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.

Babysitter accused of kidnapping two young sisters was previously charged with abducting newborn

Luigi Mangione’s New York murder trial adjourned until December over double jeopardy concerns

Trump meets teen lifeguard and boy saved in viral ocean rescue at Oval Office

Hasan Piker Says Candace Owens ‘Single-Handedly’ Protected Left-Wing Extremism with Charlie Kirk Theories: ‘I Am a Fan’

Trump gutted South Korea military drills due to lack of help against Iran

Mass. Mayor Who Allegedly Stole $1.5M in COVID Funds Won’t Answer Media Questions Because He Says He Can’t Speak English

House Democrat investigated over alleged ‘inappropriate sexual contact’ with staffer

Justice Department expands fraud office’s prosecutorial reach

DOJ opens new pathway to restore federal gun rights for certain barred individuals

US military bases are ‘ill-equipped’ to stop drone swarms, top commander reveals after Rubio’s UAP warning

Ibram Kendi Says Black Academic Who Plagiarized Work, Fabricated Life Story to Get Cambridge Position Was ‘Lynched’ By Media Because It Told the Truth

WJ Straw Poll: Rubio Widens His Lead in This Week’s Survey, But Can He Hold It?

Trump blames ‘VANDALS’ for damaging National Mall grass after World War II Memorial graffiti

Tupac Shakur murder trial kicks off as Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis faces jury nearly three decades after shooting

Texas Man Kills Alleged Intruder in Shootout – Police Say Suspect Had a Protective Order Filed Against Him

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