We at SDP often discuss the issue of frontloading the primaries. Karl Rove takes on the issue in the Wall Street Journal Op-Ed page about this year's primary calendar and concludes that it's "frankly, a mess." The piece is entitled "The Endless Campaign: Why we need longer primaries -- but a shorter process." Excerpt:
If primaries and caucuses were spread out with weeks, not days and hours, between them, then voters in more states could learn more about the candidates. Candidates would have more time to come back from an early loss to a contender who was briefly the flavor of the moment in one state.
Candidates would also benefit from having more time to think about the big, important things they want to do for the country. The process side of politics is now undermining the intellectual side. It was revealing that at a health-care forum last March, Sen. Barack Obama admitted he didn't have a health-care plan but promised to have one by this January.
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A longer primary process would give more Americans a chance to make a considered decision about who should be president. The process could still honor the role of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, but give other states the opportunity to more fully participate in the selection of our nominees.
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One answer might be to create a series of days on which states across the country could hold their primaries or caucuses. These contest days would be spread out over the winter and spring. Each day would have a mix of states, representing different regions of the country.
Rep. Sander Levin (D., Mich.) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D., Fla.) have introduced legislation along these lines. There are also proposals from the state secretaries of state and groups of leaders in both parties. Perhaps a reform structure could be arrived at by the two major parties and their rules, without requiring congressional action.
Longer, earlier and shorter--at least when it comes to selecting our presidential candidates--is not in the country's best interests. The presidential primary mayhem and next year's seemingly endless general election campaign will be compelling evidence for reform.
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