Dating the campaign
If you're like most American voters, you're done eyeing the presidential campaigns like the cute girl on the other side of the Junior High School gymnasium and maybe ask her to cut a rug. Maybe you've been lurching around in a scrum with folks in your particular click - Republican, Democrat or Ron Paul..
Now of course, there's always those more advanced kids, who are way beyond hopping awkwardly around the linoleum tile and slow dancing to every song - even Sympathy for the Devil -- which would make a great campaign theme.
Those kids are Iowa and New Hampshire. Hey - let's see 12'' of space between you two!
Actually, to be fair, there are a hand full of primaries (or caucuses, in the case of Iowa). But with all the jockeying for position that's gone on among the state parties this year, who can tell who's voting when?
Well, the good folks at Project Vote Smart have the most reliable list I've seen.
A quick check will show that it's not just the Iowa Caucuses on Jan. 3 and New Hampshire Primary on Jan. 8. Also in January:
- * Wyoming's Republicans on Jan. 5.
- * Michigan on Jan. 15.
- * Nevada on Jan. 19.
- * South Carolina on Jan. 19 for Republicans and Jan. 26 for Democrats.
- * Florida on Jan. 29.
Now, Wyoming, Michigan and Florida are the rebels in this group. The local pols there crashed the dance are defying the wishes of the chaperones, er - state parties. And they're getting hit with sanctions like losing delegates to the state convention. (In Michigan, some candidates like former N.C. Sen. John Edwards won't even be on ballot.
By the end January, it should be pretty clear which candidates have a shot and which ones are about to be cosigned to the political dust-bin. But in case there's any doubt, Feb. 5 should shake things out. More than 20 states will have Republicans and/or Democrats make their choices that day.
A lot of political pundits will be surprised if there is really a race left after Feb. 5. And the conventional thinking goes that it really will be all over but the crying by late March.
Of course, North Carolina doesn't get around to holding our primary until May 6. That's the equivalent of finally tapping the little red-headed girl on the shoulder right about the time DJ plays Stairway to Heave...(Er- Time of Your Life for you youngsters.)
Unless some very strange stuff happens, Tar Heels will have little direct say in who the major party candidates are. (I wrote about this back in August for our Discover the Triad publication.
