South Carolina Primary May Lose Relevance

[Moooooo]

Once dubbed as the "new New Hampshire" for the GOP, South Carolina's first in the South primary had long been a firewall for GOP presidential hopefuls, accurately predicting the GOP nominee in every presidential election since 1980.  Long before the South had officially realigned as the new Republican base region, this state in the heart of Dixie had been making or breaking GOP candidates and, by 2000, had become a virtual kingmaker, ending John McCain's presidential chances by setting off an electoral domino effect that led to the Senator's demise.

But McCain and others like him may be in luck come 2008, when South Carolina's primary will fall behind a bevy of states, many of them Southern, that are racing to move their primaries as close to New Hampshire as possible.  Southern states like Virginia and Texas will almost certainly be holding their primaries ahead of South Carolina, meaning that someone like McCain or Rudy will no longer have to win SC to prove that they can play down South.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/politics/11241322.htm

[AuH2O]

Virginia, not to be biased, is a great primary option IMO. I mean, solid GOP, but definitely a different flavor than the deep South. I'd trust us to pick the nominee over most states, including NH.

That said, I don't like the whole primary structure. I think there should be a campaign season and then a national primary operating on some kind of electoral-college like system (not identical, because I don't think California should really have that much say since they don't vote GOP anyway).

Democrat internet types have been discussing this because they are sufficiently displeased with Iowa determining their nominee.

[Moooooo]

Democrat internet types have been discussing this because they are sufficiently displeased with Iowa determining their nominee.

Yes sir.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

If Sanford run, the SC primary be seen as irrelevant anyway.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Democrat internet types have been discussing this because they are sufficiently displeased with Iowa determining their nominee.

Yes sir.

Screw Iowa, they gave us the weaker nominee, and then didn't vote for him.

[Jake]

Democrat internet types have been discussing this because they are sufficiently displeased with Iowa determining their nominee.

Yes sir.

Screw Iowa, they gave us the weaker nominee, and then didn't vote for him.

The Democrats voted for him. 

[PBrunsel]

Democrat internet types have been discussing this because they are sufficiently displeased with Iowa determining their nominee.

Iowa deserves some national recognition. They're just whiners.

[TomC]

Virginia sounds good to me. It shouldn't always be the same order of states anyway, more states should get a chance to have an impact on the primary process, especially with the way the media likes to play kingmaker pretty early on.

[Notre Dame rules!]

I think that AR has made a move to bump up their primary to nearer the front of the pack. 

[Keystone Phil]

I think that AR has made a move to bump up their primary to nearer the front of the pack. 

That would probably good for someone like Santorum and could be why Huckabee's name is floating around out there.

[Notre Dame rules!]

Social conservatives like Santorum would do very well in AR.