New Hampshire is the problem. It is their insistence on being the 1st primary

[denem]

that forced IA to stick with caucuses. NH is ultra white, and should be shown the door. There are more representative states in New England to choose from. IMO there is a place for a farming state like IA in the first four contests.

[LonePirate]

1. The DNC needs to strip the state of delegates if NH insists on being the first primary.

Candidates need to abide by the DNC decision as well.

[denem]

3. Absolutely.

A lily white state gets first say on the Dem nominee? I don't think so. Enough.

[highplainsdem]

2. We need a national primary and smarter, less costly campaigning:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287472871

[CurtEastPoint]

4. ohyesdeargodyesyesyes

[denem]

5. Disagree. Have Delaware or Joisey represent New England :)

The ups and downs of an extended campaign are good prep for the GE.

[HerbChestnut]

9. Delaware and New Jersey do not represent New England in any way.

Heck, New England doesn't represent New England. The difference between southern and northern New England states is like living in two different countries.

Signed,

Someone who has lived in both Northern and Southern New England.

[denem]

11. OK Vermont :)

[HerbChestnut]

15. You might be surprised how similar Vermont, northern NH, and Maine really are.

They're mostly rural towns with a respect for hard work and community.

[denem]

19. I've never been there.

Always wanted to visit Maine in the fall.

[Docreed2003]

27. I would add

New Jersey and Delaware aren't even in New England...

You're point about the state differences within is spot on.

-signed a former Rhode Islander

[kcr]

10. Delaware and New Jersey aren't in New England

[denem]

12. Yes I know.

A little bit of snide humor on my part

[kcr]

14. Then that just went way over my head

I don't get it at all. Didn't get my morning coffee.

[denem]

17. I was saying, don't have New England in the first four contests.

[kcr]

21. Connecticut would be ok

People forget that it's part of New England, but we are. I totally agree about New Hampshire.

[denem]

22. It's a good mix of the general population- yeah.

Mind you, nutmeggers are an ornery lot

[dem4decades]

26. Small enough for the candidates to get around, good Democratic State. Why not?

[kcr]

28. If there just has to be a first state, it's the better option.

The only thing against it is part of it is in an expensive media market.

[octoberlib]

7. We need primaries that only last 6 months to a year. Like every other western democracy.

[highplainsdem]

8. Yes. That, too.

[highplainsdem]

13. I've edited my OP in the other thread to include that need, and linked to your reply here.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287472871

[octoberlib]

30. Thank you! Big bugaboo of mie.

[highplainsdem]

31. Mine, too, and I was chagrined to see I'd overlooked it when I first posted that OP.

Really appreciate the reminder.

[NoMoreRepugs]

6. Nearly 1 of every 8 Americans live in California. An

incredible ethnic diversity, an economy larger than most COUNTRIES. Yeah, Iowa and NH should provide the nation a true sense of the electoral sentiment. Give me an F’en break.

(I live in N Florida)

[jimfields33]

25. If California would charge the same in advertising costs

As Iowa, that’d be a great beginning to let California go first. That’s one issue I hear all the time is advertising is so expensive.

[wyldwolf]

16. Several primaries in one day - one for each geographical region

Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, Northwest, etc. etc.

Then the first states for each can rotate in and out of the first spot each election cycle.

a few weeks later, the same process... and on and on...

[highplainsdem]

18. That would still give too much influence to a few states.

[MH1]

20. They should do primaries with RCV and proportional allocation in several states, first

It's completely silly to me that any one or two states - relatively minor in the electorate, at that - get to have such an outsized influence on selecting the Democratic presidential nominee.

Have something like 5 "super Tuesdays" with around 10 states per round. Let voters rank their choices and use a rational scheme for allocating delegates based on numbers at each rank. (maybe only give delegates for the first 3 ranks or so, someone ranked 6th would not get any delegates for that ranking.)

Yeah, pipe dream I know.

[CentralMass]

23. It only a problem when the right candidate doesn't win it.

[rusty fender]

24. Iowa isn't forced to stick to a caucus

Iowa could hold a “firehouse caucus” which is really a primary. NM Dems held one in 2008. Our primary isn’t until June, but the NM Democratic Party wanted to be more influential in the primary process because Bill Richardson, Epstein’s friend, was running for POTUS.

Of course, Richardson dropped out before our fake caucus was held in March.

[highplainsdem]

29. Since those are sometimes called firehouse primaries -- see the link below -- that would probably

trigger complaints from NH, too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firehouse_primary