The 2008 primary schedule is insane.

[Deep13]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_%28United_States%29_presidential_primaries%2C_2008

With NY, CA, FL and a bunch of other states moving to a February 5 primary, the primary elections will essentially be over Feb. 6. This means voters will have no real chance to feel-out candidates over the primary season. It also means that only the candidates with mega-bucks can compete in a primary consisting of half the country and most of its population. This turns 2007 into the effective primary campaign year.

Also, it means a 2008 general election campaign that lasts almost all year. So much for getting the money out of the presidential election.

[Rydz777]

1. Crushing boredom

You are right. This means that the candidates will be chosen in February and we will face almost a year of unremitting boredom from political commercials and stale talking points.

[Warpy]

3. Yes, the maximum time to run advertising

and the minimum time to stump state to state, listen to people, and then tell them what one is all about. It's a system only an opposition conservative could love.

A more rational system would be to divide the country into regions, hold primaries on the first Tuesday of every month for, say, five months, rotate the position on the calendar every two years so all regions get a chance at being the first, and then have the convention. That would make a great deal of sense, consolidate travel, maximize the campaign dollar, and keep the candidates from becoming so exhausted that they start making stupid mistakes. It would also prevent the electorate from sinking into stony resentment over being bombarded by annoying political ads for a year at a time.

I mean, fess up, how many of us hate all of them by the time election day rolls around?

By the way, love that screen name. It certainly fits the campaign system we have now.

[NoPasaran]

2. I agree

I thought that 2004 was already too front-loaded.

It looks like 2008 will really be a case of Wham! Bam! Thank You MSM!

[paulk]

4. I'm beginning to understand why

Vilsack, Bayh, Warner, either declined to run or dropped out.

It really makes it tough for 2nd tier candidates to get any traction at all.

[Deep13]

5. Let me put on my aluminum foil hat for a minute.

:tinfoilhat:

How much influence did the campaigns of Clinton, Obama and Edwards have on this insane schedule? Maybe they did not want to get "usurped" by a Richardson, a Clark or a Warner.

[Bucky]

7. Take your damn hat off. It's straight up supply and demand driving this

The only surprising thing is that matters didn't cave in sooner. This go-round the Democratic ticket looks as close to a sure thing as any ticket could be. The stakes are high and every state wants to be the one with the influence. The slide into Winter primaries began years ago. The 1974 Carter rules (yes that Carter!) put in by the Democratic National Committee gave more power to the primaries and robbed the bosses of their leverage in nominations.

Of course many Clinton supporters and Obama supporters in the various state legislatures think this will help their candidate. But everyone is looking out for their own influence first and their candidate's success second. As long as the primary isn't winner-take-all, this front loading could actually backfire, either giving the final swing delegate counts to the three of four states that won't have February 5th primaries, or it could lead to a brokered convention... which of course puts the state bosses back in charge.

[dajoki]

6. I hate it...

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!!