Lower profile, but more delegates?<p> Romney choice of Nevada over S.C. may pay off

The Boston Globe ^ | 1/19/08 | Michael Levenson

[Reaganesque]

HENDERSON, Nev. - While his main rivals slugged it out yesterday across South Carolina, fighting for an edge in today's hotly contested primary, Mitt Romney hopscotched around Nevada, angling to win a lower-profile contest today that could bring a bigger reward.

Focusing on Nevada and downplaying South Carolina is a gamble, but one that appeared more savvy yesterday with the publication of a new poll indicating that Romney has a 15-percentage-point lead.

Romney says he is focused not on the glory of winning a major battle in the first Southern primary, but on the less glamorous task of collecting the delegates needed to win the nomination at the Republican National Convention in September. South Carolina, he frequently points out, awards just 24 delegates to Nevada's 31. ...

[circumbendibus]

Now how does that vote get factored into the delegate selection process? Is it totalled at the county or congressional district level?

I'm not sure exactly how all this is going to work. It is going to be an adventure. I am a delegate to the County Convention where delegates to the Republican National Convention will be chosen. I assume each County has a certain number of delegates apportioned from the total of 34.

[JTC1767]

Exactly. According to CNN Election Central the current delegate count shows: Romney......72
McCain......38
Huckabee......29
Thompson......8
Paul......6
Giuliani......2
Hunter......1
Elect Romney in 2008

[Nonstatist]

He’s just going to spend his own money and buy the nomination.

Good. Better him than McCain

[COgamer]

“Given how liberal the early states have become, I fear that, unless we fix the primary process, only a self-funded (read: wealthy) conservative candidate will be able to make in through the early-state gauntlet in the future.”

This system needs to be scrapped. Not fixed. Scrapped. A candidate can get elected President of the United States by just camping out in Iowa for a year and then letting the press do the rest after they win. Ditto New Hampshire. Edwards is a nobody, always has been, but he tried (unsuccessfully) to do what Mitt tried (unsuccessfully) to do. Now Mitt is forced to fight a semi-traditional campaign, and I believe we’re better off for it.

Here’s an idea absolutely NO ONE will like : Don’t announce the primary schedule, and then, a week ahead of time, announce which state has the first primary AT RANDOM. That’s right. Not even I like it. But wouldn’t it keep those politicians on their toes?