The primary is not a sampling to determine the most popular candidate for a general election. It is a method for a party to determine its chosen representative.

The primary is not a sampling to determine the most popular candidate for a general election. It is a method for a party to determine its chosen representative. Also, the rules differ from state to state about which kind of voters can vote in the primary -- in some, you have to be a "registered" member, in others not. So your method would never apply generally. I find the American system baffling because consults the public so early in the process. In parliamentary systems, the party chooses a leader, and then this leader becomes the face of the party in the next election. In other words, there is only "superdelegates". That seems way more rational to me, although it sets a higher bar for insurgent candidates.