Florida Republicans messed up the holiday season for Iowa GOP activists on Friday.
The Iowa caucuses had tentatively been set for February 6, 2012, but now that the Florida primary is scheduled to take place on January 31, the caucuses will be moved up to sometime during the first week of January, perhaps even to December. Phone banking and canvassing during December 2007 was awful. No one wants to take a political call from a stranger during the holiday season.
Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn slammed the “arrogance” and “petulant behavior” of his Florida colleagues. He called for “swift and severe” consequences, “including the refusal by the [Republican National Committee] to credential or seat any member of Florida’s presidential primary date commission at the 2012 RNC convention in Tampa.” Gee, that will leave them begging for mercy.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for truly “swift and severe consequences” against Florida delegates. In the 2012 presidential election, Iowa will have 6 electoral votes, New Hampshire will have 4 electoral votes, and Florida will have 29 electoral votes. A Republican candidate could win the presidency without Iowa and New Hampshire, but probably not without Florida. For that reason, RNC won’t impose any real penalty for jumping the line.
This is an open thread. What’s on your mind this weekend, Bleeding Heartland readers?
3 Comments
Thoughts
I love the Iowa caucuses and their huge impact, it gave me some of the best political contacts I have ever made in my life with the Dodd campaign. I will admit though that Florida is a better representative of the diversity of the country.
I would not be surprised if we moved to some kind of regional primary system in the future where four regions voted on four different days or some version of a national primary.
moderateiadem Sat 1 Oct 9:49 PM
Don't usually have inside information,
but I did hear from a knowledgeable source that Hillary Clinton going to the World Bank is a done deal. Supposedly she’ll be headed there late this year or early next year. Not surprisingly, Kerry is supposed to replace her.
rf Sun 2 Oct 10:32 AM
not surprised Clinton
would jump to a safe landing spot. I guess Kerry must be bored with Senate life–it’s a risk to take a position like that a year before Obama might be out the door.
desmoinesdem Mon 3 Oct 5:46 AM