The Strengths and Weaknesses of the System of Choosing Presidential Candidates

The Strengths and Weaknesses of the System of Choosing Presidential Candidates

It seems reasonable to conjecture that the Achilles' heel of the

modern presidency is one of recruitment. The long-winded delegate

nomination process could in theory be replaced by a daylong direct

election of presidential candidates. Instead, tradition dictates that

the presidential race is drawn out quadrennially over the pre-primary,

primary, Party Convention and campaign seasons. All four phases

influence the outcome of candidate selection and much also depends on

campaign finance, the role of the media and the nominees themselves.

Although the process is considered a "complex, drawn-out affair" in

the eyes of observers (Janda and Al, 1994 p191), the system ensures

the person chosen will become an established national public figure by

the November Presidential election. The Pre-primary stage, which

commences some two years prior, allows tentative feelers to be put out

to test potential support. Currently we can see the Democrats testing

the water with possible candidates such as John Edwards, John.F.Kerry

and Joe Lieberman, and already the press are on their cases surmising

who will be the front runner. This time, although coined the

"Invisible" primary, is important as whom ever the press decide to

back will influentially determine who the public will vote for in the

primary season. Additionally, it is now when contenders will make the

'rule of thumb' calculation to raise at least $20 million to finance a

viable campaign.

Before assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the Primary system,

which operates in 38 out of the 50 states, it is importan...

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...Action Committees (PACs).

Finance however is still the fatal flaw in the electoral system of

choosing presidential candidates. Bush can only attest this: with a

larger "war-chest" than McCain he had an overwhelming advantage.

One can therefore conclude that the presidential candidate selection

process is far from ideal. Governed by money, media and spin, as

opposed to substance does mitigate against the intended democratic

nature of an electoral process. Reforms, however, have shown an

increasing respect for democracy, by giving the electorate greater

power at the demise of party bureaucracies. The politics of

entrepreneurship that suffuses US elections is integral to the

philosophy of the American dream, thus the notion that the highest

office in the land is bestowed to the greatest entrepreneur seems

quite apt.