What is the point of the Missouri primary?

[Joe Republic]

Are there other elections on the ballot as well, at least?  If not, any idea how much money it costs to run this waste of time?

[Tender Branson]

Well, the Democrats are holding theirs as well on this date.

And it could be argued that it serves as an indicator about how the caucus attendents will vote. For example if Santorum does really well in the beauty primary, then it's legitimate that he also wins the caucus and so on ... Or the media could use it to build up or support the winner of this thing. So, it was actually a bad idea by Gingrich to skip it, no matter if its just a beauty contest.

And, I have read somewhere that the cost is about 8 million $ ...

[Mr. Morden]

I don't know if there are other offices on the ballot or not.

The original intention was to use the primary for delegate allocation and not have a caucus, but the Feb. 7 date meant that the state would face the 50% delegate penalty for going early.  There were repeated attempts in the legislature last year to move the primary later to avoid delegate penalties, but there were enough Republicans in the state senate who wanted to keep the early primary and just take the penalties (like NH, SC, FL, AZ, and MI are doing) that they were able to block it.

Then, just when the legislative session for the year was ending and it was too late to change the primary, the state GOP leadership which had been quiet until then announced that they disagreed with those state senators who wanted to go early and take the penalties, and that if the primary was going to be on Feb. 7th, they would just have to hold caucuses in March so as to avoid the penalties, and not use the primary for delegate allocation.

But, like I said, by then it was too late to cancel the primary.  I think the Missouri Dems did in fact get a waiver from the DNC to use the primary for delegate allocation without suffering penalties, and they are using next week's primary to do so, but of course Obama has no real opposition, so the primary is being held for a race in which the outcome is pre-ordained.

[Joe Republic]

I forgot I'd posted this.  Thanks for the responses, guys.

So in summary, a competitive election in which no delegates are offered is being held simultaneously with a totally uncompetitive election in which delegates are being offered.  Great job, Missouri.

[Lief 🗽]

It'll provide us with some lulz when Mitt Romney loses to Santorum.