K&R if you think MORE REPRESENTATIVE states than IA and NH should go first>

[Survivoreesta]

And I mean both parties! How about Oregon? A biggish city, plenty of farms, urban & rural. For us, you have some of the most progressive people in the country. For the GOP, gun-worshippers and white supremacists abound.

That's just one state I'm throwing out there. Not too big for retail campaigning, not too small to be anomalous. By all means make your own suggestions. But I think we can agree that Iowa and New Hampshire do NOT deserve the huge voice they currently have in our politics!

[MoonRiver]

1. Why aren't the primaries all done on the same day?

Same as the general election.

[DJ13]

2. I would rather see 5 states at the same time, 10 weeks worth for both parties

Preferably every other week, with a mix of large and small (and a territory) each round.

Stretching it out has one advantage, it would prevent a real asshole candidate from fooling people just long enough to secure the nomination, such as a single day of voting nationwide might allow.

[MoonRiver]

4. This happens in the general.

Why is it a threat in the primary?

[LeftofObama]

3. My thoughts exactly!

Do them all at the same time.

[Survivoreesta]

6. That would favor moneyed candidates>

Jimmy Carter for instance would have been bowled over by Hubert Humphrey in 1976. Barack Obama wouldn't have had a chance against the Clinton Machine 4 years ago.

[MoonRiver]

8. Monied people get favored anyway.

Just start the primaries earlier so all candidates will have an equal shot. I don't think it is fair for a few states to effectively elect nominees. But maybe it saves the other states money they would spend on primaries. I'm sure the reason has something to do with saving money for the PTB.

[Survivoreesta]

9. Under your suggestion, yes!>

Smaller elections are needed to allow dark horses the chance to get their messages across person-to-person without having huge war chests.

[XemaSab]

5. I can dig Oregon going first

I definitely would not want a big state like California.

The election would be all about the candidate who could spend the most money in the Bay Area and LA.

[Survivoreesta]

7. Right>

It would be all TV ads, all the time!

[neverforget]

10. I like the idea of rotating regional primaries so that the whole

country gets a shot at choosing nominees.

[Survivoreesta]

12. But>

The more you expand it, the less important retail campaigning becomes, and the more emphasis on big ad buys.

[Jim Lane]

15. I agree with this one

There's no ready way to eliminate the excessive advantage of the candidate with lots of money, but one big national primary would make that problem even worse. Going in stages is better.

If there are stages, then someone has to go first. There's nothing wrong with Iowa and New Hampshire going first. The problem is with them going first in every cycle. That's why it should rotate.

Regional primaries would somewhat reduce the influence of money because candidates could concentrate on a smaller number of media markets. It would also reduce their carbon footprint as they jet around the country.

[gopiscrap]

11. How about

CA, NY, PA, FL, TX and PA go first

followed by: WY, AK, VT, DE and DC the next week

Then: IL, OH, MI, NJ, NC and VA next

followed by: RI, ID, NH, ME, MT the next week

Then: VA, WA, MO, MA, IN, MN next

followed by: NV, NM, ND, SD, UT

Then: CT, MY, OK, CO, LA, AL

followed by: HI, NE, KS, etc you get the picture

[DeathToTheOil]

13. For the most part, I agree with you.....

but I don't give Rs to "K&R if" pandering.

[PhoenixAbove]

14. I think all the primaries should be done at the same time...

or, at most, 2 or 3 phases. By the time I get to vote most of the candidates I want are knocked off the ballot. It is infuriating.

I like Iowans, I really do, but how could they no what's best for me while I resided in a Northern city. Some of our concerns are totally different. They have no right to be the arbiters of who everybody else gets to vote for. Same for New Hampshire!

[quinnox]

16. The Iowa and NH tradition should be retired already

Iowa is full of white conservative people and why are they so special to set the tone and get to go first? Its crazy. I agree with staggering it out for drama sake and to expose candidates, maybe a region of states can all vote at once like go from South East to Midwest to Pacific Coast etc. all over a time period of months.