Reply #12: Also if we didn't front load, states like Michigan and Florida could play a bigger role

[Hippo_Tron]

Super Tuesday, IMO, is what is really preventing other states from having a say, not Iowa and New Hampshire. We should go back to a system where Iowa and New Hampshire weed out the candidates and then we gradually increase the size of the states and the number of primaries.

Eventually we will get to a point where the 2 or 3 remaining candidates have to genuinely duke it out in places California, New York, Florida, and Michigan. Bill Clinton didn't even solidify the nomination in Illinois let alone with his second place victory in New Hampshire. He had to beat Jerry Brown in New York and California. As far as I'm concerned that year New York and California had just as important of a role as Iowa and New Hampshire.

Only when we moved the calendar up so much did we get to the point in 2004 where John Kerry had no real competition after winning Iowa and New Hampshire.