Why don't the closest states have primaries first?

[MarkD]

The states that ought to go first are the smallest states, smallest in population and in EC votes. The states with just three or four electoral college votes should be the states that hold primaries or caucuses during the first month of primary season -- preferably in April. Then all the medium-sized states, with five to eleven electoral college votes, should be holding primaries or caucuses in May. Then make the largest states, with twelve or more electoral college votes, wait until June. The idea behind letting the smallest states go first is that those are the states where "retail politics" will still matter, candidates holding town hall meetings and talking to voters one-on-one, not candidates spending the most money.