The US presidential primary system is criticized for being convoluted and undemocratic. The system often favors party insiders over the popular vote, with rules varying from state to state and between parties. The use of caucuses, superdelegates, and unbound delegates can lead to a disconnect between the popular vote and the actual nomination. The system has been in place since the 1960s, and while there have been some reforms, many of the details were left up to state leaders, resulting in a patchwork of rules.
The system has been criticized by both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, who have both been affected by its quirks. Trump has complained about the Republican Party's use of unbound delegates, while Sanders has criticized the Democratic Party's use of superdelegates.
The host of the video suggests that the system needs wholesale reform and proposes that people write to the chair of each party on February 2nd (Groundhog Day) to remind them to fix the system. The host argues that the system is "broken" and that it's only a matter of time before it leads to another controversy.
1. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are likely to be the presidential nominees for the 2016 US election.
2. The Democratic Party's primary process is not over yet, with Bernie Sanders still competing against Hillary Clinton.
3. The Democratic Party's system for assigning delegates is causing frustration, with some states having different rules and methods for allocating delegates.
4. The Democratic Party's system allows for super-delegates, who are party leaders and elected officials who can vote for any candidate they choose, regardless of the outcome of the primary in their state or district.
5. In 1968, the Democratic Party's system broke down when the party leadership picked Hubert Humphrey as the nominee despite him not competing in a primary.
6. The Republican Party has its own way of diluting the power of primary votes, with some states allowing delegates to vote for any candidate they choose after the first round of convention voting.
7. North Dakota Republicans chose 28 delegates themselves without holding a primary or caucus.
8. The 2016 Republican primaries have seen over 27 million people vote, but the delegates at the convention ultimately choose the nominee.
9. The Democratic Party's primary process is private and the party can set its own rules.
10. The 2016 Democratic primaries have seen Hillary Clinton lead Bernie Sanders by over three million votes, according to the Washington Post.
11. The primary process is not guaranteed to produce the candidate with the most votes as the winner, and there is no guarantee that this will happen in the future.
12. The primary process is only reformed during the primary season when it is impacting the candidate that people care about.
13. February 2nd (Groundhog Day) is proposed as a date to write an email to the chair of each party to remind them to fix the primary process.