Sun, Oct 4, 2015
The Republican Party chair hinted at a major potential electoral change — and everyone flipped out.
This is exactly what I am telling the American people – this Elite Republican, Priebus, is flipping out himself. It is surprising that the people have not replaced him after the loss of the last two elections. This party needs a new chairman. What was the purpose of the remarks – just to confuse the people because things are not going the way the Elites want them to go. Something has to give – the Elites have joined the Democratic Party.
The guy needs to go and the party needs someone who is a stable, energetic, and a loyal party member. What does this guy do – nothing – he just walks around throwing hand grenades. He is not trust worthy to begin with. He has helped throw the last two elections! For him to make such a remark after the campaign has started tells me this guy is not stable.
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.
It was the seemingly off-the-cuff remark that prompted virtually the entire Republican presidential field to comment.
With his remark, Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus seemed to put the first two nominating states on notice. It immediately sparked a scramble from the 2016 Republican presidential field to defend those two states.
“I strongly urge the RNC to preserve New Hampshire and Iowa’s earned status as first in the nation,” Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) said.
“Any talk of changing this proven system where engaged voters in a small state fully analyze the candidates on issues of substance is irresponsible and a bad idea,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina).
That, in a nutshell, represents the power of Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states that nominate presidential candidates. The states hold significant influence, even as many both inside and outside both political parties are beginning to question their authority in the nominating process.
RNC Chair Reince Priebus fired the warning shot heard ’round the party earlier this week, when he suggested in an interview with the National Journal that he was open to broadening the early-nominating process to other states in the future, potentially shaking up the electoral map and shifting influence to other states.
He also intimated that an acceptable alternative could be a system in which states rotate their caucus and primary dates each election cycle.
“I don’t think there should ever be any sacred cows as to the primary process or the order,” Priebus told the magazine. “It’s just the concept of whether or not the same old order and the same old system is the best system for how we choose nominees of our party.”
View gallery.
Republican U.S. presidential candidate and Ohio Governor John Kasich makes a point during the second official Republican presidential candidates debat…(Thomson Reuters)
Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Gov. John Kasich during the second official Republican presidential debate of the 2016 presidential campaign at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
He added: “It’s a hot topic. These early states are very used to fighting this out every four years. It’s just something I think we ought to look at as a party. If you look at my history, I’ve been very supportive of the early states as general counsel and as chairman. But I don’t think anyone should get too comfortable.”
And GOP presidential candidates — many of whom have been campaigning hard in Iowa and New Hampshire for months and are banking on wins in the states to jump-start their route to the nomination — were quick to distance themselves from their party committee chair’s comments.
Kasich has poured significant resources into New Hampshire, hoping for an upset, momentum-building win in the first-in-the-nation primary state. Within several hours of Priebus’ comments being published, Kasich’s campaign released a statement voicing his support for Iowa and New Hampshire’s status as the first two nominating states.
“New Hampshire and Iowa have earned the responsibility to hold the first primary and first caucus to launch the nominee for our party,” Kasich said. “By requiring that candidates engage directly with the voters, every candidate is tested and judged fairly.”
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), who is also devoting heavy amounts of time and effort into the state, also tweeted out his support for New Hampshire.
Iowa was never supposed to be first in the nation.
Iowa and New Hampshire have dominated the early-voting system for years.
New Hampshire was the first state in the country to switch from a caucus system, in which delegates nominate president, to a primary system — a statewide voting process in which voters directly cast ballots for their preferred candidates.
Iowa’s role as the first-nominating state happened by accident.
In 1972, a hotel-room shortage the weekend the Democratic caucus was planned to be held in Des Moines, Iowa, forced organizers to bump the caucus up to January. That made Iowa the first nominating state in the nation.
As The Washington Post has reported, former President Jimmy Carter’s campaign took note four years later that Iowa had leapfrogged New Hampshire. He became the first candidate to campaign aggressively in the Hawkeye State, coming in a surprisingly strong second and cementing it as a launch pad for populist candidates with grassroots support.
In recent years, as the power of the party’s nominating convention has decreased, both Iowa and New Hampshire have angled to preserve their powerful statuses. Both states have laws mandating that they be the first caucus and primary state, respectively.
In recent elections, some states have tried to vault ahead of both to become the first-nominating states. Wyoming moved up its caucus in 2008 — but it was outdone by Iowa, which bumped its up to January 3.
And the national parties have actually moved to prevent some states that have attempted to usurp Iowa and New Hampshire. In 2012, for example, Florida was punished by the RNC for attempting to bump their primary ahead of both states and for holding a “winner-take-all” primary too early in the nominating process under party regulations.
The RNC reprimanded the Sunshine State by reducing the number of state delegates that could vote in the nominating convention, thereby curbing Florida’s overall influence in the nominating process.
No states put up such a fight this cycle, but that doesn’t mean other states wouldn’t salivate at the chance to become the first state.
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