Washington Post Op-ed: ‘Give the Elites a Bigger Say in Choosing the President’

The Washington Post is taking criticism for an op-ed published Tuesday by Marquette University political science professor Julia Azari, titled: “It’s time to give the elites a bigger say in choosing the president.”

Citing the “rocky start” to the Democratic Party’s presidential primary, Azari suggests that the process of choosing the nominee be taken from the people and returned to the politicians:

The current process is clearly flawed, but what would be better? … A better primary system would empower elites to bargain and make decisions, instructed by voters.

One lesson from the 2020 and 2016 election cycles is that a lot of candidates, many of whom are highly qualified and attract substantial followings, will inevitably enter the race. The system as it works now — with a long informal primary, lots of attention to early contests and sequential primary season that unfolds over several months — is great at testing candidates to see whether they have the skills to run for president. What it’s not great at is choosing among the many candidates who clear that bar, or bringing their different ideological factions together, or reconciling competing priorities. A process in which intermediate representatives — elected delegates who understand the priorities of their constituents — can bargain without being bound to specific candidates might actually produce nominees that better reflect what voters want.

Senate GOP sends warning to House SAVE Act agitators: Don’t tell us what to do

Donald Trump and Mark Carney: ‘Clash-mates’?

Republicans have a rare shot at winning the California governorship

DOJ sues 5 more states, demanding access to voter rolls: ‘We will not be deterred’

MLB Star Blasts Newsom for Implying Black People Are ‘Stupid’ and Can’t Read: ‘I Was a Straight A Student’

Corporate America is on the move, and these red states are cashing in

FAA restricts Texas airspace after Pentagon reportedly strikes down Customs and Border Protection drone

Federal prosecutor admits ‘extraordinary’ timing in Abrego Garcia smuggling case charges

Child predator cleared for parole arrested after surprise warrant drops hours before prison release

Trump pushes Congress to pass SAVE Act during State of the Union: ‘So we’ll see how it goes’

BREAKING VIDEO: Minnesota Lawmakers Have Drawn up Impeachment Articles Against Tim Walz and Keith Ellison

Alleged Tren de Aragua criminal gang members charged in ATM robberies across New England

Atlanta-area police blast parents over vodka martini packed in school lunch: ‘That is NOT apple juice’

Vulnerable House Dem lashes out at Trump’s ‘racist’ SOTU challenge: ‘That was uncomfortable’

Mamdani’s Stylist Mocked After Leaving First-Class Plane Seat to Avoid Sitting with White People: ‘Just Like Rosa Parks’

Azari suggests that the parties should use what she calls “preference primaries,” which would “allow voters to rank their choices among candidates, as well as to register opinions about their issue priorities.”

After a perfunctory voting process, wlites would be able to choose a nominee based on information about what the voters want.

She acknowledges that the idea is “labor-intensive and a little risky.”

The Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, who is the world’s richest man. The paper’s slogan, adopted as an intended rebuke to President Donald Trump, is “Democracy dies in darkness.”

That phrase was trending on Twitter on Wednesday morning as readers reacted ironically to the op-ed.

The headline right below “democracy dies in darkness” is some A+ work

— Greg (@gwiss) February 19, 2020

>"Democracy dies in darkness"

>"Do people actually want more Democracy in their lives" pic.twitter.com/p7fPf5dFVX

— ｓａｌ🌹🏴🏴‍☠️ (@ProjektVayo) February 19, 2020