Will We Have a Nominee by New Years?

By: The Grey Havens
Published On: 8/8/2007 5:50:13 PM

The WSJ today reports that a cascade of primary date changes could drive the Iowa Caucus to early December.

South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson will announce that he is moving its primary date ahead of Florida's Jan. 29 vote, to reclaim his state party's "first in the South" presidential-nominating banner. But he will do so in New Hampshire, home of the first-in-the-nation primary. And he will be joined by New Hampshire's longtime Secretary of State Bill Gardner, who alone has the power to set that state's date for both parties, now tentatively Jan. 22.

If both were to move their dates up, that likely would force Iowa - always protective of its party caucuses as the first nominating contests of any kind - to consider moving its date from next Jan. 14 into pre-Christmas December.

The politics of this are astonishing... but if we go through the Christmas holiday with a clear victor in Iowa it could change the game entirely.

February 5 has never seemed so late in the year.

Comments



Can We Forsee Buyer's Remorse by July? (dsvabeachdems - 8/8/2007 8:57:04 PM)
I remember the excitement the night Robert Kennedy won California. It was easy to sense the wave of momentum building toward November. Sadly that didn't even last the night.

This continued lengthening of the primary season leaves one to wonder if even before the convention, the bloom will be off the rose. Will we see a nominee selected that is already doomed to defeat?



It's way too early (KathyinBlacksburg - 8/8/2007 9:18:22 PM)
It's way too early to suggest anyone is actually the front runner.  And December is too early too.  This sounds like a maneuver to assure Hillary doesn't get "Deaned."  In 2004, Dean was doing well until about mid December.  Then, with a a constant barrage by the so-called MSM and the thousands of replays of his celebratory cheer (that there was still hope in states yet unprimaried), it all went downhill.