“I don’t care who does the electing, so long as I get to do the nominating.”
But the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary will choose only about two percent of the delegates to each national convention.
“I don’t care who does the electing, so long as I get to do the nominating.”
So said “Boss” William Tweed, the iconic (and audacious and arrogant) boss of New York City’s infamous Democratic political machine in the late nineteenth century. He spoke too soon (or too truthfully) for the arrogance of Tweed and his ilk provoked reformers to take away the nominating power of political machines and political parties and give that power to the voters. That is what primary elections are about.