Why doesn't the United States have a National Primary?

Answer 1

If you intend your question to mean "Why aren't all Primaries on the same day?" then my answer is:

The smaller states at the start of the primary season (Iowa and New Hampshire) jealously guard their position. Indeed, New Hampshire has a law which requires them to schedule their primary seven days before "any similar election."

The Democrats are planning to re-organize their primaries so that there is a wider range of states voting early - IA and NH are in the north and predominantly white.

The best argument I have heard for not having one set day is that it allows candidates to emerge. If we had had one large set of primaries on the same day in 2004, Howard Dean would probably have won in a landslide. Jimmy Carter came from nowhere in 1976 and, if I recall correctly, Ronald Reagan was not a front-runner in 1980.

Answer 2

In our Constitution, electing candidates for Federal office is left to the individual states. If primaries were "national", states' interests would be jeopardized. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

They kind of do; the Convention is where the delegates gather to "officially" nominate their candidate. It doesn't matter much because by then even if every other potential candidate hadn't dropped out, they still go by electoral points. Each state's delegates have to vote for whomever won that primary.

Answer 4

We have a primary to select presidential candidates.

Answer 5

We don't model ourselves on what the lesser nations of the world may or may not do. We set the standard and if others choose to follow us, thats up to them.

Answer 6

because primaries are how the Parties choose their nominees. this is not a government function

Answer 7

I'm sorry.
What cave did you just say you were living in?