DC primary getting early attention

When DC announced its first-in-the-nation primary on January 13 (four days before Iowa), DNC leaders went ballistic. Denizens of Iowa and NH believe they have a God-given right to hold the first caucus and primary of the season, respectively, and party leaders and candidates have been too scared to challenge that ridiculous notion.

After the DNC threatened to exclude DC's delegates from the convention, the district found a workaround -- the primary would be a non-binding plebiscite, and will select no delegates. The District will hold caucuses later in the campaign season to actually select its delegates.

So essentially it's a primary that doesn't count.

But what about the candidates? CW is that Iowans and Granite Staters would be furious if candidates lavished attention on DC, and could retaliate at the ballot box.

But the notion of an early victory heading seems to be driving candidate strategies, and Dean, Kerry, Gephardt and Edwards have all been wooing the District's councilmembers seeking endorsements.

Dean seems to be getting all the early attention and endorsements, though I'm still curious to see if there might be any backlash in Iowa and NH. If not, this could step one in stripping those two states of their early preferred status, and moving to a system that is more equitable to other states.

Posted August 11, 2003 09:32 AM