Republican primaries reform

[DEMOREP1 at aol.com]

      WASHINGTON (Reuter) - The Republican Party launched a review Thursday
[April 18, 1996] of whether there were too many early primaries this year,
even before its delegate selection process ends. 

    A review task force met at the party headquarters to start analyzing the
1996 primary season that saw most of the primaries to select delegates to the
party's nominating convention in August jammed into February and March. 

    The nine-person task force elected Jim Nicholson, the national
committeeman from Colorado, as its chairman. He said the group might make
recommendations that would be considered at the convention by the party Rules
Committee and convention delegates. 

    At a news conference, Nicholson said the group believed not enough
Republican voters participated in the nominee selection process which saw
Senate Republican Leader Bob Dole clinch in March enough delegates to be
assured of the nomination in August at the San Diego convention. 

    Nicholson said for all practical purposes only six states played a major
role in the process, mentioning the Iowa caucuses, and primaries in New
Hampshire, North and South Dakota, Arizona and South Carolina. 

    But possible changes or solutions to the perceived problem were not
discussed, said Nicholson and party chairman Haley Barbour. Another meeting
was scheduled for May 30 when state party officials will give their views. 

    Republicans have always bowed to states to let them decide on the primary
schedule but could propose changes. Barbour said he hoped any changes in the
primary schedule could be a bipartisan matter with Democrats. 

    Barbour said there was no dissatisfaction with Dole being the nominee as
a reason for the review and, in fact, he recomme[n]ded such a review back in
January before the first delegate was selected. 

17:01 04-18-96
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Comment- Is it now possible to enlighten the Republican folk that party
conventions are obsolete and that election methods exist for the direct
nomination and election of one person (or multi-persons) to one person
offices (or multi-person offices).