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.

Birth tourism scams draw sweeping crackdown as visa revocations climb

American Automaker Recalls Over 1 Million Cars for Possible Seat Belt Issue

US kills two ‘narco-terrorists’ in strike 2 months since last announced anti-‘narco-trafficking’ attack

Nigeria May Lose Major US Aid Package Over Christian Persecution

Thune-aligned groups unleash historic war chest to defend Senate majority: ‘Winning message’

AI’s massive appetite for power, water ignites fight in high-stakes Texas Senate race

Linda McMahon vows crackdown on teachers sexually harassing students: ‘Must end’

Enes Kanter Freedom ejected from WNBA game after courtside confrontation with WNBA player

Suspect in deaths of 5 found dead after cops uncover grim scene at rural property outside Portland

Lindsay Clancy’s three child victims forgotten amid crowds of support: mother of six

College grad reportedly dies in Six Flags roller coaster incident as family sues theme park

California dad paralyzed from neck down after diving into ocean to rescue child

City in Anti-2A State Has 7 Times the Murders of Cities in State That Respects Gun Rights

House Ethics Committee Opens Investigation Into Democrat Rep Jimmy Gomez For Sexual Misconduct

Harvard Still Employs Professor Whose Emails with Epstein Mentioned Spies And Torture

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