Truly terrifying primary schedule lining up

[Perky]

If no one emerges as the crystalized presumptive by 1/29, then 2/5 likely would not resolve anything. If 2/5 does not give us a nominee, there may not be enough delegates left to get anyone to the magic number. Great theater but it may get very ugly.

2008 Presidential Nominating Calendar
JANUARY 2008
• January 8: District of Columbia*
• January 14: Iowa (caucuses)
• January 19: Nevada (caucuses)
• January 22: New Hampshire (primary)*, Wyoming (GOP caucuses)
• January 29: Florida, South Carolina (Dem primary)

FEBRUARY 2008
• February (Date TBD): Michigan, North Dakota (caucuses)
• February 2: South Carolina (GOP primary)
• February 5: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado (caucuses), Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah
• February 9: Louisiana
• February 10: Maine (Dem caucuses)
• February 12: Maryland, Virginia*
• February 19: Wisconsin
• February 26: Hawaii (Dem caucuses), Idaho (Dem caucuses)
MARCH 2008
• March 2: Hawaii (GOP caucuses)
• March 4: Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont
• March 11: Mississippi
• March 21: Maine (GOP caucuses)
APRIL 2008
• No scheduled contests reported at this time
MAY 2008
• May 6: Indiana, North Carolina
• May 10: Wyoming (Dem caucuses)
• May 13: Nebraska*, West Virginia
• May 20: Kentucky
• May 27: Idaho (primary), Washington*
JUNE 2008
• June 3: South Dakota
AUGUST 2008
• August 25-28: Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado
SEPTEMBER 2008
• September 1-4: Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota

National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Calendar of 2008 State Primaries/Caucuses
Last updated: April 9, 2007
NOTE: This calendar is a working draft based upon state election office reporting and credible media reports. Dates are subject to frequent changes. States with an asterisk (*) beside their name have indicated that their contest could move to another date, but have not provided alternative dates. Some states are not included because they have not provided information to the NASS office regarding their primary/caucus dates.

http://www.nass.org/releases/2008%20Presidential%20Prim...

[Perky]

1. .

[DavidDvorkin]

2. Not ugly

Gorey!

[Perky]

4. I still say you have to win 2 out of the 4 or 5 and florida

to be presumptive.

and you do not get there without an organization in Iowa and New Hampshire. That take money typically though maybe not in Gor'es case. His big rpoblem is organization. most local pols have alreasy committed to one on the other three big names. And abandoning their candidated to jump on a Gore Bandwagon would be very very difficult to do.

[ShaneGR]

3. Look for Ohio to go before 2/5

A lot of grumbling that they are the decider in the general election but they get little or no say in primary season. Anyways, most likely it will be all but over 1/29 as far as a definite frontrunner.

[Perky]

5. Ohio and Florida on 1/29 would be very interesting and a bit ironic

But I still do not see it making a clear presumptive leader. they could very eaily split

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. 51 good reasons for a national primary.

[paparush]

7. Great Article in the April 16, 2007 New Yorker about the Primaries

Section: The Talk of the Town
Title: Pileup

The article summarizes the calamity of having these big states go first:
-Maginifies the need to raise big money, early, which all but guarantees no dark horse candidates to enter the race late.
-Defacto nomination in February and the de-jure election in November - as lengthy as a full term pregnancy, offering similar opportunities for fatigue, boredom, irritation, and nausea.

The article goes on to describe how Maryland governor, Martin O'Malley, will sign a bill making his tate the first to pledge itself to the fledgling National Popular Vote plan - a proposed interstate compact that would confine the electoral college to a ceremonial role. "once enough states have signed on to put together a majority of electoral votes, those states agree that their electors will always vote for the winner of the popular vote in all fifty states"

[ThomWV]

8. God dam it - We Need An "UGLY" Convention

Rather than a scripted convention how would it be to have one where real candidates had to vie for the nomination by actually convincing delegates that they would best serve the nation and the Party?

I would relish the notion of having a meaningful convention after an essentially tied bunch of primarys.

[Perky]

10. ANd a smoke filled room that would leave the loser's voters royally pissed???

[Robbien]

9. Interesting. Those eight states in May should really change

their election dates.

And what's South Dakota doing all by itself way out there in June?

[Perky]

11. South Dakota could conceivably be a king maker. LOL