Presidential Primaries
Congratulations to Michigan and Florida for moving their presidential primaries up on the election calendar. In the US we recognize that monopolies are bad for business. The Iowa and New Hampshire monopoly over early presidential primaries is bad for politics. It’s well past time for the other 48 states to get involved.
Let’s examine some of the reasons Iowa and New Hampshire citizens give to justify their right to go first every four years.
1) Smaller states give less wealthy candidates the opportunity to attract support with less expensive, face to face campaigning. Ok, then lets let Nebraska and Vermont kick things off next time.
2) Iowa and New Hampshire voters are more engaged. This is insulting to citizens from the other states. If voters had the chance to walk down to the corner store once a month and meet each of the candidates in person, we’d all be a lot more engaged. In California, the candidates jet in to attend high priced fund raisers, and then fly out again the next day. The closest most voters get to the candidate is a glance at the limousine as it breezes past. By the time voters in the largest state in the Union cast their ballots, the primary election is already decided.
3) Iowa and New Hampshire partisans also like to talk about tradition. The horse and buggy was a tradition in this country once as well.
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Follow the money. The Romney campaign spent $2.5 million on the Iowa straw poll, and we’re still months away from anyone casting a vote that actually counts. It’s nothing more than a massive transfer of cash from California and New York to Iowa and New Hampshire every 4 years. Iowa and New Hampshire restaurant owners must love the primary season. The other states deserve a piece of the pie.
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