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.

Mississippi man accused of killing six in shooting spree pleads not guilty

Rep Ro Khanna demands prosecution of ICE agent in Minneapolis fatal shooting

Jack Smith to testify next week at a public House Judiciary Committee hearing

Nonprofit revenue totals surge amid growing scrutiny after major fraud cases

Trump imposes 25% tariff on any country doing business with Iran

‘Disturbance’ at Georgia Prison Leaves 3 Inmates Dead, a Dozen More Injured

Trump rips congestion pricing, calls for immediate end: ‘A disaster for New York’

Minnesota sues Trump admin over sweeping immigration raids in Twin Cities

Data Is In: Homes Becoming More Affordable as Trump Admin Removes Illegal Aliens

Tyler Robinson prosecutors say Charlie Kirk shooting texts show confusion, not bias, to rebut conflict claim

Ex-congressional IT aide accused of stealing 240 government phones and selling them at pawn shop

Senate advances $174B package as Minnesota ICE shooting fuels DHS funding fight

Man Arrested After Attack on School Bus Seriously Injures 8-Year-Old Girl

Jeffries says DHS Secretary Noem ‘should be run out of town’ amid ICE shooting backlash

Iran’s crown prince calls for renewed nationwide protests despite killings: ‘This is a war’

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