It ’s primary clock time ! !
Right about now , New Hampshire is an Amsterdam for political hopheads , like theCalifornia couplevacationing there not for the ski slope but just to get their mess of political insanity .
Oh and they are not alone in their hand - agitate and baby - kissing ( or making baby outcry " “ best headline so far:“Obama stool child cry" ) .
The candidates are going to have to pull out all the stops ( and Chuck Norris ) to have a hope in New Hampshire this year . But the real question on everyone ’s mind ( ok , my thinker ) isexactly how did New Hampshire , a State Department with little to commend it besides trees and skiing and nature and stuff , get to be so crucial in the sure-enough political arena ?
First, a primary primer
New Hampshire is the first statewide primary quill in the land , in which elector cast their vote for the candidates they believe should welcome their land ’s nomination in each company . It ’s also open , so everybody ’s invited .
Indiana is kicking itself now
New Hampshire ’s original primary appointment was theorize to have been the third Tuesday in May of 1916 , but was change to fall on the same mean solar day as the monthly town hall get together , on the second Tuesday . Legislators did n’t want to pay to light up the Town Hall doubly in one month and Granite Staters are nothing if not frugal . Back then , New Hampshire actually was n’t the first in the country " “ that award went to Indiana , which , maybe not realizing what it had , switched to a later date in the next primary twelvemonth . That left pole position number one open for small New Hampshire to seize , which it did , and ferociously .
Granite State legislator may have seen something the rest of the states did n’t : the potential for a small state with very little clout to become passing politically relevant every four twelvemonth , when it count the most . It seems to have worked " “ scores of state of matter , particularly in this most contentious of election , have tried to move their caucuses and primaries up to compete with Iowa ’s caucus and New Hampshire ’s primary . And each metre a state tries , New Hampshire simply moves its primary election up .
And it ’s not just being first that count " “ New Hampshire need to be at least a full week before anyone else : In 1992 , Delaware , another small state looking to increase its political clout , started hold its primaries on the Saturday fall out New Hampshire ’s . In response , in 1996 , New Hampshire decided that it would have to contain its primary a full week before " any other similar election . “ But Delaware would n’t budge , so New Hampshire , still miff , allege Delaware ’s primary coil did n’t constitute a alike election . In the end , New Hampshire get ahead : Out of respect for New Hampshire voter , most Republican candidates that twelvemonth did not file away for the Delaware primary and neither did Democratic officeholder , President Bill Clinton . Delaware give up and now its primary is on Feb. 5 .
How important is it really?
In any cause , most initiate are saying New Hampshire is the position where the campaigner must make their mark in parliamentary law to stick politically practicable . But the verity is , only clip and primaries and caucuses in the 49 other Department of State in the Union will recite .
Any Granite Staters voting today ? Care to file a hot report ?
Linda Rodriguez is an episodic contributor to mental_floss . Her last clause looked at the chronicle ofcelebrity political endorsements .
