Welcome to the blog’s new monthly(-ish) Q&A. Remember that you can submit questions for future editions here. Readers sent in a lot of great questions to answer this week. I have done my best to select one big topic (on how parties ought to pick presidential candidates!) that I think all readers will enjoy, and picked a few other questions (which today just so happen to be a bit more technical) to put behind the paywall.
In re electability - my experience with the Democratic Party was that there are several gates through which a candidate wannabe must pass. They are coming up through the ranks, electability based on previous performance, fundraising, skeletons in the closet, and Party scutwork. This is not new. Example: young person begins to attend Party functions, volunteers for scutwork like arranging chairs, showing up repeatedly, being available to drive people hither and yon, send out press releases. . . next comes law school or similar professional training. The person seeks local office with the backing of the county's Democratic party. And so on. The person must dress well, speak well, have a genuine interest in Democratic party policy and workings. . .
In re electability - my experience with the Democratic Party was that there are several gates through which a candidate wannabe must pass. They are coming up through the ranks, electability based on previous performance, fundraising, skeletons in the closet, and Party scutwork. This is not new. Example: young person begins to attend Party functions, volunteers for scutwork like arranging chairs, showing up repeatedly, being available to drive people hither and yon, send out press releases. . . next comes law school or similar professional training. The person seeks local office with the backing of the county's Democratic party. And so on. The person must dress well, speak well, have a genuine interest in Democratic party policy and workings. . .