The Other McCain

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Will N.H. Flinch in Primary Standoff?

Posted on | October 14, 2011 | 5 Comments

A glimmer of hope to avoid a December date for the New Hampshire primary:

New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner is imperiling the state’s place in the political world by threatening to hold a December primary, New Hampshire GOP Chairman Wayne MacDonald charged Thursday. . . .
MacDonald urged Gardner to hold the state’s election Jan. 10. . . .
Gardner, who has full control over the state’s primary date, released a statement Wednesday saying he was willing to drastically reshuffle the primary calendar to keep New Hampshire at least seven days ahead of the next nominating contest. He said the only way he’d consider Jan. 10 is if Nevada moves its caucus — currently scheduled for Jan. 14 — back three days. On Wednesday night, the Nevada GOP declined to make the move.
Reiterating his confidence in Gardner, MacDonald repeated his call, first reported by the New Hampshire Union Leader, to take a more lax interpretation of the state law that requires a seven day buffer before the next “similar election.”
“There is a difference between a primary and a caucus, so I don’t think Nevada should affect us,” MacDonald said. “The 10th, to me, seems to be the most sensible date.”

That might be just enough of a loophole to allow New Hampshire to save face. Let’s pray Secretary of State Gardner will listen to reason.

If he does do the primary on Jan. 10, who gets screwed? Nevada. Because I think most reporters will be like me: It doesn’t make sense to leave Manchester, N.H., on the morning of the 11th to fly to Nevada to cover their caucus on the 14th, and then get on a plane the 15th to fly to South Carolina (their primary is the 21st). Better to go directly from New Hampshire to South Carolina and let Nevada fend for itself.

So a Jan. 10 New Hampshire primary would probably deprive the Jan. 14 Nevada caucuses of a good bit of press coverage, and might just give me an excuse to come home for a few days after New Hampshire before hitting the road for South Carolina.

Category: Election 2012, Nevada, New Hampshire

Comments

5 Responses to “Will N.H. Flinch in Primary Standoff?”

  1. Richard Mcenroe
    October 14th, 2011 @ 11:19 am

    How can you skip Nevada and miss another running of the Ron Paul Straw Poll Clown Car?

  2. Anonymous
    October 14th, 2011 @ 11:24 am

    All of the networks have plenty of resources in places like LA, though, which is only a few hours away from Las Vegas by car.  I’m sure there will be plenty of press coverage, though not necessarily of the independent blogger type.

    Or, it’s an opportunity for the left coast dextrosphere to step up.

  3. Adjoran
    October 14th, 2011 @ 3:15 pm

    If we could teach them the OWS “happy fingers” applause, they could silently cheer for pot and porn the whole weekend.

  4. Adjoran
    October 14th, 2011 @ 3:20 pm

    Yeah, January 10 sounds like the ticket.  Florida has messed up the cycle again, the RNC needs to change their pansy-butt rules if they want them obeyed.

    Instead of deleting half the delegation’s votes for any state who cuts the line, knowing fully well that whoever the nominee is will reinstate those delegates in the name of unity and the Electoral College, not wanting to make any state mad, we should get serious.

    You cut the line, you don’t lose voting privileges:  you lose delegates.  ALL of them.  No seats at all.  And raise the requirement for the convention to seat any delegation suspended for this reason to make it unanimous consent (to which presumably NH, SC, IO, and NV will object).

  5. Richard Mcenroe
    October 14th, 2011 @ 4:33 pm

    I for one have never cheered for porn.

    Begged, yes…