Florida Moves Up Primary Date — Could Force Big Confrontation With Dean

[babylonsister]

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/may/03/florida_moves_up_primary_date_could_force_big_confrontation_with_dean


Florida Moves Up Primary Date — Could Force Big Confrontation With Dean
By Eric Kleefeld

CNN reports that the Florida legislature has passed a bill to move their primary up to January 29, a week ahead of the intended "national primary" date of February 5. Now all it needs is GOP Governor Charlie Crist's signature, and it could completely upend the Presidential primary calendar.

Florida has done this despite the fact that both party chairs — the RNC's Mel Martinez, a Floridian himself, and the DNC's Howard Dean — made unsuccessful bids to block the move. Dean has even threatened to give candidates zero delegates from the state if they campaign there.

Key question: Will candidates honor the national edicts against Florida, or will they go there anyway, or campaign through surrogates in some effort to capture a popular vote win there?

[madfloridian]

1. RNC has said they will also withhold delegates.

I just read that Edwards says he probably will honor the DNC rules. Don't know about the others.

It's a big power play by a state with a terrible record on the elective process.

[w4rma]

2. I guess Floriduh is out of the primaries. That's fine with me. (nt)