Moving the primaries up this year is a solution to a problem that has gone away.

[hedgehog]

In recent elections, a newcomer had to win big in the early primaries in order to get enough donations to stay in the running. It didn't matter if a candidate was attractive to Californians or New Yorkers. If he didn't hit it big early, he was out. This year we have a different situation. The newcomers have plenty of money to run a campaign the entire season. What they need is time to introduce themselves to people who only pay attention two weeks before the election.

[Debi]

1. Are you saying California and New York voters know all there is to know

About smalll state Senators like Christopher Dodd and Joe Biden? Heck, how geat is Bill Richardson's name ID outside of NM (and people who remember him from his time w/the Clinton Admin)?

[hedgehog]

2. I was waiting to vote for Dr. Dean last time around, but by the time of the

NYS primary, Kerry had been unofficially crowned and only John Edwards stayed in to oppose him on the ballot. This time around, I don't see any of the players dropping out. Dodd, Biden, Kucinich, Richardson and Gravel may or may not break into the top trier, but they all have something to say and will use the campaign and the debates as a platform to say it. The only reason I see that they will not be on the ballot in NYS is that New York has a very complex set of rules to be met to get a place on the ballot (so many signatures from each congressional district). Democratic voters are concentrated in NYC with some in Buffalo and ALbany. It takes a good organization to scout out Democratic signatures in the Republican strongholds.