PA Taxpayers Paying for Primary Election Presidential Candidates That's Looney

One could say the process of nomination of a candidate for President of the United States by the two majority political parties is flawed, but "looney?"

Terry Madonna makes the charge in a quote in the Tribune Review's State delegate elections couldn't be 'loonier system'

What's wrong with the process is the taxpayers of Pennsylvania have to pay for selection process established by the two major political parties while the independent parties in the state must suffer their own costs in holding a nomination convention to select one choice to run in the General election in November.

That's what should be unacceptable.

Both major political parties include so-called Super delegates or committed delegates - who can weigh in the final outcome. And the taxpayers have to pay for the popular election which could in the end be nixed in a "contested" convention later on down the road. That's unconscionable.

But the PA taxpayers continue along their merry way, in fact, many registered voters in one major Party or the other simply sit out the Primary because they don't like the choices, or the selections have pretty much already been made in other states so there's really only one or two choices by the time PA's Primary rolls out.

That's not looney, that's just sickening. The localities have to haul out the voting machines for sometimes less than a 25 percent turnout. A turnout larger than that can happen in a Presidential Primary, but not likely if the candidates on either side have already been whittled down to a remaining one candidate.

It's time the Democrats and Republicans pay their own way all along the process to nominate a candidate for President of the US.

The Electoral College system should remain intact, however.

(Net the Truth Online)

State delegate elections couldn't be 'loonier system'
By Debra Erdley
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, February 11, 2008


It's deadline time in Pennsylvania.
Presidential candidates and their would-be delegates must file by Tuesday in order to appear on Pennsylvania's April 22 primary ballot.

Delegates -- the party torchbearers who nominate candidates at national conventions this summer -- could be critical, especially for Democrats if Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama remain in a tight race.

But arcane rules that dominate delegate selection make it an insiders' game for both political parties.

Even political scientist Terry Madonna, who has written about Pennsylvania politics for three decades, said he consults rule books to sort out questions about delegate elections.
"You probably couldn't devise a loonier system," Madonna said.

Although each party reserves a portion of its delegate slots for elected officials and individuals chosen by party leaders, both elect most of their Pennsylvania delegates by congressional district. Democrats will elect 103 of their 188 delegates in the primary; Republicans, 61 of their 74 delegates.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/state/s_551791.html

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State's primary may be important to candidates

Unlike some states, Pennsylvania did not move its primary to Tuesday and, for the first time in more than 30 years, the delegate choices Democratic voters make April 22 indeed might matter. Pennsylvania will have 188 Democratic delegates and 74 GOP delegates on the ballot.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/election/s_551173.html

State's primary may be important to candidates

Yet for Republicans, the primary here has minimal importance. GOP delegates remain uncommitted and appear on the ballot with no allegiance to candidates.

"We only really start to matter if the nomination goes to the convention," said Republican State Committee Chairman Rob Gleason, a McCain supporter.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/election/s_551173.html