Edwards could benefit most from California February primary

[JohnLocke]

Edwards Could Benefit Most from California February Primary
By Randy Shaw--San Francisco Chronicle
Tuesday, January 23‚ 2007
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As each week seems to bring a new stream of presidential candidate announcements, a deal is brewing in Sacramento that could greatly impact the race. The deal would move California’s presidential primary to February, when the state’s residents are so unaccustomed to voting that it will place a premium on the candidate with the best voter mobilization and outreach machine. Organized labor is the name of the game in California's Democratic primaries, and many unions, and SEIU and UNITEHERE in particular, are closely aligned with John Edwards. Edwards could be the chief beneficiary of an earlier date, though so many other states are moving up their primaries that California’s February contest could still come too late to impact the outcome.
Despite being the nation’s most populous Democratic state, California’s June primary has ensured its irrelevance in choosing the Party’s presidential nominee. The 1996 primary was moved to late March to address this, and then to early March in 2000, but in both cases other states also moved up their primary dates so California’s shift did not increase the state’s clout.
Under a deal now under discussion, February 2008 would include a presidential primary, an initiative to take redistricting out of the Legislature’s control, and an initiative revising term limits for state legislators whose chief impact would be to allow Assemblymembers to remain in office for fourteen, rather than six, years. Voters would have to approve both the redistricting and term-limit measures.
(...)
Edwards could well be heading into California having won both South Carolina and Nevada. Nevada is a stronghold for UNITEHERE, a union whose deep relationship with Edwards will provide the troops on the ground he needs to win.
Under the current primary schedule, January could well have proved the high-point for Edwards’ campaign. Now he has a chance for a big win in the nation’s largest Democratic state, which could keep him in the race until the end.
Labor’s importance is magnified in a February primary because it is hard to believe that there will be a large voter turnout. Independents (officially registered as “decline to state”) and Greens cannot vote in the Democratic presidential primary. Obama and Clinton are high-profile names who will attract voters, but neither is likely to have the resources to create a statewide grassroots GOTV machine for California’s primary.
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Read the rest here.

[dsc]

1. Richardson is Hispanic

I sure wouldn't count him out given the Hispanic population of California.

[Clarkie1]

2. You know, I think the Union endorsement thing is way overblown.

I'm a member of the California Teachers Association and a union rep., I can tell you that most teachers aren't going to base their Democratic primary vote on who the union officially endorses...whoever that may be. When the union endorsed Dean I know for a fact that it didn't really influence the opinion of most of my collegues (whether they were for Dean or not).

As for me, I'll go with the candidate who has called teachers the most important leaders in America, and labor unions the secret weapon of the American economy.

;-)

[JDPriestly]

4. Unions walk precincts.

It's as simple as that. I walked my precinct during the California proposition campaign. And as I was walking, I met union members who were also walking my precinct. I was so happy to see them. The more the merrier. Unions work to get pro-union candidates elected and pro-union propositions passed.

[Clarkie1]

5. Yes, unions walk precincts....

If Clark runs this union member will be walking precincts for Clark.

[xxqqqzme]

3. IF (and that's a huge if)

there is no Al Gore running. Environment is a huge issue out here and Gore owns it.

[JohnLocke]

6. Kick (nt).