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.

Israel kills top Hamas commander hours after terrorists attacked Israeli soldiers

Despite Legendary Season From Ohtani, Time Goes With Woke Pick for ‘Athlete of the Year’

Man uncovers missing father’s bones buried beneath family home, unleashing ‘a thousand’ other secrets

Elon Musk blasts Newsom’s office, says his son is battling mental illness due to ‘evil woke mind virus’

It Worked: Dems Line Up Behind Moronic Firebrand Republicans Picked For Swing Senate Seat

Illegal immigrant bites ICE officer in ‘gross attack’ while resisting arrest: DHS

Scott Jennings Lays Out Why Jasmine Crocket Is Headed for a ‘Very Embarrassing’ Election Result

Ilhan Omar’s Republican Opponent Reveals Congresswoman’s ‘Deep Ties’ to Somali Fraud Scandal

House Republicans unveil national memorial plan honoring Americans killed by illegal immigrants

House Democrat pushes Senate to reverse Trump federal union order after GOP revolt by 20 Republicans

‘Every Dollar Possible’: Trump Admin Cracks Down on States That Put Illegal Drivers on the Road

Inside Minnesota’s $1B fraud: fake offices, phony firms and a scandal hiding in plain sight

Luigi Mangione judge weighs ‘potentially fatal’ evidence in fight over search of suspect’s backpack: attorney

Wounded National Guardsman is making ‘extraordinary progress,’ can breathe on his own: doctor

Former Teacher of the Year Arrested on Cruelty to Children Charges

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