How DO Candidates Get Chosen?

I have a vague understanding of this...but not a full understanding. So I'm going to consult Google for you.



In essence, it's a smaller version of the Electoral College. While the primaries for each party ARE held in the year leading up to the Presidential Election, those really don't officially decide anything. Delegates are chosen from each state, and then THEY select the candidate at the party convention, typically held the summer before Election Day.



The delegate selection process is rather...complicated. It varies by state, and by Party. One of my Google Finds, ThisNation.com, had a pretty solid answer for you. That article also links to a CNN.com report on how the GOP and Democrats did their process in 2004...which is a good read.



For the sake of brevity, the short and simple answer is the primaries serve to pledge some delegates for a particular candidate. They're typically only about half of the delegates that will go to the Convention...there are elected officials (think Governors), Party officials, and others with influence who will be chosen for the state at large.



Most delegates will be pledged, meaning they have to declare for a particular candidate before the convention. It's for this reason winning the primaries is such a key element...although in theory, with a scattered enough race (like this one!) it could be anyone's ball game, on account of unpledged delegates being able to weigh in on just one of three otherwise equal candidates.



So, to recap: The primaries elect some of the delegates to the Convention, and these set of district level delegates will vote for the winner of said primary. PLEO's, or Party Leaders and Elected Officials, will also have a say and are typically unpledged. This allows state delegations to be flexible under changing political conditions. Other delegates are chosen as well, with an at-large distinction, and depending on state rules are pledge or unpledged.



Then they all get together, and have a big party, and somewhere along the way vote for whoever they were pledged to vote for. Or whoever their delegation decides on, if they aren't pledged.



That gets important, because...what about those delegates pledged to Bill Richardson? They're up for grabs at the convention. If Huckabee drops out, all his delegates ALSO become fair game. That's why it may not seem important to vote your conscience in a primary, but...really, it is. Even if your candidate drops out later, a delegate from your district could play a key role in choosing the right candidate, instead of just going to support a media darling.

Now For Some News...

Bush to Announce a Stiumulous Package (Put Together With Congress???), from NPR.

Iran is Not an Immediate Military Threat, says Gates, from NPR.

Bobby Fischer Dies at 64, from BBC.

CIA Names Bhutto Killer, from BBC.

Reds Spring Training Tickets On Sale, from WVXU.

Delta, Northwest Merger Likely, from WVXU.

Ohio Supreme Court Rules on Multiple Sentences, from WVXU.