We're the last in line

A recent story in the Mitchell Daily Republic discusses the fact that the GOP Presidential primary will likely be over and done with at the time we hold ours:
South Dakota’s presidential primary election next year apparently will be the last one in the nation.

By the time the state’s voters cast their ballots June 3, 2008, the candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties will probably already be chosen.

“Conventional wisdom says the likelihood is, it’ll be decided by then,” said Chris Nelson, who as secretary of state is South Dakota’s top elections official. “There’s a one-in-a-million shot that will not occur.”

and....

Nelson, referring to Super-Duper Tuesday, said “a de facto single national primary day is being created.” Stateline.org, a public service group that publishes stories on states’ issues, said last week that the 2008 primaries and caucuses are shaping up as “the earliest start to a presidential election in history.”
Read it all here.

Yes, I had earlier argued against moving the South Dakota Primary. However, if everyone else is moving to a single primary day, in that case, it doesn't make much sense for us to not do so.

Comments

Anonymous said…
It makes sense inasmuch as this leaves us in the position to decide a close race.

With everyone else moving to a single primary day it doesn't make much sense for us to do so too.
Anonymous said…
I agree with anon 8:14. The arguments for moving it earlier, were that we would have a voice, because we were in front of the pack, but now, with the massive frontloading, we could have an even louder voice as a potential final decision. No sense in the extra cost if it doesn't put us in a unique position.
Anonymous said…
What needs to happen is a series of 8 or 10 Tuesdays of primaries, randomly assigned, with a mix of large and small states scattered throughout, so that the decision is made by the country as a whole, over a period of time, rather than by a handful of large states on one day, without appropriate deliberation.
Anonymous said…
Let's have it really early. I vote we hold our primary tomorrow.

If that won't work, let's leave it the way it is.
Anonymous said…
Moving ahead doesn't make very much sense at this point - SD will be a non-factor in comparison to the dozens of other states selecting on the same day.
Anonymous said…
With all of the jockeying states were doing this year, it's hard to know what we could have done to set ourselves apart.

But the process itself is not well served if all of the states move up and the race is all but over in January before regular (non-political) people are even fully engaged in watching and listening to the candidates.
Anonymous said…
Somewhere out there, Representative Krebs is mumbling... "I told you so"

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