Iowa and New Hampshire

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What's the history of these two states being the first states to have caucuses (cauci?) and primaries? Just arbitrary?

donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 30 August 2003 00:38 (twenty-two years ago)

new hampshire was the first state to hold public primaries.

keith (keithmcl), Saturday, 30 August 2003 01:02 (twenty-two years ago)

iowa was where buddy holly died. twice, I heard.

RJG (RJG), Saturday, 30 August 2003 01:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm grew up in Iowa and I couldn't tell you. It's the only time ever national politicians give a shit about our state. The 5 (or is it 4 now? I think they got downgraded) electoral votes it's worth are mostly ignored during the stretch run of most campaigns.

ben welsh (benwelsh), Saturday, 30 August 2003 03:20 (twenty-two years ago)

this may not be true, but i think that once upon a time the state governments of each state decided when their particular primary would be held. i don't think it was a national plan.

Emilymv (Emilymv), Saturday, 30 August 2003 03:22 (twenty-two years ago)

dud and dud.

Sonny A. (Keiko), Saturday, 30 August 2003 03:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I like the fact this is on ILM

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 30 August 2003 03:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't know about Iowa.

New Hampshire: back inna day -- way, way back inna day -- they set the primary early to coincide with Town Meeting day (possibly it was the town meeting for just one town, like Concord; towns don't have their town meetings all on the same day anymore). After people started making such a big deal out of it being early, it was put into the state constitution that the NH primary will take place before any other: if some other state up and reschedules theirs, the NH automatically gets rescheduled so it's still first.

Iowa gets around that because theirs is a caucus, not a primary.

You would not believe what a big deal this all is up there.

Tep (ktepi), Saturday, 30 August 2003 06:55 (twenty-two years ago)

they keep moving the primaries earlier, soon they will take place a week after the previous general election.

keith (keithmcl), Saturday, 30 August 2003 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)


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