CAMPEL-L: California Moves Up Pri[m]ary (news) (FWD)

[DEMOREP1 at aol.com]

Perhaps the CA move will cause single winner reform or at least a national
primary.
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Date:  Mon, Sep 28, 1998 5:22 PM EDT
From:  SErtelt
Subj:  CAMPEL-L: California Moves Up Pri[m]ary (news)

Calif. Moves Up 2000 Primary Date

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Gov. Pete Wilson signed a bill Monday that pushes
up the state's presidential primary to the earliest possible date -- March 7,
2000 -- in an attempt to give California more clout in the presidential
selection process.

The bill moves the date of California's primary to the first Tuesday in March,
which would be about a week after New Hampshire's traditionally first-in-the-
nation primary in presidential election years. The precinct caucuses in Iowa
are even earlier.

``California voters are finally going to have some clout in deciding who the
major parties nominate for president,'' Wilson said.

California is the most populous states, with 33 million people, and its
economy ranks as the seventh-largest in the world. Yet, California primaries
in recent years have typically taken place in June, long after the nominations
are sealed up.

At least nine other states, including New York and several New England states,
also want to hold primaries on the first possible primary day recognized by
the Democratic Party. The party makes an exception for New Hampshire's
primary, which is always first. The Republican Party doesn't have a similar
rule.

Wilson, a Republican who is contemplating a presidential run in 2000, wouldn't
comment on whether he plans to use the early primary for his own White House
aspirations.

Wilson spokesman Sean Walsh said Wilson is unlikely to decide on his political
future before his second term ends in January.

Proponents of the early primary have said that presidential candidates come to
California early and often to raise money, but because of the state's late
primary, have not been forced to take up California issues.

Other states have been worried about California moving up its primary, knowing
it will diminish the attention they get from presidential candidates.

Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin on Monday criticized
California's move as a ``disaster for the traditional presidential primary
process as we've known it.''
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D- The current presidential primary process is a disaster beyond belief
producing a sure loser for the D's or R's every 4 years.