Party Pros See 2008 Presidential Process As 'a Mess.'

Behind the scenes, insiders of both parties are upset with the way the presidential nominating process is shaping up for 2008. "The whole system is a mess," says a Democratic insider. Adds a Republican veteran: "It's getting out of hand."

What most concerns them is that so many states are lining up to hold early primaries, forcing the candidates and the parties to spend money as never before on TV ads, organizing, travel, and all the other necessities of a general election campaign -- and then have to do it all over again for the real general election in November.

The best example is the February 5 "megaprimary" in which a growing number of states, including California, New York, and New Jersey, will hold primaries. Each state has it own rules and requirements. In California, for example, the delegates will be apportioned on the basis of who wins each congressional district, not state-wide. This means that every campaign will have to calibrate how to use its resources more carefully than ever before, and the outcome is very much up for grabs.

In the past, the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire served as clearinghouses for genuine contenders and allowed candidates to conduct retail politics, meeting voters in small groups or even one on one. The new system will put a premium on expensive TV ads and sound-bite campaigning from airport to airport.

Another concern of the party professionals: The nominees will probably be chosen very early in the year, meaning that the general-election campaign will also begin very early and there will be little or no chance for the parties to back away from their leading candidates if something goes wrong after they lock up a majority of delegates.

Finally, party leaders say it's too late to do anything about the problem for 2008. "The focus has to be on 2012," notes a Democratic strategist who isn't yet tied to a candidate.

By Kenneth T. Walsh