More complaining about the compressed primary schedule

by shamanic

Just a note on my annoyance about California, New York, and New Jersey jumping on the Super Tuesday bandwagon for February 5.

My recollection is that in the past, Super Tuesday was largely the Southern Primary, with the big states coming later to either seal the deal for the presumptive nominee or, in a tight race, to approach the candidates from a more urban, multi-culti perspective than the Super Tuesday states can.

I know that the south isn't served by sharing primary day with California and New York. Which candidate can afford to spend much time in Alabama when there are billions and billions of delegates up for grabs on the coast?

I'll second something I heard last night though: an Obama nomination might, just might, put several southern states in play in the general. I heard Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi, but I would add North Carolina to the mix as well. NC has a very strong technical, forward-looking population that strikes me as a perfect fit for Obama's message of change and unification.

Hillary puts none of these states in play. But it might not matter, because the candidates can't afford to be here very much during primary season anyway, so we'll be using spillover national coverage to make decisions. We're pretty used to it down here, and I've made mine, but I really wish there were a spate of important later contests that could cement the situation or overturn it entirely.