California, Florida mull early 2008 primaries - big boon to candidates with MONEY

[Herman Munster]

Sorry, if this happens, there is no way Hillary does not win the nomination in 2008 if she runs. No way. nada. zip. zilch. zippo.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-primary17nov17,1,2162902.story?coll=la-headlines-politics

WASHINGTON — Tired of being bystanders as small states get the biggest say in choosing a presidential candidate, lawmakers in California and Florida are eyeing earlier primary dates for the 2008 election that would force contenders to campaign in their states.

The idea is drawing bipartisan support from lawmakers in Sacramento and Tallahassee and is being watched closely by strategists for potential candidates — some of whom have already begun building campaign teams in the traditional early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

Such a change would transform the nomination battles in both parties, forcing candidates to compete in some of the country's priciest media markets while diverting their attention from the chicken-dinner circuit in Davenport, Manchester and other small towns and cities where old-style retail politics is king. Well-funded front-runners on both sides — such as Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) — would likely benefit, while lesser-known contenders with slimmer bank accounts would find their tasks even more daunting.

California and Florida held their 2004 Democratic primaries in March — less than two months after the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary — but by then Sen. John F. Kerry had already secured the nomination. California is scheduled to hold its 2008 primary in June, but lawmakers want to move it closer to the January votes in Iowa and New Hampshire. Considering California's size, "we should be more than an afterthought in the selection of the next president," said Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles).

[demosincebirth]

1. I agree, why should two of the smallest states

have so much say in who our nominees are.

[Herman Munster]

2. it's to give candidates a chance without a lot of money

and to promote retail politics of meeting with groups of voters.

If California and Florida and lots of other large states move up to within a couple weeks of Iowa and New Hampshire, it basically becomes a name recognition primary and who has the most money for TV ads to get out the vote.

[Nashyra]

3. Nevada

comes after Iowa, that is a change and a good one. California and Florida will kill any chance of anyone but the front runner. We need the fsirness doctrine back for the media market.