A Running Commentary

I have been asked frequently to explain the nature and purpose of the American primary system. Unlike any election in recent memory, the 2008 Presidential has placed a withering spot light on the arcane and often counterintuitive primary systems of both Democrats and Republicans. Assumptions by many voters on the workings of the nominating system have been shattered. Many are shocked not just that their votes do not directly determine a nominee, but also that primary structures vary significantly state to state.

To properly address these queries some common false impressions must first be dispelled regarding the American democratic system as a whole. Politicians throw around the words “democracy” and “freedom” so regularly than many people, understandably, think of the United States as a system where direct votes of the people determine the nation’s course. This is not the case.

What follows is an explanation of the American primary system and the democratic foundation upon which it rests, broken into a series of manageable length entries. The United States of America is not a pure democracy, nor was it ever intended to be. It is in fact a Federal Representative Republic; each of those terms has significant import and interaction and a brief examination of all three provides a basis for understanding primaries.

“Part 2: A Federal System” to follow