While I'm not sure I agree with his solution, I agree that the primary system is broken. I'm a democrat, but I think the problem is the same for both parties.

Why is it that independents in small states with few delegates (Iowa, NH, etc) get to vote for a full field of candidates, but by the time it comes to major states (Calfornia, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, etc.) the field is whittled down so much that party loyalists only get to vote for one or two candidates??? How is that a fair system for picking a party's nominee (i.e. the representative of the party...not of independents)???

I understand candidates can't afford to stay in after the press overstates the outcomes of these early races because their financial contributors get nervous. However, as someone who has voted my party lines in every election I would really like the respect of my party and be given the same right as independents (people who won't even take a stand and pick a party).

Gee, his mentors started this horse race to take our eyes off what was really going on and he complains about it now? What a tool.
I never watch this idiot anymore.
He stopped being a journalist ten years ago.

I agree with Charlie Gibson. This campaign began the day AFTER they counted the votes for the 2006 election. These candidates have already spent MILLIONS of dollars and we haven't even started the actual presidential campaign. Much of those millions have been donated by Americans....many of whom scream about paying higher taxes so we can have healthcare for everyone, good schools, clean air and water etc. How much better off we would be if we were willing to take that money and pay it in taxes for the good of our country as a whole. But no.....we have become a total "me first" society we aren't willing to think of the good of anyone but ourselves. Give each candidate the same amount of money and no more. That would stop the lobbyists who later old our representatives hostage for their votes. Limit the campaign period and be done with it.

Hey I've got a better idea lets do away with the media picking our candidates for us and you guys give all of those running equal time.

Gibson you and the rest of the media are corporate whores. You guys don't report the news you sell it. You guys don't report the issues during an election you look for controversy and try to keep the candidate slinging mud. Issues don't sell news they wake the American public up. The machine can not have a thinking public, if that were to happen they would begin to think for them selves. An awakened public is too dangerous for the fat cats and money worshipers.

Gibson you are one of the ones that did everything you could to keep Edwards out of the race so you guys can have your Hill and O show. Meanwhile the media has brought McCain from 4th to first. Which is nothing against McCain I think he is the best guy on the right side of the isle.

You ass hats want to create a better election process give every candidate equal time. The leaders on both sides are the ones who have the most air time and coverage by the media. Keep the concentration on the issues and rise above the silliness of the he said she said they said bullshit. It may not sell but it will result in a honest and equal election process. Americans deserve better from the media. You guys should report on everyone who is running equally and let the public decide who is best not decide who is best and give that person more time so the American public thinks they are the best because you say so.

I agree with Gibson and with the notion that the campaign length needs to be shortned a great deal.
We also need 100 percent public financing of campaigns with all other forms of funding denied and with that---candidates get a certain amount of free broadcast advertising on all forms of broadcast media. To have free media broadcasting time would elminate the need for candidates to have huge warchests and since the airwaves belong to the "people" and not the networks and individual station owners----they should not be making huge profits on something like providing candidate advertising time that should be done in the notion of being "in the public interest."

Better yet, do away with gas bags like Gibson, Wallace, the Faux clowns et al.....

Charlie Gibson is an assclown.

To say that we have the oldest democracy on the face of the earth is to also say that we have the most antiquated. The point of the primary system was to allow candidates the time to visit states in a large country that, at the time, didn't have mass media and swift and efficient transportation. Those things have changed. Now it's become a chance for candidates to shove their faces into the public eye for over a year straight before the election and a means for the mainstream media to reap money and attention off of contrived non-stories about costs of haircuts and who got what money from such and such sleazy slumlord or from such and such dubious Chinese-American business man.

It's ironic that as we try to import democracy (very poorly, I might add) to places like Iraq we don't try to import our primary system with it. Even our leaders know that it's a hindrance more than a help to the electorial process.

And don't get me started on the how elitist the electorial college is.

Let's just go back the cigar smoke filled rooms where the big-shots used to rule supreme.

Now does Regis have the balls to put his new good friend Amy Goodman from Democracy on to get her opinion?

Isn't that slightly hypocritical and biting the necon hand that pays him extremely well? He knows full well that politics is the biggest industry in America. And his neocon network makes so much money from it there's no way they would ever support it. Then again they're so neocon they're not even an actual news network....

That's a good idea. Also they should ban caucuses since so few people vote in them.

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Sorry about Rudy, Regis.

If only he'd had guards for the wife too. . .

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I'm with him. This process of almost constant campaigning between election cycles is absurd and tremendously divisive. There has to be a better way.