Weaknesses of a 50 State Strategy
| Additional Resources 50 State Strategy |
No matter how you slice it, United States politics is still about time and money. State Democratic Parties from Michigan and Florida, for example, were stripped of their delegates to the Democratic National Convention for trying to move up their primaries in the hopes of gaining more national exposure, and perhaps more of the candidates media money.
The state Democratic Parties and the National Party also differ on which organization (the state or national) bears the responsibility for paying for a 50 state strategy. The Florida Democratic Party points out that the Democratic National Committee rules require them to "spend money we don't have or that should be spent on winning elections".
While the role of money in politics is important, so too is the role of political participation. Democratic Party members across the United States are also engaged, tacitly and openly, in conversations about the operationalization of the concept political participation. Should there be a caucus or primary?
Each type of voting choice brings strategic advantages to candidates. Caucuses are traditionally smaller exercises in Democracy, attended by party extra-activists willing to take a stand for their candidate. New England town hall meetings, for example, work well in many New England towns. However, not every town wants to be, nor should be required to be, a New England town.
Primaries broaden the scope of political participation, opening up the process to more voters. The use of a secret ballot also eliminates the intimidation element historically found in elections that require participants to take a public stand for the candidate of their choice.
Verba and Nie, wrote a classic text on the subject of Participation in America, Politial Scientists are still trying to clarify different types of participation. It's no surprise that members of the Democratic Party are also engaged in the discussion.
During the first year of a two year Presidential nominating marathon, Democratic Party candidates have spent around $200 million dollars (enough for more than twenty Florida primaries) and reduced their 50 state strategy to a 48 state strategy that promotes both caucuses for the extra-active members of the Democratic party and primaries for Democratic Party activists and others.
The results, so far, are close to a statistical tie between the two leading candidates.
In the end, the rules of the Democratic National Committee suggest it may be the votes of super delegates rather that the votes of both the extra-active and active participants of the Democratic process that finally decide the outcome of the nominating process.
If that is the case, the 50 State Strategy reduces into little more than a "waste of money horserace" (except for the media outlets) that unintentionally reduces all voters to means rather than ends.
Ask the candidates which rules of the Democratic Party they want to follow and which rules they want to break? The rules that say states must follow the rules of the Democratic National Committee regardless of the costs? The rules that say don't count the Michigan and Florida votes? The rules that say run a caucus for the extra-active party members or run a primary for the active party members? The rules that say superdelegates are free to vote for any candidate of their choice? Which votes count more, extra-activists, super-delegates or rank and file members of the Democratic Party?
Candidates answers to these questions will help shed light on the sincere and strategic aspects of their campaigns.
© 2008. Patricia A. Michaels (registered as an independent voter)