Charlie Gibson on the primaries

I like this idea. A lot.


"Not to get on the soapbox," said ABC's Charlie Gibson during a guest appearance today on Live With Regis & Kelly, when talk turned to the presidential primaries. "(But) I think this is a dreadful system."

Instead of going state-by-state, Gibson continued, "I believe in regional primaries. I think we ought to have four regional primaries...Do Northeast, South, Midwest, West, and then rotate them every four years so that a different one comes first.

"Then you could advertise regionally, you don't have to travel back and forth across the country...and have the primaries a month apart."

 

Think the state-by-state is lesser-of-evils . . . because Big Scope requires Big Money, and Big Money is the . . .

Hated the idea of Super Tuesday, because it gives the Big Money an enormous advantage.

Don't think that Iowa and New Hampshire should have permanent dibs on "first".
Think there should be a rotation, established decades in advance.

 

It sounds good, but I'd prefer a lottery system with the lottery taking place about three months before the first primary, which would require candidates to have broad support and not bank on "favorite son" appeal. The big states would naturally be given extra attention in advance regardless of their spot, which they merit based on their large populations, but smaller states would also have a shot at being a player.