The Primary Election Process

Since the 1950’s primary elections have been popularly held in the United States, even more so since in the 1970’s the McGovern Frasier report was published supporting their use. Currently, 40 states elect each party’s nominee by primary election and 10 do it by caucus. They generally take place between January and June of the election year. The current system is said to be advantageous as it is highly democratic, involving voters who decide via election, which candidates will run. Also, the primary election process is said to weed out unsuitable candidates, preparing them for the general election process and testing their stamina. However, critics of primary elections argue that they have lead to an emphasis on style rather than substance

They show which candidates possess the strength and coolness to run in the general election race and potentially become president. Often due to the invisible primaries, the entire election process can last least 18 to 24 months, of solid campaigning. This can be difficult, especially if the candidate holds another political office. To run the candidate must possess physical stamina, be able to endure personal attacks/intense media scrutiny whilst also being able to raise large amounts of money and manage constant travelling. For example, in 1980 Walter Mondale said he didn’t have the ‘overwhelming desire to become president’ that the process would require. Also, Romney’s success in the 2012 primaries over Gingrich could have been due to his ability to perform in impressively in pre-election debates, which have become a major part of the primary election process particularly in the Republican Party. Primaries unarguably produce a candidate who has proved their popularity and stamina by campaigning through all 50 states. Overall, Primaries are useful to test the strength of candidates and weed out unsuitable candidates before the general election

Meaning, they focus more heavily on the candidate’s appearance in the media rather than their policy stances. Mainly, this is because they are subject to relentless media focus. In one way this takes form in intra party debates, with the Republican Party holding 20 in the 2012 primary election season. Also, this media focus encourages biased attack ads sponsored by Super PAC’s. The media also focuses on straw polls that have little meaning. For example, they focused on Michelle Bachmann who won the 2011 Republican AMES straw poll, only for her to drop out in 2012. This is disadvantageous as it misleads voters and leads to biased coverage. Also, this focus has been criticised for turning the election process into a beauty contest where appearance is more important than substantive policy issues. After the 1960 Nixon vs. Kennedy debate where Nixon won with radio listeners and Kennedy with TV viewers it has been accepted in US politics looks do matter. Arguably, this consideration could have led to more Washington outsiders considered in primary elections, if they have what is perceived as good looks. This is negative as it leads to candidates with little experience of governing being allowed to run. It could be argued Barack Obama is a clear example of this, having only 2 years Senate experience before he ran in the 2008