on the grounds that they aren't Republicans, which incidentally they're not.

[IPSecure]

Step One: Replace The Chairman!

[brandon]

I think chairmen are supposed to derive their power from the delegates, similar to how government is supposed to derive it's power from the people. It just doesn't work this way.

[dude58677]

It seems like these chairman can do whatever they want. Cancel the conventions and pick secret list, throw out supporters because "they're not Republicans", etc.


Do we really need delegates or is it chairmanships we need? We need to throw out all McCain delegates on the grounds that they aren't Republicans, which incidentally they're not.

There needs to be a forum on this.

[jsgolfman]

The first thing you need to understand is that none of this is a requirement. The parties do NOT have to hold the primaries or even allow any of us to participate in the process of selecting a candidate. The party leaders or movers and shakers can simply say here is your candidate, deal with it or produce your own for your own party. Now, obviously, they couldn't get by with that forever so they hold the primaries and caucuses and everyone holds hands and things are great, unless someone rocks the boat like Dr. Paul. Then, all bets are off. I also realize that there are platforms and rules and by-laws that each state/county is supposed to abide by but I doubt you will find any law enforcement agency that will prosecute for failure to follow those rules. It may be wrong, but there's not a whole lot you can do about it.

[MelissaWV]

States vary greatly. Some states are very Chaircentric. Some are pretty much run by the delegates. Some are a combination of primary-binding and Convention. I guess the point is, you need to figure out what's going on in your state first. See how things are split up.

[MozoVote]

What jsgolfman describes is how political parties function in many countires. The party henchmen get together, and pick a candidate. It's done.

[acroso]

Just you wait. We'll figure out that the chairman really run the show in 2012, and we'll throw the the existing chairmen next time in 2012 just to find out there is some secret committee or party leader behind the scene who controls him.

[WRellim]

The first thing you need to understand is that none of this is a requirement. The parties do NOT have to hold the primaries or even allow any of us to participate in the process of selecting a candidate. The party leaders or movers and shakers can simply say here is your candidate, deal with it or produce your own for your own party. Now, obviously, they couldn't get by with that forever so they hold the primaries and caucuses and everyone holds hands and things are great, unless someone rocks the boat like Dr. Paul. Then, all bets are off. I also realize that there are platforms and rules and by-laws that each state/county is supposed to abide by but I doubt you will find any law enforcement agency that will prosecute for failure to follow those rules. It may be wrong, but there's not a whole lot you can do about it.

Actually that varies from state to state.

In some states (Wisconsin, for example) both the Republican and Democratic Parties ARE in fact required by statutes to hold PRESIDENTIAL "Preference Primaries", and the delegates are then "bound" by state law (although actual selection of the individuals who will BE the delegates are typically left up to the individual party mechanisms, aka caucuses and/or committees, with the winning candidate/campaign sometimes allowed some "say" in the matter as well.) Depending upon how the law is written if the Libertarian, Constitution and/or other parties ever achieved "major party status" (as defined by that state) then they too would be required to hold primaries.

So the rules vary from one state to another, and from one state "party" to another as well. It's all local and you need to do some digging to learn/know how it operates within YOUR state (best done in the "off" years where you can learn details w/o someone treating you like some two-headed monster from the "opposing faction" -- hence the failure of this years "party crashing" technique ala the "Parent Trap").

As for the actions by these various "chairmen" -- in their role as "chair" or "President" of the various conventions, they really should NOT be serving as more than a "facilitator" and a "maintainer" of order -- any inherent "bias" SHOULD technically make them step down or be removed. Personally, I would hope that "RP-people" would (in the future) take the "high-road" and do their personal best NOT to take revenge or manipulate the system, but instead serve as solid chairmen should and both FOLLOW and ENFORCE the RULES -- that IS what it is all about, isn't it?

Otherwise we are the same as they are.