Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Caucus-Convention Creates Right-Sized Playground for Gift-Giving

   In statewide elections, I do not believe the caucus-convention system takes much of the money element out of the race.
   Giving gifts to electors seems to happen more in the caucus-convention system. The candidate might not have enough money to buy much for all comers, but if you reduce the number of electors to just the delegates, the candidate now can afford to spend -- and does. Witness Chris Stewart mailing his book to the delegates. Witness the chances of a restaurant meal for delegates versus a restaurant meal for voters once the race is past convention.
   It could be argued that rather than reducing the influence of money, the caucus-convention system actually is the right-sized playground for it, at least the right-sized playground for gift-giving.

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