N.H. seen as willing to defy national Democrats

[MaineDem]

CONCORD, N.H. --If the Democratic National Committee tells New Hampshire to hold its 2008 presidential primary after as many as five caucuses in other states, will New Hampshire obey?

The man in charge, Secretary of State William Gardner, wouldn't say during an interview Thursday. But officials of both parties say don't bet on it -- even though the party could refuse to seat the state's delegates as punishment.

The threat means little because party conventions are essentially rallies staged for television, say analysts including Dayton Duncan, author of a book about the primary.

"It's never been about the delegates," Duncan said. "That's the simple fact."

In 29 years as secretary of state, Gardner has been a fierce defender of the New Hampshire primary, the nation's earliest since 1920. When Delaware threatened in 1996, Gardner set the date -- Feb. 20 -- only nine weeks before.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2005/12/08/nh_seen_as_willing_to_defy_national_democrats/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News

[chaumont58]

1. New Hampshire will do what is good for New Hampsire

The way that the primaries are set up is money in the bank for New Hampshire. Neither Iowa or New Hampshire primaries are necessarily good for the Democratic Party, but both are money makers for each's local economy. I'm not a fan of either, as a California Dem, but I don't expect either to change without being dragged, kicking and screaming to something else.

[IndianaGreen]

2. Men with small dicks!

That's the psychology at play in here!