So, Was Moving Up And Condensing The Primary Calendar A Good Idea or Bad Idea?

[THUNDER HANDS]

In this, the first year of the new front-loaded primary season, do you think it's been a success? We have less time in betwene states, and less time to analyze wins and losses. Candidates have been dropping out quicker than usual. The stage seems to be set to pick a nominee by the first week of February.

Overall, do you think it was a good idea to push up and condense the primary calendar?

[Captain Hilts]

1. VERY bad idea. nt

[tishaLA]

2. Last time it was too front loaded too

but this primary season is like the last one on steroids.

[kelligesq]

3. Our Republican Governor has just allowed voting two weeks b4 the voting date !

so people can start voting January 14 to Jan 29.

He must have taken a poll and found out that benefits repugs

[Kucinich4America]

4. Who benefits from the forced early primaries?

The candidates with the most money. Who are usually the ones beholden to corporate interests.

[Muttocracy]

5. question - why most GOP and Dem races same state same day?

Is it because of states where independents can vote in either? (and if so, I'm assuming they vote the same place and/or someone checks?)

In places where you have to be registered with one party or the other, each party can set its own schedule, right? And some are different but it seems most are on the same dates.

Other than fewer plane tickets for national media, is this helpful? Seems like it dilutes the coverage for each side.. yet another reason people only pay attention to what they're told is the top tier on each side?

Thoughts?

[PFunk]

6. No. But it's probally the only way of giving many states a say on who gets elected now.

The old way didn't do that much. Time for a new way of doing this.

[sandnsea]

7. Weight it

Make it so the last 5 states have so much power they can totally throw out the chosen one if they join together.

I think if this day weren't so crammed together, Iowa and NH wouldn't have the power they have. Everybody knows it's a money and establishment race after Feb 5. The only place a non-monied candidate has a chance to catch fire is in IA & NH. I think just limiting primaries to 5 a week would do as much as anything else.

[VotesForWomen]

8. there needs to be a 1-day national primary. they might as well release exit polls at 9am on GE

GE day, if they're going to let the primaries be one big exercise in bandwagon jumping.

[ursi]

9. It has allowed even more cheating to occur! Nevada Dems plan to cheat

in their first ever caucus on January 19th by creating temporary "at large" precincts and coming up with a formula to calculate delegates at 10 times the rate delegates will be calculated in County precincts that day. A lawsuit has been filed and you can download the pdf of it here:

http://vegaspundit.typepad.com/vegas_pundit/2008/01/lawsuit-against.html?cid=96840358#comment-96840358

[Eurobabe]

10. Bad. The whole primary system is fucked up

and needs to be redesigned in favor of the people, NOT the DNC, RNC.

[last_texas_dem]

11. Horrible idea

Hopefully before the 2012 election both parties can agree on some sort of reform that will actually permit candidates who aren't in the "top tier" to survive beyond one or two primaries or caucuses, and also push back the selection of the nominee towards closer to the convention. I think it would be a good idea to not allow any primaries or caucuses to occur before March.

[divineorder]

12. Do The Reverse

I would backload primaries. Three a week starting in April, Maybe four in May, and the remainder in June. WHEN PEOPLE USED TO CAMPAIGN. If a candidate can't persuade people by April of an election year, or get in, then they're doomed anyway, and the most merciful thing would be a forced exit.

Backloaded primaries would end the travesty of heavy campaigning around Christmas with all of the ads. The improved good will would certainly be most helpful, the attention greater (April, May, June aren't exactly great times media wise), and weather wouldn't be a factor in primary turnout.
Unless it's a heavy rainstorm.

The General Election was meant to be a sprint, not a long slog where the anointed candidates have to keep the attention of a distracted electorate until the July/August convention.

[MaineDem]

13. It was individual states that did the "frontloading"

The DNC offered concessions to states if they'd go later in the process. Very few of them took it once the bigger states moved to the front.

States would have much more relevance if the big delegate states were later in the process.