Here's a novel idea. Why don't we all vote on the same day??

It's so conniving to move the primaries - whether Republican or Democratic - to a time when it will be advantageous to one party. Just let the people speak , keep the dates the same as they were. This is ridiculous and both parties should be forced to stay w. the same dates.

As a Democrat supporting Obama I hope this decision stands through the New Hampshire primary. If it does, the cross-over independents to the Democratic primary should be astounding — and goodbye Clinton!

Funny how the 'law and order' party can't seem to follow rules, and then each of the state party leaders just shrug it off.

So the Republican Party - also known as the States' Rights party - believes that central control of the states is best. It simply does not matter if New Hampshire or Florida believes it knows best how to manage its own affairs. The parental RNC knows best.

It will be interesting if stripping New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina, Michigan and Wyoming of half their votes results in one candidate being nominated instead of the other. Let us imagine that Giuliani wins the nomination by a few votes, but only because half of Romney's Florida delegation votes were tossed out. The "nominee" would be considered illegitimate by half the convention. They are setting themselves up for some serious potential problems.

Haven't many pundits been suggesting that FL could be Rudy's chance to pick up a significant number of delegates after likely wins by Mitt in the earlier (and smaller) states?

I think this move hurts Rudy more Mitt - not that I'm pulling for (nor would I vote for) either one.

Couldn't have said it better Terry of El Paso. I think the RNC thinks RNC means Righteous, Nice, and Controling. RNC to me is Real Nut Cases, does sound about right.

Bad States! Bad States! Bow down to your masters!

The GOP is already in BAD BAD shape , this only adds more fuel to voter discontent for the GOP party , This will make winning the white house a looong looong long shot

The fact of the matters is both parties try to control the primary too early. The RNC response is significantly milder than the DNC repsonse. Howard Dean has issue a full warning to Flordia that ALL of its delegates will be thrown out if Florida determined to hold its primary on Jan 29,2008.

We are essentially having primaries earlier and earlies not because of national interest, rather each state want to be the first to influence the election process.If this is not somehow regulated, we will have primary moves up earlier the year after, and the earlier the year after that.

New Hampshire GOP Chair Cullen is correct. New Hampshire is such an important state for primary simply because it goes first, not the actual number of delegates, which is why he rather risk losing half of its delegates.

Now, losing all of its delegates is quite a different thing — the Howard Dean. That will basically eliminate all its influence. Dean came out way too strong. If he back off now, no other state will take him serious, but if he goes on ahead, he can harm the chance of Democrat getting the Florida votes — which is the largest battleground electoral votes. Yes, Calif, Texas, New York have more votes, but they are not battleground state, Florida is.

I agree Terry, the repubs need to get back to their traditions. small fed govt, strong state govt. Im more repub then anything but they cant afford to be making demands right now, let the states work big bro.

States Rights are the corner stone of the new Republican (Southern Democrates) Party, that is unless they don't do what the party tells them to do.

I am still trying to figure out when the Republican Party that held the Union together with a strong cental government, became the party of the strong states rights which was the rallying cry of the Confederate States of America.

The only thing they are succeeding in doing is helping along the formation of a 3rd party and the ultimate selection of their candidate to the Presidency of the USA with of course the help of the Deomocratic party..

There has to be a conspiracy to all these primary movements. What is it about these five states that matter? I hope someone out there can connect the dots whether they be commies or free lance journalists.

The states need to get out of the business of shuffling scheduled dates and take this up with the committees during the off-season. All this does is destroy the morale of an already annoyed electorate. This is just for the primary, but it translates voter turnout. If no one listens to your state during the primary why vote in the full election.

Telling it like I see it,
Wynter

I think the issue here is that these states are all having ego battles to say "Hey look, we're first! Look at us!" and it's creating a ridiculous situation for the candidates who are desperately trying to win the initial nominations to gain momentum. But as the states jostle for position, the candidates are neglecting other states.

The system is already screwy, and the voters are just getting more and more frustrated the the political game playing that's happening across the entire spectrum. It's just a matter of who draws the most ire, Repubs or Dems. Independents are definitely appearing to be a viable option.

As a Floridian, I foresee more and more legal battles of these types of issue. Florida Democratic party has already filed a lawsuit against the DNC regarding stripping of its delegates. Florida Democrats are not contributing to the national campaigns because of the DNC's decision. Now, the RNC is stripping delegates as well. What a crock! Just wait; there'll be another "2000 Election Fiasco" brewing in the South for '08.

Political Parties are NOT in the Constitution. They are NOT supposed to play any role in the process of electing nominees. We need to outlaw political parties NOW !!!!!!!!!!!

Both parties are making really bad decisions which are gonna anger voters with these "primary wars". The national ticket might hurt the Republicans cause of this, but that said all incumbants are gonna experience major blows this time around, people are sick of pandering in politics, time for my Congressman Shays to be shown the door.

I hope a serious look at the primary process and a comprimise that all states can live with comes out of this. Otherwise this primary situation is just going to get worse.

In replying to Jim Topeka, Kansas

The answer is Barry Goldwater

The modern Republican Party did not become the Southern Democrats. The Southern Democrats turn into Repubicans when Libertarian ideas are injected into Republican Party by Goldwater. FDR Democrats also turn into Republicans (known as neocon) starting as early as Truman, but really started around Johnson era and finalized during Reagan. You are spinning things upside down, as if the earth is revolving around the moon. Yes, I am sure if you are looking from moon, that is what it looks like.

There's got to be a better system than the primary system.

If the States expected the parties reaction, then the punishment by the party to the states is mute. The states got what they wanted a feeling of importance in the upcoming Convention selection. And in responce to the previous poster Mr. Adkisson, Sir no amount of mono-tone speaking and courtroom style appearances and speeches will save Mr.Obama from Mrs. Clinton, she is already well beyond him and the others both in the polls and in the public and should stick to building his resume in the Senate before taking on somethign a big as a national election and that coming from a fellow Democrat.

To summus:

You're right, political parties aren't in the Constitution–they're neither endorsed nor prohibited.

That's not because the people who wrote the Constitution didn't know about the possibility of political parties–they certainly did–but, I suspect, they knew that parties were going to happen no matter what they said. You can't stop a group of people from hanging out together and collectively picking someone they like to run for office.

That said, though, I see nothing in the Constitution permitting their tacit incorporation into government, manifested by things like arranging for ballot access to third parties being made legally difficult. That's the sort of thing that should be remedied, not the parties themselves.

"I am still trying to figure out when the Republican Party that held the Union together with a strong cental government, became the party of the strong states rights which was the rallying cry of the Confederate States of America."

Jim - "Dixie"-crats became States' Rights Republicans when Lyndon Johnson championed Civil Rights for African Americans. As the Party of FDR slid further toward the Left and the Party of the Union slid further toward the right, Southern Democrats made the switch.

Reponse to G. Rasputin, Lakeland FL

No DixieCrat did not become Republian because of LBJ and affinitive action. What are you talking about? Dixiecrat was born in 1948 during Truman era not Johnson era. After Truman's executive order on racial intergration, the Dixiecrats broke and form their own party — the States' Right Democratic Party. A weak party. Later, in 1964, Mr. Conservative Barry Goldwater ran on states' rights and liberatarism. Although Goldwater is a strong supporter of NAACP and supported Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960, he opposed the 1964 version of the Civil Right act is violate private citizens' right. His opposition of the 1964 Civil Rights Act drew supports from the preexisting "Dixicrats". This state right view again finally solidified by Reagan (not Nixon).

Consequently, Republicans party did not embraced States' Right because of Dixicrats. The Dixicrats did join the Republican Party later, but one should not confuse the cause and effect.

The decisions of both parties exemplify the need for election reform. I like the ideas of a national primary date or rotating regions later in the year.

YA!!!! why don't we all vote on th same day?? I think that is a terrific idea.