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.

DeSantis announces plans to use new state law to target dozens of alleged terrorist groups

Acting AG Todd Blanche says Newsom’s DOJ claims are not ‘grounded in fact’

Two arrested at Costco after alleged fraudulent credit card shopping spree

Russian missile attack on Kyiv collapses apartment building, trapping residents

Wild video captures apartment complex electrical room explosion as firefighters investigate smoke call

Two People Climb to the Top of Empire State Building Antenna, Fly Banner with Message

Coalition of 25 states sues Trump admin over Medicaid work rule designed to prevent fraud

Internal emails expose how July 4th bash is being derailed by Dem-run county: ‘Offensive’

Michelle Obama Went ‘Absolutely Ballistic’ and Blocked RFK Jr.’s Wife Cheryl Hines from Appearing in New Show: Report

Walz, Minnesota Board of Pardons clears convicted illegal alien child sex offender facing deportation

Trump Takes First Flight on New Air Force One: ‘Nobody’s Ever Seen Anything Like It’

Kamala Harris Privately Consulting with Zohran Mamdani and Other Radical Leftists as She Maneuvers for 2028: Report

UPDATE: Mitch McConnell Was Found Unconscious at Home by Paramedics Before Being Hospitalized in Most Recent Health Scare

ICE surges enforcement, makes 10,000 arrests in five days amid Supreme Court birthright citizenship decision

Travesty of Justice: Arab Immigrant Sentenced to 365 Days in Jail for Taking Jewish Senior Citizen’s Life in CA

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