Building on the success of the 2007 National Presidential Caucus to stimulate participation through local presidential straw poll caucuses across the country, the NPC has now taken up the challenge of advocating for reform of the 2012 primary calendar.
"Working for 2012 Primary Reform"
Need:
There is a near universal consensus on the need to reform of the presidential primary process by both parties and by the state governments who must finally schedule and typically pay for primary elections. There is near complete agreement that the primary season starts too early and lasts too long. There is also a general feeling that so-called retail politics is beneficial to the selection process but only possible in the small state environment.
Yet due to the decision making process where nearly all have to agree, nothing much has happened over the 36 years since the primary system was implemented as one reform plan after another has been offered and for one reason or another ignored or rejected.
2008 allowed a handful of states to reduce a qualified field of over a dozen candidates down to 3 even before Super Tuesday, Feb. 5th. The unexpected and prolonged Democratic race was the exception that proved the rule that citizens rarely if ever get a chance to cast meaningful votes to select their party's nominee.
The good: The body politic now has a taste for authentic participation, long yearned for but hardly expected. Each major party has now formally committed to setting up its own 2012 Reform Commission to propose changes for party adoption by 2010. These parallel and unprecedented initiatives create a real prospect for meaningful reform.
The bad: Voting in 2008 primary season came within an eyelash of starting in 2007. Even as 24 states crowded into the first permissible date, Feb. 5, their choices by then had already been reduced from some 15 to only 3. In this de facto national primary, there was essentially zero opportunity for any but the most well known, well funded candidates to have a chance.
The ugly: No reform proposals for the 2012 Primary and chaos ensues.
Leading 2012 Reform Proposals:
There are now many competing plans and none are leading. Popular sentiment is to have a single national primary day. The National Secretaries of State and the National Governors Association support rotating regional primaries. Both major national parties have no current consensus plans.
Opportunity to Push for Reform:
Due to the enormous effect that primary election rules have on the selection of party nominees and thereby the US presidency, the National Presidential Caucus urges everyone to engage on this issue and to advocate for their positions and proposals at state and national levels.
The National Presidential Caucus for 2012 Reform is a open discussion platform to promote and moderate multi-party deliberations over the next 12-18 months. Its goal is to foster a consensus plan that prevents an almost assured disaster in the next cycle if no change occurs.
Widening Participation:
Historically this issue has been the sole province of a small group of party members. But given the massive growth in political/civic participation over the last few years combined with the intense national experience of the just completed process, we hope that millions of citizens people will -become informed about this critical process. -become aware of the implications and feel a responsibility to participate in reforming this critical electoral process. -develop opinions and advocate their ideas for reform.
The NPC seeks to stimulate this discussion to the widest possible range of participants. To encourage as many groups as possible take up this complex but extremely important issue to be resolved by mid 2010 or not at all.
Opinions, statements and proposals from targeted constituencies including the 100 state party chairs, the secretaries of state & governors will be highlighted on the project web site. We will also prioritize posts from key members of the national parties, other large member organizations as well as outcomes from any groups who provide links to their own internal deliberation content.
NPC Action:
Goal:
Achieve consensus for reform by mobilizing broader discussion and deeper deliberation about the 2012 primary calendar.
Strategy:
Call on every state chair of both parties to issue a statement of position for their state party. Call on every secretary of state and even governor, to issue a position statement by late July.
Solicit editorial comment from every major outlet. Encourage widespread blogging on issues.
Foster ad hoc groups to meet and discuss as well as invite any political/civic organization to include 2012 calendar reform as agenda item for already scheduled meetings.
NPC on 2012 Primary Reform is a project of the Open Caucus Institute, a non-profit public benefit corporation.
Don Means, Director
Contact: info@nationalcaucus.org
Press Inquiries: 415-331-1963
