Legislature approves Jan. 15 Michigan primary

[SharonRB]

Source: Detroit News

Gary Heinlein and Gordon Trowbridge / The Detroit News

LANSING -- The state House and Senate today set Jan. 15 as the date of Michigan's 2008 presidential primary, putting Michigan on a collision course with national Republican and Democratic party rules.

The House vote was 67-34; the Senate 36-0. Gov. Jennifer Granholm has indicated she will sign the bill.

Under current law, Michigan's primary is scheduled for Feb. 26, while Florida and other states' legislatures have voted to jump to ever-earlier slots.

Approval of the bill, and Granholm's signature, would put Michigan's two major political parties at odds with the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee, which have said they'll penalize states that move up their primaries. The renegade states could lose some or all of their national convention delegates.


Read more: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070830/UPDATE/708300476

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On Sunday, I spoke to Mark Brewer, our state party chair, and he said he doesn't think the DNC will really wind up withholding delegates from Florida or Michigan. We'll have to wait and see what really winds up happening.

[saltpoint]

1. And this just in: Maine, Virginia, Montana, Ohio, and Oregon will

hold their primaries this Saturday.

At dawn.

[jgraz]

2. Wasn't there some spoof where NH declared its primary would be held last week?

Turnout was low because the election occurred in the past.

[saltpoint]

3. LOL! Damn! A low turnout every time in those already-held elections.

Probably there was a spoof of it. I'm getting weary of the infantile scramble to be first in this primary season.

It's getting real silly real fast.

Hi ya, jgraz. A happy Labor Day weekend coming up to you.

[earthside]

4. Seriously, This is Out of Control

I thought that this front-loading of big primaries and caucuses was a bad idea to begin with. Now it is turning into a swamp of confusion.

My hunch is that this set-up is going to have some serious, negative, unintended consequences for both parties.

[jgraz]

6. It will guarantee that the current frontrunners will walk away with it

Hillary's gotta be loving this. :banghead:

[tactics]

7. hey whos that fat guy?

[YOY]

15. You're really 12 aren't you?

You can't be that stupid.

[Tesha]

16. We've already voted; Kucinich won! ;-) (NT)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. At dawn

Yesterday. lol!

[iamjoy]

8. WOW - Bold Move

or foolish depending on your outlook. They saw what happened to Florida and went ahead and did it anyway. Maybe it's kind of like one kid in class is bad he/she gets punished, a bunch of them are... Well, heck, they can't punish everyone - right?

This is getting interesting.

:popcorn:

[fob]

9. Is this race to be "first" really a way of saying "we can't effing wait

until someone other than the idiot* in there now is in place?"

If so, I'm ready to vote now and bush* can go home early.

[dazzlerazzle]

10. primary schedule

Earthside is right, this is out of control. The governor's, regardless of party affiliation, should get together and come up with something. I couldn't care less if they all moved up to "super tuesday" in Febuary.

[MaineDem]

11. I'm sorry the Governor won't veto it

I'm assuming the Legislature can override the veto?

[SharonRB]

13. She's in favor of it, so why would she veto it?

[MaineDem]

14. Ahhh, that's too bad.

:(

[Demeter]

12. We Might As Well Have a National Primary With Instant Runoff

because anything else, as a parent knows, is asking for trouble. If the states are acting like children in a too-large household, then the best response is to treat everyone the same.

Besides, New Hampshire really ought to diversify its economy. Can't live off the 4 year cycle forever!

[Tesha]

17. That would be too much like a democracy -- can't have that sort of thing breaking out!

That would be too much like a democracy -- can't have that
sort of thing breaking out, it might catch on for the
general elections too, and then where would the king-
makers (or Queen-makers) be?

Tesha