To prevent future Donald Trumps, Republicans call for closed primary seasons
Swallowing the Donald Trump pill has been rough for many in the Republican establishment, leading to a discussion about shutting out independents and Democrats from helping to pick future nominees during the primaries, Politico reports.
"We now have a progressive, Trojan horse candidate that manipulated the open primary process to hijack the GOP nomination," Colorado GOP activist Kendal Unruh explained.
In states with closed primaries, Ted Cruz often beat Trump — a fact that has not gone unnoticed. Even Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus argued that "only Republicans should vote in Republican primaries." Some others have made a case for softer rules — let the states decide — but pointed out the advantage to having a closed primary system.
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"If you're not a Republican, then you can wait for the general. Democrats shouldn’t have a role in choosing our nominee," Colorado Rules Committee member Guy Short told Politico.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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