Is it just me, or is DU being totally swarmed

[jeff47]

99. The serious answer is the DLC

I know, that sounds all conspiracy-theory. Unfortunately, history sometimes does.

One of the maneuvers of the proto-DLC after 1984 was to push for Southern states to move up their primaries. It was a long-term project and wasn't quite done by 1988, but was done by 1992.

Since Southern Democrats tend to be more conservative, a Southern-heavy early schedule helps the DLC. If CA voted early and clobbered their already tenuous-in-the-party candidates, their claim that "The US is a conservative country" would not work nearly as well.

Why didn't liberals change it to get at least a more balanced early primary? First, both the DLC-style Democrats and Republicans oppose it. Which means it is very difficult to pass the legislation to move the primary.

Second, Florida and Michigan. When they moved their primaries to earlier in the calendar without party approval, the DNC stripped those states of their convention delegates. And since DLC-style Democrats currently control the DNC, any attempt to move a "blue" state up in the calendar is risky. Which makes it even harder to overcome the first problem.