Most of the drama over primary scheduling involves states that want to move their contests up on the calendar, which ends up ruffling the pretty feathers of the folks in Iowa and New Hampshire. But occasionally, you find people seeking to delay their primaries, and on Wednesday, the Boston Globe reported on this cunning plan that the Massachusetts Democrats had:
National Democratic leaders are asking state party officials to delay the Massachusetts presidential primary from March 6 until later in the spring, arguing in part that allowing the most Republican states to dominate the early voting would bolster the chances that a more conservative candidate will clinch the GOP nomination.
Democrats believe that the more conservative candidates would be polarizing in the national election and have less of a chance of defeating President Obama than a moderate Republican, such as Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts.
Apparently, Tim Kaine has also pitched the idea of a late primary for Massachusetts, reminding state party officials that there are "party rules that would increase the Massachusetts convention delegation by 10 percent if the primary is held in April or even 15 percent if the primary is held as part of a regional cluster after March 20." But Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin, a Democrat, is cool to the idea:
"We told them we are not interested," Galvin said. "It is not in the interest of Massachusetts to do this. The gain of more delegate slots is not a good reason to manipulate the election calendar. There is no appetite for it here."
One wonders if it's occurred to anyone that by attempting to game the system in order to handicap Romney, the frontrunner, there's sort of a tacit admission that they're worried about competing against him. The more confident pose is, naturally, something like "we'll take on all comers."
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Mike Huckabee is still the presumed frontrunner in Iowa, should he choose to actually start mounting some kind of a campaign. Speaking of which, the void that's been left by all of the heavy-hitters is allowing Trumpmania to take hold. [Political Wire; First Read]
Jon Huntsman is on his way out as ambassador to China, and his parting shot is a "sharp rebuke to Beijing on human rights." Citing the detentions of artist Ai Weiwei and Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo, Huntsman vowed that U.S. diplomatic officials in China would not waver in "speak[ing] up in defense of social activists." [Politico]
What is George Pataki up to? Just having some lunch with some pals, no biggie! "It was not a fund-raiser," his rep said. "He got together with some friends and supporters ... They did talk about politics, they talked about the future." As far as 2012 goes, Pataki's future is either not participating in the 2012 race or losing the nomination very badly. [New York Post]
Mississippi children apparently benefit from Gov. Haley Barbour's policies as long as they remain in utero. After that, not so much. [Mother Jones; War Room @ Salon]