Dems Closer To New Caucus, Primary
As we wrote earlier, the DNC's rules and bylaws cmte has approved a measure adding one post-IA caucus and one post-NH primary to the nomination calendar.
Four states have applied for the caucus date and seven have applied for the primary date.
Member Tina Flournoy, who is a close adviser to party chairman Howard Dean, proposed the motion that ultimately passed. She said she recognized that a potential downside would be greater state frontloading, but said her proposal tried to “honor the place” of IA and NH in the nominating process.
MI Dem chair Mark Brewer objected to the proposal. “I frankly don’t see how we can satisfy…[racial, geograhpical, economic diversity] by simply restricting ourselves to two states. I don’t think we’ll achieve the goals this reform was intended," he said.
NH Dem chair Kathy Sullivan worried that, “even with limiting those two states we’ll be crunching four events into…18 days." Presidential candidates would have an incentive to pick and choose some of the states rather than to compete in all of them.
Sullivan said she preferred a broader, regional primary approach.
The next meeting will be in D.C. on 6/22-23 at the Capital Hilton.
In August, the committee will recommend which states get to hold the new contests. One will probably be in the West; another, in the South. CO and NV are considered the best bets for the Western event -- likely the caucus -- and South Carolina and Alabama are favorites to be given the post-NH primary.
The RBC's suggestions will be forwarded to the full DNC membership for final approval. [JUSTIN MILLER]