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.

Lindsay Clancy juror denies bias allegations, wants ‘conversation started’ about women’s mental health

Construction rig collapses on 3 cars in Miami, traps workers as fire erupts

Jimmy Kimmel Faces Eye-Popping Budget Cuts to Keep Show Alive as He Learns Americans Just Don’t Care About Him Anymore

Protester confronts Vance during Kansas rally for Sen. Roger Marshall

Democrat Al Green to force House-wide vote on impeaching Trump

Reporter’s Notebook: Congress meets AI as fears of human extinction jolt Capitol Hill

Swedish Left projected for narrow victory in national elections, but pathway to governing coalition unclear

Air Force Officer Shot Down Over Iran Tells ’60 Minutes’ Prayer Got Him Through Harrowing Ordeal: ‘Lord, Your Will Be Done’

Hayden Panettiere Reportedly Died After Ingesting a Single Fentanyl-Laced Pill

Far-left attack backfires spectacularly as radical online personality whines after attacking female Trump aide

Inside House Republicans’ plan to end run Dem opposition and pass Trump-backed voter ID

CrowdFunder for Clancy Holdout Juror Shoots Past $100k After FL Gov. DeSantis Offers ‘Asylum’ as ID Leak Nears

Lindsay Clancy juror says panel saw case as chance to ‘make it better for other women’

Your Mortgage, Investments, and Interest Rates Are About to Be Hit – Japan’s Debt Market Is Why

Alaska teen rescued after 3 days in frigid waters reveals tragic end for 2 family members

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