The Western Primary, not the California Primary

A little while back I wrote about how Illinois moving up to February 5th could nuke the entire Western Primary. That's nothing compared to what will happen if California moves up their primary from June to February 5:

California is likely to move up its 2008 primary from June to Feb. 5 and that means that the state not only has a resounding voice in what promises to be a wide open, power-packed presidential contest, but could also energize voters, boost Latino political clout, and spur political reform.

But, it also threatens to roil the national campaign: It would compress the nomination process into a dizzying five-week period, and force candidates in both parties to dig deep into their war-chests to compete in the state's expensive media market.

...

"Every state wants its time in the spotlight, but the more states in it, the less sunlight there is," said Donna Brazile, a top Democratic political strategist, Al Gore's campaign manager in the 2000.

California may be West of the 100th Meridian, and parts of California may be culturally and politically more aligned with the interior West than the Pacific Coast. But the areas that matter in California during a primary have as much to do with the West as Boston.

If the entire interior West were to vote on February 5 (which isn't a done deal, but is getting more likely each week) it would put 178 delegates up for grabs, Illinois would put up 133, California would have 322. Talk about making the Western Primary irrelevant fast.

Emmett O'Connell | January 28, 2007 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: The Western Primary, not the California Primary

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