GOP chief: Primary system a disaster

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The head of the Republican National Committee said the GOP’s presidential primary system is “a total disaster” Saturday while attempting to rally support from Midwesterners for a significant clampdown on intraparty squabbles.

Party Chairman Reince Priebus defended plans to shorten the 2016 primary season by imposing “a death penalty” for any state that jumps ahead of the national party’s calendar, cutting their delegates to the national convention to “next to zero.” He proposed to hold no more than eight GOP primary debates, with the party picking the host partners and moderators. Candidates who participate in unsanctioned debates should be penalized 30 percent of their delegates, Priebus said.

He said the national convention will be moved up from late August to early July or late June, giving GOP candidates less time to fight among themselves and more time to focus on fundraising and campaigning for the general election.

Priebus spoke to hundreds of party members gathered at the Midwest Republican Leadership Conference in Kansas City, which is among several sites seeking to host the Republican National Convention in 2016.

“Our primary system is a total disaster,” Priebus said to the applause of fellow Republicans. In future elections, “we’re not going to have a year-round slicing and dicing festival among our candidates.”