In the 2000 presidential campaign, Gore and Bush locked-up their nominations almost six months before their parties' conventions. The Democratic and Republican national conventions, formerly full of high-stakes drama as the party delegates chose their presidential tickets, are now little more than formalities. Is the presidential primary system in need of reform or is it working just fine? Does the front-loading of the primary season make it impossible for a dark horse candidate to build a campaign? Do the political parties have too much power in the process or not enough?
