Building off of last year's National Presidential Caucus to stimulate participation through local straw poll caucuses across the country, the NPC has now taken up the challenge of advocating for reform of the next primary.

"2012 Primary Calendar Deadline: 2008 GOP Convention"

Need:

There is a near universal consensus on the need to reform of the presidential primary calendar in both parties as well as state governments who must finally schedule and typically pay for the contests. 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 years since the primary system was implemented as one reform plan after another is 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 three in short order. The GOP race was effectively over on Feb. 5th. Even the unpredicted prolonged Democratic race that enabled a substantial number of Americans to actually cast a meaningful vote, eliminated all but two candidates even before
Feb. 5th.

The good: The body politic now has a taste for the authentic participation it has long yearned for but hardly expected. Safe to predict this appetite will remain after the primary season concludes.

The bad: Voting in 2008 primary season came within an eyelash of starting in 2007. Even as 20+ states crowded into the first permissible date, Feb. 5, their choices by then had already been reduced from 12-15 to only a few. In this de facto national primary, there was zero opportunity for any but the most well known candidates to have a chance.

The ugly: No reform happens for 2012 unless the Republican Party first adopts a new calendar at their convention in September. The Democrats allow themselves more time but will have few options for change since the GOP will be unable, by rule, to respond.

Leading 2012 Reform Proposals:

The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Governors Association are on record endorsing a plan to create four regions that would start by lottery and rotate every 4 year cycle. The National Republican Party, who only allows changes to be made at its national convention, came close to adopting a plan in 2000 that would group states by size progressing from the small states to large in multiple rounds.

In April, the GOP Rules Committee adopted and will recommend to its September convention, a hybrid plan, where a group of 20+ smallest states precedes three groups of states with comparable delegate votes who by lottery would rotate in the following positions. Exempted states of IA, NH, NV & SC would keep their first-first status.

Opportunity to Push for Reform:

Whatever the GOP convention decides will likely become the calendar and format for 2012(or 2011!). Due to the enormous effect that any calendar system has on the actual selection of party nominees and thereby the US presidency, the National Presidential Caucus urges everyone to engage on this issue and make an effort to advocate their positions and proposals at state and national levels.

The National Caucus itself only seeks to enable a consensus plan or even common features to prevent 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 a just completed process, we hope millions of citizens people will become informed about this critical process. That they will develop opinions and advocate their ideas for reform. That they will become aware of the implications and feel a responsibility to participate in a reform effort.

Acting as one of many web sites for posting ideas, opinions and proposals, the NPC's goal is to stimulate and broaden this discussion to the widest possible range of participants. To have as many groups as possible take up this complex but extremely important issue to be resolved by early September 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:
Partner to mobilize discussion and deliberation about the 2012 primary calendar prior to the GOP convention which will be the last chance for Republicans, and therefore likely Democrats, to make any changes to the current dysfunctional primary system.

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 501(c)(4).

Don Means, Director

Contact: info@nationalcaucus.org

Press Inquiries: 415-331-1963