Yes, primary voters tend to be more informed, often because they are better educated. But that can make them more biased – and the better educated are good at producing flimsy rationales for their preferences. In our polarized age, the most informed voters can have awful beliefs. Anti-vaxxers do their “research.” They know more than pro-vaxxers. And they’re still wrong.

Many senators, and even more representatives, come from voting blocs that are polarized, hateful, nutty, and tiny. A mere one hundred thousand outlier primary voters can elect officials who help govern the country.

Party elders are far from perfect. They’re often corrupt, and they make bad choices. Nonetheless, they remain the better alternative. They are less polarized than primary voters. And they care more about winning elections than ideology. They produce more level-headed candidates with broader appeal. Party elders have a certain expertise – winning – that primary voters often lack.

Again, this is standard practice around the democratic world. Most democracies see parties as essential for democratic functioning. And they acknowledge that parties have expertise.