The Young Democrats of America endorse
California in the electoral process, would be friendly to candidates
with a developing fundraising base, and would avoid the front-loaded
extravaganzas such as Super Tuesday and Mega Tuesday that have ended
promising presidential candidacies by the score.Originally called The Graduated Random Presidential Primary System, the American Plan was authored by Thomas Gangale of the policy think tank OPS-Alaska based in Petaluma, California. The Plan has received the support of the Center for Voting and Democracy, headquartered in Takoma Park, Maryland (www.fairvote.org), Rep. Lynn Woosley (D-Petaluma), the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley, the California Young Democrats (CYD), and the California 6th Assembly District Democratic Committee, as well as several progressive blogs. The National Association of Secretaries of State and Common Cause have also shown interest in the plan. Additionally, the American Plan will be the subject of a chapter in the 10th edition of the popular political science textbook, Points of View: Readings in American Government and Politics, edited by Robert E. DiClerico and Allan S. Hammock
"This plan maximizes the involvement of every state and forces candidates to run campaigns responsive to America's great diversity of ideas" said Rocky Fernandez, CYD Political Director.
Among primary alternatives, the Rotating Regional Primary Plan has received the most attention. However, according to Gangale, "It has all the drawbacks of a single-day national primary and none of the advantages. Far from eliminating front-loading, it institutionalizes it, merely rotating it from region to region. Whoever wins the first regional primary of the season will be the presumptive presidential nominee, and everyone else might just as well stay home and not vote. We've had enough of that. The American Plan structures the primary schedule as a gradually accelerating process that keeps the campaign competitive longer, and gives the American people more time to make an informed decision regarding whom their next leader will be."
The DNC has empanelled the Commission on Presidential Nomination Timing and Scheduling to recommend reforms by the end of this year. "People need to know that the way they will select the next Democratic candidate for president is being determined right now," said CYD President, Crystal Strait. "The American people have a huge stake in this, and they need to take an active role in this process."
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The Young Democrats of America (YDA) has been the official youth arm of the Democratic Party since 1932. Open to anyone under the age of 36 who affiliates with the Democratic Party, YDA is a nationwide grassroots organization with 42 chartered states and 780 local chapters. Its 43,000 plus membership reflects the broad diversity of our nation and the Democratic Party. This includes high school students, college students, young workers, young professionals and young families. All of the members have the interest of their community at heart and work hard to affect the democratic process.
The California Young Democrats are the official youth outreach organization for the California Democratic Party. CYD provides resources for high school, college, and young professionals through a statewide network of chartered clubs representing college and young Democrats in virtually every county of the state. CYD also holds affiliations with national organizations such as the Young Democrats of America, the College Democrats of America and the Democratic National Committee.