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.

Fact check: Trump claims no autism cases among unvaccinated Amish children

Bryan Kohberger’s new lawyer says key questions may soon get answers in court

Vance hosts members from Michigan synagogue attack at rally after el Sayed apology

Vance unloads on El-Sayed after Usha swipe with brutal warning: ‘Way out of your league’

Trump’s White House ballroom construction gets another lifeline from SCOTUS amid heated legal fight

The Fight Against Globalism Is Local: Why Americans Are Fighting Flock Cameras and Data Centers

Democratic Socialists of America Embroiled in ‘Civil War’ Over Future as AOC Is Slammed for ‘Consistent Pattern of Opportunism’

Trump admin revives ‘Apprentice’-era energy with $1M business battle in DC

El-Sayed torched online after brushing off questions about Hasan Piker campaign ties: ‘What a pal’

US Fish and Wildlife Service officer dies during wildfire evacuation efforts in Oklahoma, agency says

Kalshi bans George Santos for life over State of the Union price manipulations

Rahm Emanuel Disavows Far-Left Socialists, Says They’re Not ‘Part of the Democratic Party’

Gunman ID’d in Slaughter of 8 Family Members at Sunday Dinner As Disturbing Motive Comes Into Focus

Eurosceptics laud Iceland’s rejection of EU referendum: ‘Another Europe is possible’

What happens when robotaxis meet motorcades in DC? The mother of all traffic jams, says AI expert

See also Dolly Parton dies at age 80

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