About the closed primary issue:
Some states have closed primaries. Others have open or partially open ones. It's a matter for states and the Democratic Party to decide, really. But here's the crux of the matter:
Our presidential elections are political in nature. Individual parties select nominees to run for that office. So far, in all modern elections, either the Democrat or the Republican has always won in the general election. But, they are often not the only candidates on the ballot. Other parties also present nominees. Depending on your state, you might see candidates from the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, the Constitution Party and various other parties. They, too, select their own nominees.
The nomination of a presidential candidate is strictly a party function in this country. How that is done is decided by the parties themselves and the rules are set by those parties. It's their option. States sometimes have a role in setting up primary elections or caucuses, but the party's rules are what decide who the nominee will be for each party.
In California, for example, the Republican Party primary is a closed primary. Only registered Republicans can vote. On the Democratic side, however, both Democrats and voters who have declared no party affiliation can vote. Green Party registered voters, however, cannot vote in the Democratic primary in that state.
In New York, the primary is a completely closed primary. Only registered Democrats can vote for the allocation of delegates for Democratic candidates. That's what New York's Democratic Party has decided to do. It's the party's decision, solely. That's true in every state. So, we have a mix of primary and caucus policies about who is eligible to vote.
The central fact, however, is that nominees are selected by the party, not by voters in general. The rules are set by the parties. That happens in Rules Committees at the state and national levels for each party who fields candidates for President.
In 2016, either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders will be the nominee, and will be selected according to the rules of the Democratic Party. Their party, their rules. The winner will be the Democratic Party's nominee. That's how it works.
It's important for voters in each state to understand the rules in their state, if they want to participate in this nominee selection process. Today, it's really easy to find that information. All you have to do is Google. You find your state's Democratic Party's web site and drill down to the rules. If you don't have the internet, you can find a phone number for the party's headquarters and ask them.
If you wait until just before the primary election and you're not a registered Democrat, though, you may not be able to participate. But here's the thing: If you are a registered Democrat, you can participate in all 50 states. If your state does not register voters by party, it's likely to have an open primary, so that's OK. But, if your state offers registration by party and you want to participate in presidential primaries, register as a Democrat and you'll be absolutely sure you can.
Whining about rules that have been in place for some time makes no sense. Every registered Democratic voter in New York can vote in the primary. If you're registered with some other party affiliation, you're out of luck, and the time has passed to change your registration. Why a time limit? To keep Republicans from changing just before a primary election to screw up the primary results. That's simple.
Bottom line: Want to vote for a Democratic candidate in primaries? Be a Democratic voter by registration. No matter where you are, that will make you eligible to participate.
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