Get the States Out of the Primary Business

The only Congressional offices mentioned in the Constitution are the Speaker of the House, The President of the Senate (aka, the Vice-President) and the President Pro Tem. What is not mentioned is the offices that now dominate those institutions: The Majority Leaders, whose offices were established closer to the turn of the 20th Century than to the Constitutional Convention. (The House elected its first in 1899, the Senate in 1913.) In short, while political parties were probably unavoidable, they are also extra-constitutional.

In light of the arguments surrounding Donald Trump's eligibility for the 2024 presidential ballot we need to ask ourselves why state officials and courts feel they have the power and the right to decide such matters for the primaries. (The general election is a whole other can of worms.) The primaries are not an election, the primaries are a selection - and a selection for private organizations at that.

The reason the states feel they have that right is because they pay for them. State legislatures set the dates and dole out millions to run them. How much? Well, it's hard to pin down. Estimates vary from a half a billion dollars on up. A single congressional district election in Illinois can cost $2.58M. (ABCNews estimate from 2012 so add 35% for inflation.)

Iowa doesn't have that problem in the presidential process because they caucus - and when they gather next month the parties will be picking up the bill. And it's way past time that they did that with the primaries, too. If you're third party or independent, why should you as a taxpayer, be asked to underwrite a process that excludes you?

So, let's get back to that "other can of worms" previously mentioned. In a way, perhaps the Democrats have screwed up tactically here. It might have worked out better for them had they simply kept their powder dry and let the primaries play out and then declare Trump ineligible for the general election. Unless, of course, you're like me and believe that this whole charade is intended to boost Trump as the nominee and then it's perfectly logical.