The compressed primary season will magnify the importance of Iowa and NH

[JCMach1]

Think about it. Remember in the past (in both parties) how the Anybody but _________ campaigns would gain huge traction as primary season ran through Jan-April.

There will be no such luxury this year. States have vaulted over each other to move up and something like 60% of delegates will be chosen by the first week in February. The spin/momentum cycle has shortened to a very short period of time.

Ironically, states wanted to move up to increase their power and profile. Ironically, Iowa and NH have become even more critical as whoever can win and spin there way through one cycle will take the nomination. That is actually a pretty frightening prospect.

Imagine 1980... Poppy Bush won Iowa over Reagan. In today's environment, he might very well have gone on to win the nomination. There are numerous other examples of how this might have played-out in strange ways over the years.