I would very much like to see less disparity in the schedule, but I'm not sure how this could be done. I'd rather not see a small set of privileged states go first. I don't see why this small group gets to have so much unassailable influence in shaping the resulting contests. It would be interesting to see how a national, single-day primary would pan out. However, I do understand contrary arguments that would indicate such a primary being won on the basis of television. I do grasp that the extended schedule gives candidates more time to campaign (in the manner of their choosing) in more places.

At the end of the day, the nomination process need not be democratic in the same way that elections for office are. The party is an entity unto itself.

Posted at May 13, 2008 6:02 PM in response to Five Reforms for the Democratic Party's Primary Process

There are also some very sound social science reasons for conducting exit polls.

Posted at May 12, 2008 5:59 PM in response to As Indiana tightens, evidence strengthens that McCain meddlers delivered state to Clinton

Princeton Professor Larry Bartels took on Thomas Frank's thesis in his book What's the Matter with Kansas? in this paper:

http://www.princeton.edu/~bartels/kansas.pdf

Interesting is Bartels' conclusion that Frank got it wrong. It's not about social issues, but rather about race. The paper is only 40 or 50 pages with data included. No matter how you end up looking at it, it's an interesting read.

Posted at May 12, 2008 4:55 PM in response to Obama and racism. READ.

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Cranial_ridge

Posted at May 11, 2008 6:11 PM in response to I, Lieutenant Worf, Endorse Barack Obama For President in Your Year 2008

A good guess, but this one isn't me.

Posted at May 11, 2008 5:50 PM in response to I, Lieutenant Worf, Endorse Barack Obama For President in Your Year 2008

You've hit on one of my favorite themes. We invest in law enforcement and military, but we avoid investing in people all of the time. It's maddening that we pretend like we don't know what it takes to build peaceful and prosperous communities. We know how crushing poverty is. We know how powerful education is. Why don't we use these lessons to improve the world that we live in?

I know that some people understand these things and are striving for them, but it's very easy to feel that we live in a society that is sick in the head. We have a "War on Drugs" that helps to keep communities in poverty. We have a "War on Terror" that is helping to keep entire nations in poverty. People who live under prosperous, peaceful conditions don't engage in drive-by shootings. They don't strap bombs to their chests. We know how to make these things better. It may not be easy to get there, but we know well what the goal should be.

Practical socialism indeed.

Posted at May 9, 2008 5:22 AM in response to Top 5 tidbits and stories from North Carolina's primary

This is all I can think about after reading your post:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BWh8XKvsYqc

Posted at May 9, 2008 4:43 AM in response to Just Say No, Or, Time To Ride the Unity Pony

It's okay. Articleman is a friend of your parents. They asked him to come pick you up from school today to take you for a ride on the unity pony.

Posted at May 9, 2008 4:41 AM in response to Just Say No, Or, Time To Ride the Unity Pony

I'm pretty sure that you're not supposed to look at those sites at work.

Posted at May 9, 2008 4:40 AM in response to Just Say No, Or, Time To Ride the Unity Pony

Cypher is beginning to remind me of the "Washington Outsider" narrative that pols use when they want to get back to Washington.

Posted at May 9, 2008 4:38 AM in response to Just Say No, Or, Time To Ride the Unity Pony