Posted on 08/29/2007 7:11:42 PM PDT by jmyrlefuller
Wyoming Republicans have jumped to the head of the pack in the nominating process, moving their delegate-selection conventions to Jan. 5 before even Iowa or New Hampshire vote.
While the move puts Wyoming first in the accelerated primary process, it is not expected to stay there as states continue to jockey for position. At stake for Wyoming Republicans on Jan. 5 will be 12 delegates to the national convention.
"We're first in the nation," said Tom Sansonetti, the state party's 2008 county convention coordinator. "At least for the next couple, three weeks until New Hampshire and Iowa move, which I expect they will."
Wyoming Republicans made the decision Saturday and announced it Monday.
The ever-changing contest schedule—and the earlier start to the balloting—has created an enormous level of discomfort for national parties trying to impose discipline on the states as well as presidential campaigns trying to figure out strategies when voting could begin in just four months.
As a deterrence, the Republican National Committee insists they will penalize states that schedule nominating contests before Feb. 5 by withholding half of their delegates to the conventions next summer.
Wyoming doesn't have caucuses or primaries. Instead, the state's Democratic and Republican parties select some of their delegates at county conventions and the rest at statewide conventions.
After choosing 12 delegates in the county convention, the state GOP will select 16 more at-large delegates at a statewide convention May 30 in Rock Springs.
The state's Democrats still plan to hold their county conventions March 8 and their statewide convention May 24 in Jackson, Wyo.
The primary scramble has continued unabated, and more moves are expected in the coming weeks. South Carolina Republicans moved their primary to Jan. 19, forcing Iowa and New Hampshire to reconsider their dates to maintain their early status. Iowa caucuses had been scheduled for Jan. 14 and New Hampshire's primary was tentatively set for Jan. 22. Nevada is scheduled to vote on Jan. 19.
The nominating calendar chaos has been just as great among the Democrats. The Democratic National Committee's rules committee voted on Aug. 25 to take away Florida's 210 delegates to the party's nominating convention in Denver next summer.
Florida Democrats were given 30 days to submit an alternative to its planned Jan. 29 primary.
The stern action was supposed to be a warning to other states not to leapfrog ahead.
This is pretty funny. Who is driving this race?
This is ridiculous! Why don’t we just skip the primaries, do a final vote next week and get it over with?
This is where Guam needs to step in and move their primary to Christmas Eve.
LOL! It is getting tiresome, isn’t it?
I freely admit ignorance in this matter. What is causing all of this? Why do States want to keep moving their primaries? What are the advantages of doing so?
If the candidates thought it was cold in Iowa in the winter, wait until they have to enjoy balmy Wyoming!!
Why don’t they all move it to Thanksgiving? then instead of arguing with our families over turkey and rolls everyone can pick up a drumstick and march to their local precincts and clobber those people that devised this system to begin with.
Next we know the presidential elections will be held two years before the incumbent is schedled to leave office.
Seriously, i’m tired of four year campaigns and I’m getting fed up with this jockeying to be first at the expense of the voters. I really don’t care what N.H. and iowa say, and last i checked, it was South Carolina that ended up being the predictor in 2000 for Reps! Evidently being first doesn’t mean squat anymore.
Here’s an idea. let the small states go first, the big states last. then the small states get to voice an opinion and possibly impact the choices of the big electoral states. But the large states probably still have the final say just by virtue of numbers?
And for goodness sakes if the actual dtes must be moved, move them further into 2008 not further into 2007!
Texas needs to be first.
the Tuesday before Thankgiving,
seems about right.
This is getting crazy. Guess we need to go back to the days of smoke filled rooms and Party Bosses making the decision as to who the nominee would be.
This is geting ridiculous.
Part of it is prestige, part of it is frustration at local issues being overlooked, and part of it is a lot of $$$ that flows into the "early primary" states in terms of advertising and on-the-ground expenditures.
New Hampshire will probably have it’s primary on Halloween. I wonder if Fred Thompson will announce if he’s running by then.
Fred better hurry up. We start recording votes that count in two weeks, at this pace.
Before long, we will be having the 2012 primaries in 2010.
“This concludes our broadcast of the President’s inaugaration. In other news, New Hampshire officials have moved their first-in-the-nation’s primary for 2012 to next week...”
Money. States at the head of the list are awash in campaign spending flowing into their economies.
Personally, I'd detest it. Who wants to be pestered by dozens of politicians and hundreds of media types for a few months every four years? Yuck. But it is, as they say, good for business.
I recently heard the revered Iowa "tradition" started in the 50s. Iowa is about who can love corn more. McCain was heavily penalized for it but he was right to be opposed to the Ethanol subsidies. It's less efficient _and_ more polluting than petroleum-based fuel. The increase in Ethanol use has driven up corn prices causing a ripple effect across the economy driving up feed, fuel and food costs.
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