A New Era For 2008 Primary Selection

The republcia party is in a stew right now. They are going to lose seats in both the House and Senate, and they will probably lose the White House in 2008. The NYTimes reports on these prospects here. But while this was going on in Memphis, the Dems were doing terrific things, here in Washington, DC. These changes will have a big interest for those in DC and the candidates who would like win the nomination. Al Gore has always been a friend to the citizens of Washington, DC.

The DNC voted yesterday to change the way candidates are selected for nomination in the Democratic Party. In the past it has been Iowa and N.H. going one two. They are not very representative of the U.S. as a whole. They are great states but we need more diversity in the selection process, so what the DNC did Saturday in the shadow of the US Capitol was an excellent move.

The DNC meeting which discussed and voted on the Report of the Commission on Presidential Nomination Timing and Scheduling was held a stones throw from the Capitol. The meeting was very well attended by three distinct groups: reporters, professional polls and the Commission members. It was fascinating to watch the outside of the room patrolled by the professionals, many of whom represent Democratic candidates for President. They wanted to learn what was going to be the schedule for the up coming primaries in 2008.

The press was there too. They appeared to me to really want to get the story right. This potentially will have a very big impact on how the race is run and will affect how the different candidates approach this election cycle.

I think it is good because we should not front load the process. Dems need to take their time in selecting a candidate. Also, the republicans are going to have a tough time with all the people running over there, so it is better for us to keep the process going, campaigning and letting the voters know about the failures of the republican and Bush administrations.