The Primaries??

[GarzaUK]

Call me igonorant if you will but I know nothing on how US Presidential Primaries work. Do primaries happen in every state or selected states like New Hampshire? Is it like an electorial system Anyone like to educate me please?? :2wave:

 

[Amused]

Call me igonorant if you will but I know nothing on how US Presidential Primaries work. Do primaries happen in every state or selected states like New Hampshire? Is it like an electorial system Anyone like to educate me please?? :2wave:

They are a fun, funny, and downright depressing series of popularity contests. Yes, nearly every state has one, but only a couple matter. It allows the party to figure out how winnable their canidates are, what issues are important, etc. Do they have any legal binding? Nope. Can you lose them and still run for presidency? Yep.

Now, at the end of this myriad of attack ads, we have the party conventions where they grandstand at each other and finalize who they are supporting.

Interesting fact: American tax dollars pay for these conventions for both Democrats and Republicans. You know, the massive, elaborate affairs where they pat each other on the back? yeah, those.

 

[Stinger]

Call me igonorant if you will but I know nothing on how US Presidential Primaries work. Do primaries happen in every state or selected states like New Hampshire? Is it like an electorial system Anyone like to educate me please?? :2wave:

Depends on the state. A primary election is for the benifit of the political party. It's how the party decides who will run representing them. Some states have caucuses where groups of people get together and decide who will be their candidate. Some have actually elections where you go and vote in that parties primary, stating at the voting place which parties primary/ballot you want to vote in/on. If one of the parties doesn't ahve a clear majority for a candidate then there is a run off in THAT primary. Technically if you voted in the Democrat primary and then there is a run-off in the Republican you can't vote in that run off in most states.

Louisiana is unique in that it has an open primary. ALL the candidates run in the same primary and if no one wins a majority there is a run off where in fact if the top two are both in the same party they will run against each other.

Then after all that comes the General Election where the winners of the primaries run against each other.

There was a case a few years ago in New Jersey where Toricelli won the Democrat primary. Then he got indicted and his numbers went down. The Democrats actually got a judge to allow the Dems to take him of the ballot, even though the date to do so had passed, saying that since the race was not competitive anymore it wasn't fair to the Democrats. So the candidate who won the primary by the vote of the people was taken off the ballot because he was losing. Amazing but true.

 

[ludahai]

Louisiana is unique in that it has an open primary. ALL the candidates run in the same primary and if no one wins a majority there is a run off where in fact if the top two are both in the same party they will run against each other.

If memory serves, this is true in all races in LA EXCEPT for president, where there are two party primaries.

 

[Skip]

Don't forget about caucauses. Few states have these, but the very first caucaus/primary is Iowa's caucaus. That's where members of a party from a neighborhood gather simultaneously and discuss the candidates, and break into group depending on their candidate of choice. The amount of delegates a candidate receives depends on the size of the group.

 

[Billo_Really]

Hillary is looking very, very good!

 

[ludahai]

Hillary is looking very, very good!

If this is the case, Lord help us!

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally posted by ludahai
If this is the case, Lord help us!

Go Colts!.........

 

[ludahai]

Go Colts!.........

Three Super Bowls in the 21st century and at least one playoff win every year in the century except for one. Enough said!