Thursday, January 10, 2008

Putting Wisconsin into Play

Last week I quipped that I hoped that the primaries wouldn't produce a clear front runner making every one important. With a glimmer of hope, it just could happen. For my second wish, Tim Russert, Chris Matthews, David Brooks, et. al. collectively admit to having their asses handed to them for the last time and they exit stage left en masse.

Wisconsin used to have the second primary in the country. Wisconsin voters used to get the kind of attention reserved for Iowa today. And it used to be in April. In 1984 I was a high school senior and I got to skip school to see a Jessie Jackson rally and a Gary Hart (I think) rally. Our primary has moved to February 19th, which means that if no clear winner emerges from "Super Tuesday" we could get some ass baby-kissing politicians to come our way. As a swing state in the last two presidential elections we did get plenty of luvin' - Bruce Springsteen and John Kerry got a major downtown street shut down for a big gig, f'rinstance - it would be nice to have our state in play for the primaries, too.

Maybe if the delegate count is really close among (fingers crossed) three contenders all the way through, states will realize that in economic terms the least shall be first. Then everyone will rush to move their primaries back again.

Because, really, primaries in January are just freaking ridiculous.

For your general trivia file: primaries are only 95 years old. The first was held in North Dakota in March of 1912. In 1964, Barry Goldwater didn't seal the deal on his nomination until the June 2 California primary. JUNE 2.

9 comments:

Matthew Hubbard said...

I get to feelin' old & grumpy about this as well, Jess. Being a Californian, I didn't really have to think about who I was going to vote for until May or so, and plenty of years the decision was moot.

In 1968, when I was a fresh faced lad of 12, I worked for Gene McCarthy. Bobby Kennedy didn't even enter the race until AFTER New Hampshire, and his early results weren't exactly a landslide. He said he needed to win in Oregon to be a viable candidate. McCarthy beat him in Oregon. I remember this distinctly because I heckled Bobby Kennedy in Oakland a week before he died. The local paper had a picture of him in a motorcade waving to the crowd, with yours truly holding up on high a sign that read "Viable?"

This compression of the process really irritates me. I have to decide if I will vote for Edwards, my favorite of the leading three, or Obama, just to make sure it isn't Hillary.

As for Kucinich... we need brave people in the House of Representatives as well.

Dr. Zaius said...

"In 1964, Barry Goldwater didn't seal the deal on his nomination until the June 2 California primary."

And that figure does not even take into account the devaluation of the American petro-dollar due to post-islamofascist inflation and Keith Olbermann. Yipes!

Fran said...

Oh. Imagine having campaigns that functioned on more than their ability to exhaust you.

Anonymous said...

Here's hoping it goes all the way to Wisconsin.

Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein said...

On Wisconsin!

Distributorcap said...

the whole system is a joke
i am surprise the 2012 primaries havent started yet

dguzman said...

In my dream the other night, in which Bob Dole and I were having breakfast, I was this close to asking him whether any of this bullshite of early primaries and insane candidates would've washed in his day--but then I woke up, dangit!

"Compressed" is one way of looking at the process, but to my thinking, the earlier these primaries are moved, the earlier the candidates start bombarding us with their ridiculous ads--which extends the whole process. As Dcap says, it's a wonder the 2012 primaries haven't already started--so the losers in this go-round will have a platform for continuing their campaigns right on through to next term.

This whole business just exhausts me.

Jess Wundrun said...

Ummm, I believe Evil Spock has already thrown his hat in the 2012 ring.

But then he went and disappeared....

Suzy said...

OMG, I have GOT to get my Christmas decorations up for next year!

That said, I am so sick of the whole thing. Yes, I care. But I'll expend my emotional energy on other things while I bide my time.