BREAKING POINT? SC GOP Primary date shift may put entire Presidential nominating system at risk

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: Dan Balz's Take
At the Breaking Point?

South Carolina Republican chairman Katon Dawson won his moment in the political limelight today by shifting his state's GOP primary to Jan. 19, 2008. But in doing so, he may have put the entire tradition of the presidential nominating system at risk. South Carolina's move is almost certain to trigger other changes in the calendar. The issue is how much the current system can be bent and stretched and warped before it finally breaks apart.

That is what elected officials and state party leaders in states like New Hampshire, Iowa, Michigan, Florida and South Carolina should be thinking about as they contemplate how to react to Dawson's announcement today.

Tradition, self-interest and pure envy have shaped the 2008 calendar and they ultimately could be the system's undoing. At some point there is likely to be rebellion against a process that forces voters to begin picking presidential nominees 10 months or more before the general election. Can any state official truly justify asking voters to think seriously about presidential politics in the calendar year before the presidential election -- and in the middle of the holiday season to boot? That now appears distinctly possible if New Hampshire feels crowded by South Carolina and moves to early January and Iowa feels crowded by New Hampshire and moves into December.

All of these moves seem logical to those who make the decisions. After all, they are only preserving tradition. Iowa reserves the right to schedule the first presidential caucuses. New Hampshire state law requires that the Granite State hold the first primary in the nation. And for many years, that tradition has served the process well. Those two states, however much they do not mirror the demographics of the entire country, have earned their position at the front of the calendar over the years because of their active and engaged electorates....

***

Other states are legitimately envious of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina and have moved their contests ever earlier to give themselves a larger voice in picking the two nominees. This year's Feb. 5 megaprimary day will be the biggest ever in terms of delegates at stake on a single day -- with the possibility that both parties will effectively select their nominees nine months before Election Day....

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/08/09/now_what.html?hpid=topnews

[iamjoy]

1. Well, THAT Is BS

"Those two states, however much they do not mirror the demographics of the entire country, have earned their position at the front of the calendar over the years because of their active and engaged electorates...."

Maybe the reason these states' electorates are engaged is because they actually get to meet the candidates and ask them questions. How can voters in the other states be engaged when all we see are nasty television ads (if that) and debates which are, to borrow from The Daily Show - clusterf@#ks?

How can we then be engaged and active in the general election process when we don't like our party's nominee or feel he was picked by the media?

Such BS to make Iowa and New Hampshire sound somehow more noble and deserving than the rest of the country.

[FrenchieCat]

2. If we keep this up, we'll be voting tomorrow!

Hope the candidates have a big war chest, cause it's gonna be a long time between the primary results and the General election.

This is simply too much, too soon.

When I thought we'd be revamping the primary calendar, this is not what I had in mind! Voting during Christmas for a candidate to be voted on one entire year later? Ridiculous!

[Perky]

3. That is right

but just watch what happens if there is no presumptive nominee coming out of Super Tueday. Not enough felegate left to cinch it.... whioch means a very expensive 8-month foodfight until the convention.....and then the real dram begins in Both Denver and Minneapolis.

[cui bono]

4. Why can't all primaries be held on the same day?

Is it all about campaigning? Being able to worry about one state at a time, so to speak?

[Redneck Socialist]

7. That would hugely benefit those candidates with boatloads of cash and high name recognition

A candidate like Carter or Clinton (Bill) would never have a chance.

[whistle]

5. It sure looks like that is what the GOP strategy may be, to break the presidential nominating system

[Benhurst]

6. The campaigning has started waaaay too early, and now this.

:argh:

[Redneck Socialist]

8. Yeah, 'cause thinkin' 'bout who's gonna lead the country is suuuccch a burden.

What dumb ass wrote this?

"Can any state official truly justify asking voters to think seriously about presidential politics in the calendar year before the presidential election -- and in the middle of the holiday season to boot?"

Oh noes, teh horrorz!!11! having to think about who you want for president more than a few minutes before you vote. That's, that's awful.

[Hart2008]

9. "that tradition has served the process well."-for Republicans

Iowa reserves the right to schedule the first presidential caucuses. New Hampshire state law requires that the Granite State hold the first primary in the nation. And for many years, that tradition has served the process well.

Considering how well this system has worked to elect Republican presidents, how is overhauling the primary system a bad thing?


:shrug: