It’s not just the DNC struggling to hold the line against early primaries:
The Republican National Committee plans to penalize at least four states holding early primaries, including New Hampshire and Florida, by refusing to seat at least half their delegates at the party’s national convention in 2008, a party official said Tuesday. [...]
“The rules are clear,” said Tracey Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee. “Any state that holds their primary outside of the window shall be penalized delegates.”
In addition to Florida and New Hampshire, Michigan and South Carolina also face sanctions for moving their contests before Feb. 5. Two other early nominating states, Iowa and Nevada, will escape Republican sanctions because they hold nonbinding caucuses, not primaries.
While the DNC made an exception for New Hampshire and South Carolina, the RNC has not — which raises the stakes, given those states’ interest in maintaining their position at the front of the calendar. New Hampshire’s Republican chairman was sounding belligerent:
Fergus Cullen, the chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, said the party would hold to its primary, now set for early January, to maintain its historic role as the first primary state, even if it had to accept the penalties.
“If we end up being stripped of delegates, that is the price we are willing to pay,” Mr. Cullen said.
The precise outline of the controversy won’t be known until after Sept. 4, when the state committees are due to submit their nomination plans to the RNC. But given the relatively more stringent rules on the GOP side, it looks like the Republicans could be in for an even dicier game of chicken than the Democrats.
UPDATE: Jerome Armstrong points out that, compared to what has happened among the Democrats so far, the Republican approach to the calendar fight is pretty low-key. Jerome argues that, unless the GOP winds up with a brokered convention, the effects of the showdown are likely to be minimal.
3 Responses to “GOP Will Punish NH, FL, MI, SC for Moving Primary Dates”
Why do I get this feeling that law suits and the blame game are not far off? This process is very messed up! At this late stage we shouldn’t be changing the game. Save the changes until 2012.
[...] the Dem’s aren’t the only ones playing musical chairs with their primary dates. The GOP is having the same problem only they are being just a bit more quiet in dealing with the [...]
Something to say?
[...] GOP Will Punish NH, FL, MI, SC for Moving Primary Dates [...]
Left by The Right’s Field » First In The Nation! ... Wyoming?
August 29, 2007 at 5:31pm