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Primary Season Getting Earlier: S.C. GOP's Move Could Push Votes For 2008 Into '07
Washington Post ^ | Thursday, August 9, 2007 | Michael D. Shear

Posted on 08/09/2007 7:09:17 AM PDT by indcons

South Carolina's Republican Party will move its 2008 presidential primary forward to Jan. 19, sources said yesterday, a decision almost certain to spark a cascade of calendar changes that could push the start of voting to New Year's Day or even to before Christmas.

The move, set to be announced today, is likely to cause the New Hampshire primary and Iowa caucuses to be shifted at least to early January, and other states are actively angling to stake out spots earlier in the process. The maneuvering has injected a new note of uncertainty into what is already the earliest-starting presidential campaign in history, and top strategists for the candidates said it would force them to revise their carefully worked out plans.

Katon Dawson, who heads the South Carolina GOP, made the shift to retain the distinction of holding the "first in the South" presidential primary balloting. Dawson's move was sparked by the Florida legislature's decision to upstage South Carolina by moving the state's primary to Jan. 29. South Carolina had been scheduled to vote Feb. 2.

Under some scenarios, the decision could lead Iowa to hold its caucuses in mid-December, creating an unprecedented situation in which convention delegates are selected in the calendar year before a presidential election.

The move is certain to trigger action by New Hampshire Secretary of State William M. Gardner, who is compelled by state law to set the date of his state's primary at least a week before any other. That could push New Hampshire's primary, currently scheduled for Jan. 22, to Jan. 8.

In Iowa, state law requires presidential nominating caucuses to be held at least eight days before any other voting.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: 2008primaries; elections2008; iowa; primaries; sc2008; southcarolina

1 posted on 08/09/2007 7:09:19 AM PDT by indcons
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To: indcons

I’ll be your nominee by Christmas
You can count on me
I’ll be your nominee by Christmas
If only in my dreams.


2 posted on 08/09/2007 7:11:07 AM PDT by NeoCaveman ("I mean, he's gone from Jane Fonda to Dr. Strangelove in one week." - Romney on B. Hussein Obama)
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To: NeoCaveman

I figure in another few decades, we’ll have the primaries the week after mid-term elections.


3 posted on 08/09/2007 7:14:16 AM PDT by faloi
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To: indcons; All

saw c-span. Its a done deal.

BTW: c-span now has polsters reporting hillary beating Guiliani in FL and two other swing states!


4 posted on 08/09/2007 7:16:07 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: faloi

Maybe I should throw my hat in the ring for 2016, or is it too late?


5 posted on 08/09/2007 7:18:30 AM PDT by NeoCaveman ("I mean, he's gone from Jane Fonda to Dr. Strangelove in one week." - Romney on B. Hussein Obama)
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To: NeoCaveman

now we’ll have to start thinking up Christmas themed
parody songs (or filks, as the SF fans call ‘em)

Barrack the Magic Negro
Had a very shiny nose—

no, that’s not it. Ah, wish Kerry were running again so
I could reprise my tune from ‘04:

Have yourself a Kerry little Christmas
Cozy all the way
While the seat of power lies so far away
You’ll be just one more lib in the Senate
Thanks to W
You won’t live on Pennsylvania Avenue

Ketchup Heiress has lots of dough
Lots and lots of dough, to spend
It won’t buy you the White House though
For the voters know, my friend

Mondale, Gore, and also Mike Dukakis
Know just how you feel
When you’re seen, you just don’t have any appeal
So have yourself a Kerry little Christmas, now


6 posted on 08/09/2007 7:20:11 AM PDT by raccoonradio
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To: faloi
I figure in another few decades, we’ll have the primaries the week after mid-term elections.
First of all, it won't take another few decades. And second, why not the week after the presidential election? Or maybe even earlier? Maybe have a primary for the election of 2016 (for example) in the year 2011?

In fact, why not just hold all future primaries next year and get them all over with, forever?

7 posted on 08/09/2007 7:55:21 AM PDT by samtheman
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To: faloi
I figure in another few decades, we’ll have the primaries the week after mid-term elections.

That would be a waste of money - why not having them WITH the midterm elections.

Seriously, given the market creep of primaries, it would make sense for states like Mississippi and Louisiana which have statewide elections in 2007 to go ahead and have the primaries in November, rather than spending money on special elections a few months later in the winter.

8 posted on 08/09/2007 7:56:21 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: indcons; 2A Patriot; 2nd amendment mama; 4everontheRight; 77Jimmy; A Strict Constructionist; ...
South Carolina Ping

Add me to the list. / Remove me from the list.
9 posted on 08/09/2007 8:14:59 AM PDT by upchuck (Today there are 10,000 more illegal aliens in yer country than there were yesterday. 10,000! THINK!)
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To: upchuck; All
the earlier & earlier & earlier primary dates are in one word: DUMB!

free dixie,sw

10 posted on 08/09/2007 9:34:31 AM PDT by stand watie ("Resistance to tyrants is OBEDIENCE to God." - T. Jefferson, 1804)
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To: stand watie

Agree 100%.


11 posted on 08/09/2007 3:43:33 PM PDT by upchuck (Today there are 10,000 more illegal aliens in yer country than there were yesterday. 10,000! THINK!)
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To: upchuck
TU!

free dixie,sw

12 posted on 08/09/2007 6:00:40 PM PDT by stand watie ("Resistance to tyrants is OBEDIENCE to God." - T. Jefferson, 1804)
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