Reply #15: That was the problem I was trying to address.

[Old and In the Way]

At this point Kerry's nomination is a forgone conclusion. But to keep voter turnout high, it would be good if they were competing for the #1 slot in the next primary. It would provide some motivation to get the vote out. Those at the end of the cycle would know what the threshold is to become #1 and provide a basis for Democratic voter participation.

My problem with the current stucture is 2-fold.

(1) The same states get to always have the close-up attention of the candidates running.

(2) Urban areas are not represented in the initial primary/caucus votes....I think a rural state like Iowa or NH should be balanced with a large urban state like NY, FL, or CA.