Senate Panel Considers Proposal for Regional Presidential Primaries

[babylonsister]

Senate Panel Considers Proposal for Regional Presidential Primaries
By CQ Staff | 1:20 PM; Sep. 19, 2007
By Bart Jansen, CQ Staff

Legislation to create regional presidential primaries won praise at a Senate Rules and Administration Committee hearing for aiming to fix an “arms race” of states striving to be first.

But critics argued that regions wouldn’t do any better job than the current free-for-all, and warned a constitutional amendment might be necessary.

Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; and Joseph I. Lieberman, I-Conn.; sponsored the bill (S 1905) to create four regions taking turns with primaries in early March, April, May and June in 2012. The order would be determined by lottery and then rotated in future cycles.

The Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary would remain separate as the first of the country.

“Our presidential primary system is broken and it’s time to stop the primary arms race,” Klobuchar said.

more...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/2007/09/senate_panel_considers_proposa.html

[rateyes]

1. Why not have all of them on the same day...

in August before the General Election in November? Give the nominees 90 days to campaign. Just a thought.

[babylonsister]

2. Makes way too much sense. Can't have that. nt