One of the best letters I’ve gotten in response to an earlier post about the lateness of the Texas caucus results:

Part of the issue, methinks, is that it is on the one hand a party election according to party rules, and on the other hand a state-administered election. After seeing this primary season run its course and paying somewhat closer attention to the process itself than I have previously, I have come to the conclusion that the states should have no say, and no expense, in running primaries. Why should Republican tax dollars pay for a Democratic Party caucus (and vice versa)? Unless the party wants to contract with the state to use its election apparatus – and pay for it out of their own coffers – the state should not be involved other than to ensure order. The parties should pick their representatives however they wish. Smoke-filled rooms, lotteries, dart tournaments, or measurement of proboscis – doesn’t matter to me. I’d even go so far as to assert that the government should make no official acknowledgement of an individual’s party affiliation. One is simply the representative of district X or the senator from state Y. Yeah, I’m spitting into the wind on both of those, but at least I know where that stuff’s been when it blows back in my face.