Does South Carolina have too much, too little, or an ok amount of influence on who gets nominated?

[TDAS04]

Right amount.  Collectively, IA, NH, NV, and SC are reasonably representative.  They can be first, but should vote simultaneously.  It’s fine to have a select group of small states go first, as long as they collectively contain some diversity and are fairly representative of the nation at-large.

I was born in Iowa, yet I don’t objectively believe it should always be first.  But New Hampshire’s case is not any stronger.  Sorry.  (Except for maybe the fact that it has a proper primary, but it’s still a rural, overwhelmingly white state).

[TDAS04]

Actually, the order of states should be decided randomly, each cycle.  Except, I would still like some small(-ish) states to go first.  California would be guaranteed its own primary in the middle of the cycle, and other big states could have a similar spot.  I would do something like this:

Round 1: A group of smaller-than average states go first, with at least one state from each of the 4 regions (decided at random).

Next few rounds: Same.

Rounds after that: Some medium states, decided randomly.

Next two rounds: Two or three of the largest states, decided randomly.

Middle of cycle: California.

Then: The rest of the larger states.

After that:  Rest of the medium and small states, order decided randomly.


It would still be a good idea to allow a few primaries at a time, rather than a national primary.  That way, candidates--along with their strengths and weakness--become better known.

I also think beginning with a handful of small states is still a good idea, to allow for some retail politics.  California and other states' going in the middle should be acceptable to them; at least they won't go last.

Deciding the spot of many contests randomly would be much fairer than having the same four small states go first every time.  I don't see what makes IA/NH/NV/SC that special.

[TDAS04]

Right amount.  Collectively, IA, NH, NV, and SC are reasonably representative.  They can be first, but should vote simultaneously.  It’s fine to have a select group of small states go first, as long as they collectively contain some diversity and are fairly representative of the nation at-large.

I was born in Iowa, yet I don’t objectively believe it should always be first.  But New Hampshire’s case is not any stronger.  Sorry.  (Except for maybe the fact that it has a proper primary, but it’s still a rural, overwhelmingly white state).

NH may be white, but it's not exactly rural. Most of the population lives in Southern New Hampshire, in urban areas that border Massachusetts (like Manchester and Nashua).

True, I should have said relatively rural.  It is still more rural and whiter than Iowa, though.

[TDAS04]

Right amount.  Collectively, IA, NH, NV, and SC are reasonably representative.  They can be first, but should vote simultaneously.  It’s fine to have a select group of small states go first, as long as they collectively contain some diversity and are fairly representative of the nation at-large.

I was born in Iowa, yet I don’t objectively believe it should always be first.  But New Hampshire’s case is not any stronger.  Sorry.  (Except for maybe the fact that it has a proper primary, but it’s still a rural, overwhelmingly white state).

NH may be white, but it's not exactly rural. Most of the population lives in Southern New Hampshire, in urban areas that border Massachusetts (like Manchester and Nashua).

True, I should have said relatively rural.  It is still more rural and whiter than Iowa, though.

I'd say they're roughly the same. East Iowa is kind of urban, but West Iowa, outside of Des Moines, is much more rural than any part of New Hampshire. And not all rural areas are the same. Rural Iowa is culturally and politically (it's a lot redder than rural New Hampshire) different from rural New Hampshire in many ways.

Fair enough, they’re about the same.  Tbh, I’m not sure which is more rural, according to the 2020 Census.  I was going off of 2010 data, but even then, they were close.