Tuesday, January 01, 2008

It's Official: Americans Sick of Iowa and New Hampshire

I've felt this way for a long time. Why do these two states get to hold so much influence over who becomes President of the United States?
According to a national survey conducted for The Associated Press and Yahoo News, just over half of all voters said New Hampshire and Iowa have an extraordinary amount of influence over who wins the two parties nominations.

"They have way too much — WAY too much — say," said Kevin Thomas of Tacoma, Wash. "California's a big state and they don't have any say, and Iowa's not even half the size of California. It really makes me as a voter wonder what's going on."

Fewer than one in five voters said they favor the current system that allows Iowa and New Hampshire to hold the first contests, while nearly 80 percent would rather see other states get their chance at the front of the line.
Surely it's one reason many states have moved up their primary dates.

Perhaps the two major parties can figure out another way of doing things; maybe rotate some new states in earlier every four years.

No doubt it would make political reporters happy if they could spend a couple of months this time of year in, say, Florida, rather than chasing candidates all over the frozen cornfields.

Another suggestion would be to limit the amount of time campaigning. We still have ten full months to go before the general election and people will be so sick of politics by then.

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