Michigan GOP considers changing nomination method

By KATHY BARKS HOFFMAN • Associated Press • June 18, 2009

LANSING — Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, one of Michigan's top elected officials, is raising questions over the legality of a GOP proposal to change how candidates for secretary of state and attorney general are named.

Land sent a letter today to Attorney General Mike Cox, also a Republican, asking him to address whether state law bans the Republican or Democratic parties from choosing those candidates at a spring convention....

...Supporters say choosing the candidates earlier would decrease party infighting and give candidates more time to raise money heading into the November general election.

But some are questioning whether the change is even legal. Land notes in her letter to Cox that Michigan law says delegates who would nominate such candidates can't be elected until a period of eight to 25 days after the August primary.

Advocates note that rules change wouldn't violate the law because the candidates wouldn't be officially nominated until the late-summer convention; they'd just be named eligible to run in the spring.

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My comment:

 

The problem with the Delegate process of the GOP is the lack of procedural attitude with many delegates possibly not elected by their precincts. Then there is the top down thumb screw reality that is not gone and will be hard to suppress without backlashing by primaries.

Making the delegate process a working functioning body with input from the grassroots County GOP process, any attempt by the State GOP Leadership to consume more power would be disastrous