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.

China’s routing of Biden in chip war with US created a communist tech giant

Witnesses recount ‘scary’ NYC stabbing after suspect allegedly yelled ‘Allahu Akbar’ during attacks

Multiple injured after floatplane makes emergency landing, catches fire off Washington coast

California mayor’s hot mic catches candid exchange after audience sends meeting off rails

Never Forget Dems Supported Large-Scale Deportations Until Trump Took Up the Issue – Just Listen to What Obama Said in 2014

Massachusetts Democratic Party chairman admits to sufficient facts in June drunken driving case

Rubio unveils visa restrictions targeting cybercrime networks

House Democrats Furious at Their Own Campaign Arm Over Expensive Primary Blunder

Ex-Dem Legislator Arrested Over Child Porn, But It’s 7 Words from FBI Investigator That Will Make You Sick to Your Stomach

Hunter Biden Blasts CNN’s Jake Tapper as a ‘Poor Journalist’ and a Terrible Person in NSFW Comments

Dem’s stunning ideal standard for immigration detention conditions resurfaces amid Texas senate bid

Lauren Boebert Says She Missed Key House Vote Because She Was Misinformed by GOP Staffers

More Than 19 Million Eggs Recalled Over Concerns of Dangerous Contamination

Secret Service agent on JD Vance’s detail investigated for allegedly leaking operational security info

Accused killer’s alleged disguises unravel as sheriff releases new clues in month-long manhunt

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