Link, in part-
National Democratic Party leadership passed on Minnesota as an early presidential primary state for 2024, despite appeals from top state party officials.
Early presidential primaries can end up shaping the major party nominees for the nation’s highest office.
Under a plan approved by a key panel of the Democratic National Committee on Friday, South Carolina will hold the first 2024 presidential primary Feb. 3, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada on Feb. 6. Georgia would hold its primary Feb. 20, and Michigan’s primary would be Feb. 27.
South Carolina? Front running for Clyburn? The Black vote?
South Carolina, Michigan, first and same day would make more sense. And then, ten to twenty days later, same day, Georgia, Pennsylvania and California.
Populous states, different regions. And really, how many electoral votes does South Carolina represent? Ditto, Nevada? Ditto New Hampshire?
Kick the tires where the electoral votes are plentiful, instead of otherwise.
Winnow early. Fairly.
More from the PiPress item-
President Joe Biden sent a letter to the panel Thursday asking party leadership to ensure voters of color have a voice much earlier in the nomination process. South Carolina’s Democratic primary would give Black voters more of a voice in the process, backers of giving the state the first primary argued. The new schedule approved Friday afternoon reflects the president’s requests to the DNC.
“For decades, Black voters in particular have been the backbone of the Democratic Party but have been pushed to the back of the early primary process,” the president wrote to party leadership. “It is time to stop taking these voters for granted, and time to give them a louder and earlier voice in the process.”
Iowa lost its spot as the opening contest in the race for the White House, a position it has held since 1972. Critics say Iowa is too homogeneous to continue serving as a presidential launching pad in a country that’s growing more diverse.
Biden in his letter also urged the Democratic Party to no longer allow states to hold caucuses in the nominating process, calling the process too time-consuming and unfair to anyone who does not have the flexibility to participate due to a job or other obligations. Iowa still holds caucuses, while Minnesota held its last presidential caucuses in 2016 before switching to a primary in 2020.
In their pitch to the national party for an early primary, the DFL presented Minnesota as “Democracy’s North Star,” highlighting the state’s high voter participation, civic engagement, a concentration of rural Democratic voters, growing ethnic diversity and strong LGBTQ community.
“To be successful in Minnesota, candidates need to win over voters in urban, suburban and rural communities, and they will need to appeal to an electorate that is rapidly diversifying,” Martin said.
Gov. Tim Walz, House Speaker Melissa Hortman and incoming Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic sent a letter to the DNC pledging to pass legislation to move Minnesota’s primary to an earlier date if national leadership picked the state.
How it could be better vs. how it is. Biden last time surely owes South Carolina, and Clyburn in particular; but the rest of the party and nation matter more than owed favors between octogenarians.
UPDATE: Gretchen Whitmer, hat in the ring and all, must like Michigan early. Yet if she does not substantially move the needle early there, hang the hat and watch the rest of the show?
FURTHER: If Biden does run again, expect South Carolina as it was last cycle, with perhaps Black voting in Georgia and Detroit following, possibly in lockstep with Clyburn, party over?
It is early, just under two years to the 2024 general election, with Biden the incumbent; so what matters? Other hopefuls will have to define themselves in 2023 in order to ring any bells in Feb. 2024. Harris? There's better.
FURTHER: At least Elon cannot run, either party, being born in South Africa. Bezos could run, born in New Mexico.
Expect more grandstanding from DeSantis early and often in 2023. Name recognition uber alles? Trump as insufferable as ever.
