Jonathan Chait … argues that “a small group of party leaders—say, Biden, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and Jen O’Malley Dillon—should decide on a new candidate over the next week.” Is it democratic? No. But hey, sometimes a smoke-filled room is just what you need. (New York)
I concur. Compared with what primary elections has given us (at taxpayer expense, and with high barriers to third parties), the old smoke-filled rooms look pretty good.
I also think that unless the GOP comes up with an equivalent of the Democrats’ “Super Delegates” (the Democrats’ prescient protection against left populism run amok), we’re in for a long run of populist GOP nominees.