Don't throw out the caucus with Iowa

So it's the day after the 2020 presidential primary season has begun, Iowa has humiliated the democrats, and people are calling for the state to be stripped of its "First in the Nation" status. While they're at it, some want to throw out the caucus system as well.

The caucus system has its drawbacks. It's a pain to have to take an hour or two out of your day--at a given time--to cast your vote. It disenfranchises people who don't have work flexibility. That is a serious problem.

But the plurality voting of other states is, well, better than just whirling a spinner. There are still some 12 candidates in the race for the Democratic nomination. This means that one candidate is likely to "win" with somewhere between 20 and 30% of the vote. So we'll have a "winner," when 75% of the voters voted for someone else.

You've doubtless heard of the fears of the progressive wing, that Bernie and Elizabeth Warren are splitting the vote. One alone would probably receive 1/2 to 3/4 or more of the vote that the other got. This happened to Republicans several times, when their far-right voters split their votes, and they nominated John McCain and Mitt Romney. Most Republicans didn't really want them, so they didn't turn out on election day.

There are many alternatives, including Instant Run-off voting, ranked ("Borda") voting, and range (survey-style) voting. They all are better than plurality voting, but they all have their issues.

The advantage of the caucus system is that you don't have to guess what the field is. You vote your favorite candidate. If that one isn't going to win, you can vote your second choice. But unlike all those other voting methods, you can vote your second choice knowing what is going on. You can talk with your neighbors, plan, strategize the best way to express your feelings. It's a darn good way to get people together to choose something that the most people will find the most acceptable.

I can see a good case to be made for Instant Run-off, Borda, and range voting. But if it's a choice between caucus and plurality, caucus is infinitely superior.