It's been on my mind too, especially 2016 and 2020. My first vote was for Obama in the primary in 2007 and it got me interested in politics. What we have now just... sucks. I wanted Warren in 2020, but states that don't even vote blue decided Biden was the pick.
Had there been a primary in 2024, though, it'd have likely gone to Harris anyway and we'd probably have had the same results. I don't think we'll have a good primary until the electorial college is abolished and the red states who vote on primaries actually have say that matters, or we change how primaries work so that it's reflective of states that actually vote blue (and while we're at it, have it on the same fucking day so it's not first come first serve).