Quote:
Originally Posted by Drolefille
The Dems all signed on to the bill and could have made alternative arrangements to hold a caucus without any trouble. They could also have gotten separate approval to have a primary later just like they're doing now. The mail-in primary that they seem to be working on will have to be approved by the state legislature. The Republicans sanctioned Florida as well and it's only because that nominee is decided that they're not fussing.
Finally, you have the same name recognition problem that you do in Michigan. Add to that Hillary's "I'm not campaigning here but oh by the way we'll have a party afterwards and I'll get your delegate seated" announcement the day before and I'm not thrilled with it either way.
Michigan doesn't appear to be working forward in the same way Florida has, but they were both struck, along with all the Super Tuesday states, with a "NO I WANT TO BE FIRST" syndrome.
I don't think Vermont really makes or breaks candidates, and since the primaries used to start in March I don't know why we should be expected to be finished with them anyway. It's ironic that the state's that pushed so hard to be first on Super Tuesday have actually mattered less than the ones who didn't move theirs forward.
Besides the people who died, you also have open primaries in Michigan - people could cross over the second time, and people changing their party registration in Florida - how would they keep track of that!
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Please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Iowa's caucus the first of the primaries, or at least one of the first? It was Howard Dean's behavior after the 2004 Iowa caucus that
killed his chances at the Presidency. So, yes, there IS a huge factor in being among the first, because
the money's still there, and is still able to be raised for the winners.
I agree completely with the rest of your post.