A Primary Concern on Spending

Many of you may be surprised to learn that we are having both a primary and a caucus for choosing who Missouri will support for U.S. President in 2012. Of course, only one will count.

The Republican National Committee and the Democrat National Committee set up a joint commission on Presidential primaries. This happens every four years. Due to many states wanting to gain national prominence by having early primaries, the national parties set guidelines and dates for the states to hold these primaries.

The penalty for having the primary early is to lose half of your delegates, thus ensuring that no presidential contender would come to Missouri. Not to mention having no influence on the party platform.

Missouri was going to hold the primary on March 6. During lawmakers' regular session in Jefferson City, both parties approved legislation for that to happen. Gov. Nixon vetoed the bill, however, making Missouri Republicans totally disenfranchised from the Presidential primary (Democrats already have their candidate — the incumbent, President Obama).

The Governor put the primary bill in his call to the Legislature for a special session. This bill was passed in the House and stalled in the Senate. As always, there was a fly in the ointment. The deadline to have this submitted to the National parties was Oct. 1. The Senate did not take up the measure until it was too late.

To avoid losing any influence on this process, the Missouri Republican Party voted to have a caucus system that started on March 17. The only thing left to be done was to eliminate the Feb. primary. The Missouri Senate failed to do so.

What you now have is a February primary vote that will cost the taxpayers  around $5 to $7 million — a primary that sadly will have no impact on which candidates Missouri delegates are bound to support. $5 to $7 million in taxpayer money for a beauty contest. This vote will not have any impact on who the Missouri Republicans want for President of the United States. At best, it will be the most expensive poll in state history.

If you are not yet outraged, just wait for my next blog on how this happened. I will give you a hint: Failed leadership. I will also do a blog on how the caucus system will work for the Republicans. This is not as much concern to Democratic voters as President Obama will be the nominee. Still, the waste of this money which could refund many education items cut from the state budget is disheartening.