Rotate regional presidential primary

From the Kalamazoo gazette is an article regarding Saul Anuzis' and Debbie Dingell's plan for future Presidential Primaries.

• Sometimes, when people from opposing political parties put their heads together, sanity happens.

Oh so true!

• Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis and prominent Democrat Debbie Dingell -- apparently as dismayed as the rest of us that Michigan's presidential primaries are utterly fouled up -- have come up with a plan to hold six regional presidential primaries, starting in 2012.

• The two say a lottery would take away the incentive for states unhappy with their standing to jump to the head of the line -- as Michigan and Florida attempted this year.

• But we'd be concerned that a state relegated by lottery to the back of the pack for too many elections running would eventually take matters into its own hands.

I am going to have to agree with the writer of this article on the lottery issue. I would say that the first time around should be done by lottery. It would probably be the most fair and it wouldn't look like anyone was being favored. After the 2012 lottery has been done, work from there and repeat every four years. Example could be this; according to Download dingellanuzis_modified_plan.doc there would be six regions. Say for example in the "2012 primary lottery" it went in order of Region 5,4,6,2,1,3. That's how it would be for every other primary, no lottery in 2016 nor afterwards. This is no one's thought except mine, so don't take it too serious. What do I know? OK, another thought. Do the lottery in 2012, but put the region that includes Iowa last. Then the region that includes New Hampshire second to last, the region that includes South Carolina third. The other three regions would participate in the 2012 lottery. In 2016 it would be the last lottery and all the regions would be included.

• It certainly can't get much more messed up than it is this year.

Duh!

• Their first-in-the-nation status has given uncommon political influence to white, small-town America in election after election at a time when America is getting more racially and religiously diverse.
• This year, a number of states decided to ignore national party rules and scheduled primaries or caucuses before Iowa's and New Hampshire's dates.
• The response? Not only did Iowa and New Hampshire move their election dates even earlier, but the national parties ordered sanctions. For Michigan, where lawmakers and the governor agreed to move the date up to Jan. 15, that means the Democratic National Committee will refuse to seat any delegates from this state. Michigan Republicans expect to lose about half of their delegates to the Republican National Convention.

Read the article here.
Read all the comprehensive plan devised by Anuzis and Dingell, here. Be sure to check out the docus and maps that detail their plans.
From the post in "That's Saul, Folks."

• LANSING -- Michigan Democratic National Committeewoman Debbie Dingell and Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saulius “Saul” Anuzis today proposed a bi-partisan presidential primary selection plan that would solve the problems surrounding the current method used by each party to select presidential nominees...
• See the attached link for the plans specifics.

• Download dingellanuzis_modified_plan.doc
• Download diingellanuzis_map_regions.pdf
• Download dingellanuzis_map_6up.pdf
• Download dingellanuzis_map_electoral_college.doc
• Download dingellanuzis_rnc_rule_draft.doc

Click the above link to read the full article.

God Bless from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan!

Anuzis-Dingell Plan for Presidential Primaries

Check out this common sense, bi-partisan plan for future Presidential Primaries, from out of the great state of Michigan.

• Dingell, Anuzis Propose Bi-Partisan Approach to
• Future Presidential Primaries
• Plan Would Give Every State a Fair Shake in Selecting Future Nominees
• LANSING -- Michigan Democratic National Committeewoman Debbie Dingell and Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saulius “Saul” Anuzis today proposed a bi-partisan presidential primary selection plan that would solve the problems surrounding the current method used by each party to select presidential nominees.
• The Dingell-Anuzis presidential primary selection plan is patterned after the Levin-Nelson Presidential Reform Bill in Congress. The plan would eliminate “incentives” for states to violate party rules, and would treat each state fairly with respect to selecting the order of state presidential contests. Currently, both national parties establish committees that decide the earliest date each state can hold their presidential contest to determine their nominee, while allowing select states like Iowa and New Hampshire to go earlier.
• “A system like this would finally bring sanity to the process,” Anuzis said. “Our proposal would create a reasonable and fair solution for each state and would end the state leap-frogging that is moving the beginning of the process obscenely early.”
• Dingell continued: “We need to end the monopoly of some states that always enjoy earlier contests while protecting every state’s right to be relevant in the process.”

Read more here.

Jennifer Granholm Signed the Bill!

Michigan's Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) signed the bill to let Michigan have the Jan 15 Presidential Dem/Rep Primary to be held in Michigan.

• Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a bill moving both of Michigan’s presidential primaries to Jan. 15. Michigan’s move threatens to set off a chain reaction that could force Iowa and New Hampshire to reschedule their contests even earlier than anticipated, perhaps in the first week in January or even December 2007.

Read the rest here.

You can say whatever ya want about her, but she did have the guts to defy the National Dum (I mean Dem) Party. She put the state of Michigan first. Don't think I am switching to the other side. One good deed don't write out 100s.

Michigan Primary Update

I was visiting over at "That's Saul Folks", the Michigan Republican blog by party chairman Saul Anuzis and found his recent post on the Primary.

• - So what’s the deal on the Presidential Primary process…is it January 15th.
  I don’t know…but I think so…is the honest answer.
  Yesterday Democrat leaders huddled in person and on conference calls discussing the option of holding a “joint” semi-closed primary. The rumors from Democrat “insiders” is that the date being discussed was January 15th.
  However, no formal decision had been made and no formal announcement from Democrat leaders was put forth.
  The Governor confirmed publicly again, what she said on talk radio earlier, that she preferred an early primary in January and that she would sign primary bill if it made it to her desk.
  Senator Levin has been pushing for an early January date…continuing his long standing battle to break the monopoly Iowa and New Hampshire have on being the first in the nation primary and caucus. I have to tell you, I agree with Senator Levin on this one and have never been able to figure out why or under what divine intervention do Iowa and New Hampshire hold their position. It’s a touchy subject at RNC meetings, but no one is ever willing to challenge them directly. If we get the January 15th date…it will clearly challenge the status quo and put NH and IA on notice that things are going to change. Chuck Todd of MSNBC said it this way: “It's a mess, and Levin apparently was determined to break the calendar, rather than try and play within the loose set of rules that seemed to be developing between the early states. This guarantees that both the DNC and RNC will have to take up reforming the calendar for 2012 at their respective 2008 conventions.” For that, you have to give Senator Levin credit.
  Our State Committee passed a resolution authorizing me to negotiate a February 5th or earlier primary with the Democrats. Dem Chairman Mark Brewer and I have been working on specific language for over a year. The legislation introduced in the State Senate setting the date on February 5th has the basic foundation and wording of our last negotiated language. There maybe a need to amend some of the language to either clarify some things and/or better adapt to the DNC rules which are more restrictive than ours…but we have agreed to cooperate for the sake of having a state run joint primary.
  After news leaked out about the Democrats meeting and the proposed January 15th date by Democrat leaders I issued the following statement:
  LANSING – Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saulius “Saul” Anuzis today said the decision by state Democratic leaders to hold a presidential primary on Jan. 15 gives Republican and Democrat voters more influence in determining the respective parties’ nominees for the White House.

Please click here to read the rest of the story.

MICHIGAN TO MOVE UP ITS PRIMARY/UPDATE

Michigan will be holding it's Primary on January 22, 2008. Meaning now that New Hampshire has to move it's Primary to Jan. 8, Elvis' Birthday, how blasphemus. There is some good and bad about this. The good, It will be an election and not a caucus. This way the people will have a say and not just the mucky-mucks. The bad, this is just so early that it helps the moneyed guys.
I am getting sick of all this competition between the states. "I wanna be first." "No, I wanna be first." "No, me" "Me, me, me." Who is the loser, the American people. Let's forget about which state is the first to hold a primary and put the American people first. With all this early crap, whoever are the nominees to each party, one of them ultimately will be the President. Whoever it is, it could end up a case of buyers remorse. Why, because people won't have time to truly find out about all the candidates. They will only get to hear about the big names. Then afterwards they will wish they had been given more time.
Right now I don't care who wins in Michigan. Obviously I want Mike Huckabee to win. But I think it would be funny for Mitt Romney, daddies boy, to lose in his "state of Nostalgia." So basically anyone but Romney.
Here is the article I found on MSNBC about the news.
I will be back to report more on this.

UPDATE:
From migop.org-
8/17/2007
Early Presidential Primary Gives Michigan Pivotal Role

Voters will hear from candidates - from both parties - on issues important to Michigan
LANSING - Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saulius "Saul" Anuzis today said the decision by state Democratic leaders to hold a presidential primary -- with the concensus being Jan. 15 -- gives Republican and Democrat voters more influence in determining the respective parties' nominees for the White House.
Comments from Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saulius "Saul" Anuzis:
"Republicans have said all along that holding a presidential primary on February 5th or earlier is in the best interest of the state of Michigan. It ensures maximum participation by Republican activists and supporters. Although going on January 15th is not our first choice, we will join with the Democrats and hold our primary on the same day. This puts Michigan front and center in the presidential battle ground."
The Michigan Senate could act on legislation, as early as next week, to set a date for a joint presidential primary.
Still gonna find ya some more info.