Drawing Lots for Primary Calendar Pole Position

Most DUers could probably come up with a reasonable rationale for why his or her state would make a valid first-in-the-nation primary state.

I sometimes wonder if the voters of New Hampshire and Iowa have incriminating photos of RNC and DNC committee members, because - really - there is no rationale for their special statuses.

Virginia is the "Mother of Presidents," and would be a convenient (and much more temperate, climate-wise) stumping ground for candidates who are making their runs from Congress. There's something a bit sadistic in requiring candidates to go to New Hampshire and Iowa in the depth of winter. But here, my biases against cold weather, and in favor of the Virginias' place in American History are showing.

Which leads me to wonder: would Americans pay more attention if the primary and caucus calendar was filled in via those Lotto balls?

Set up the empty slots, including Super Duper Tuesday. Then, let the balls with states' abbreviations start dropping. People might actually tune in to watch. Bookies in Vegas might even take bets!

; )

If there is a rational rationale for why New Hampshire and Iowa get to go first, I'm all ears.

- Dave

:rofl:

- Dave

But I like the idea that most of the people in Iowa and New Hampshire take picking the candidate VERY seriously and they actually go see the candidates speak.

If it was in California, the candidates would go after the big donors in LA and the Bay Area, and the rest of the state would have to be content with shitty TV ads by the top 2 or 3 candidates with the most money. :(

Seriously, why would, say, Hillary, Edwards, or Obama bother going to Redding, Eureka, or Madera when they can speak for 5,000 people at once in a larger city? :shrug: (Not to mention the other 5 candidates in the race)

... I'm betting other small-town voters in other small states would give the same careful scrutiny as Iowa and New Hampshire voters.

In fact, many historians credit JFK's performance in the WV primary in 1960 with putting to rest the nagging doubts about the viability of a Catholic candidate: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=west+virginia+primary+1960

Iowa and New Hampshire don't have a monopoly on common sense.

What they do have is a monopoly on the gating process that chooses the leader of the free world.

- Dave