A presidential primary that matters to voters

Momentum is building for the state Democratic Party to reverse its longstanding practice of ignoring the state's presidential primary when it allocates delegates to the national convention.

Gov. Chris Gregoire and House Speaker Frank Chopp, influential Democrats, told The Seattle Times editorial board this week their party should use the primary results, at least in part. And the Democratic committees in Thurston, Mason, Clallam and Whitman counties and the 38th Legislative District all passed resolutions to that effect. Other Democrats now must lean on the party decision-makers, who will convene Saturday in Bellingham. Activists within the party are trying to reverse its habit of elitist decision-making.

Historically, the party has opted not to use results from the high-turnout presidential primary, preferring instead to base its delegates on the sparsely-attended caucuses. The state Republican Party in 2000 used the primary results to allocate about one-third of its delegates, with the rest based on the caucus results.

A decision to ignore the primary results deliberately omits the wishes of most party members. Only about 2 percent of registered voters — or 60,000 — participated in the 2000 caucuses, while 1.3 million (40 percent) participated in the 2000 presidential primary. (The 2004 primary was canceled because of a budget crunch, but an effort to cancel the 2008 primary was foiled in the Legislature.)

At its Saturday meeting, the Democratic Party, which has prided itself on being inclusive, needs to make sure it includes all of the state's Democrats.

Some Democratic leaders have been passive-aggressive about this issue. The five Democrats on the state-convened committee to set the 2008 presidential primary date tried to move it to March 19 — political observers agree that's weeks after the presidential primary winners will emerge. (The Republicans wanted it Feb. 5, so no agreement was reached.)

That nonsense should stop. Democrats who want to vote in a presidential primary that matters should contact state committee members who represent their counties and legislative districts.

TO FIND OUT who represents you, call the Washington State Democratic Party office at 206-583-0664.