The process nominating of Prez candidates moves forward today, protecting frontrunners & status quo

[marmar]

by John Nichols for The Nation:


BLOG | Posted 08/09/2007 @ 09:11am
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Likes Caucuses
John Nichols


Get ready for the Holiday caucuses.

The official starting date for the presidential nominating processes of the Republican and Democratic parties is about to take a great leap forward -- to an earlier point in January of 2008, and perhaps even to December of 2007.

Here's what is happening, and why is matters:

Florida has officially advanced its primary date to January 29 -- a date that had been reserved by both parties for voting in South Carolina.

Because South Carolina does not want to have to compete with Florida -- a state with a higher profile, more delegates on offer and a bigger role in the November competition -- a chain reaction is about to begin.

The South Carolina Republican Party will announce today its decision to advance the state's primary to January 19. That means that the New Hampshire primary will be moved to an earlier date, probably January 12. Iowa will then set a caucus date that is at least a week earlier than the New Hampshire vote.

There is a good deal of speculation that Iowa officials, who are determined to defend the influence of their first-in-the-nation vote, could set a date in December. That would mean that the process of selecting delegates to the Democratic and Republican national conventions of 2008 could begin before Christmas 2007.

At the latest, the process will now begin a days after New Year's celebrations. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=221423

[bemildred]

1. Our election system is soooo broken. nt