Presidential primary elections moved to February

[bufffbison]

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-3nj-votinglaws2jul08,0,2806797.story?coll=all-newslocal-hed

Presidential primary elections moved to February

TRENTON | New Jersey's 2008 presidential primary will be held four months earlier — in February instead of June — as part of a package of bills signed into law Thursday by acting Gov. Richard Codey.

The primary date change was among four pieces of legislation Codey promoted to improve the electoral process.

The new primary date will be the last Tuesday in February.

Last year, John Kerry had become the Democratic Party's obvious choice by the time Garden State voters went to the polls in June. Codey and others have said the late date muted New Jersey's voice in the candidate selection process.

[shraby]

1. Why not have all the primaries of the different

states all on the same day? A candidate wouldn't be so apt to get "Deaned" that way.

[tritsofme]

2. Lesser known candidates would get even less coverage

By having everything spread out everyone gets more coverage.

It also allows us to see the candidate on the stump and gives more time for problems to emerge.

I think it would be a better idea to split the country into several regions and do primaries that way.

[dad]

3. Anything would be better than the current system

where Iowa and NH determine who the candidate will be. I call bullshit on primaries!

[bklyncowgirl]

4. YEAAAH! I GET TO VOTE!

Ever since I moved from New York to New Jersey, I have been seriously annoyed that I do not have a voice in choosing the Democratic nominee.

It's nice to see my adopted state getting a little more into the mix.

It will be also fun to see candidates falling over themselves to quote Bruce Springsteen and stumbling over Sopranos jokes.