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| Perhaps 25 states will make selections in an 11-day span. |
Just 6 months from now, the 2016 Presidential nomination process will reach fever pitch.
It all starts Friday, Feb. 26th, with a hastily reshuffled presidential debate coming from a Texas venue. The next day, South Carolina looks to hold a Saturday primary.
Then North Carolina will join Oklahoma, Texas, and the massive list of Super Tuesday (March 1st) states for a series of primaries and caucus events. Anywhere between 10 and 17 states are projected to hold selections in the first week of March.
Some more states will complete their selections over the weekend and on March 8th. In all, about 25 states will make selections within a span of perhaps 11 days.
Some more states will complete their selections over the weekend and on March 8th. In all, about 25 states will make selections within a span of perhaps 11 days.
South Carolina Republicans are considering moving up their Republican primary by a week. That would likely result in North Carolina "going rogue" and moving their statewide primary up to Feb 23rd and facing stiff RNC penalties (They are not one of the 4 'carve out' states authorized to hold selection events prior to March 1st.).
How did Oklahoma Get Here?
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| Van Risseghem, testifying to protect Super Tuesday. |
"I've never met an Iowan who complained that their state had too much influence in the presidential selection process."
David Van Risseghem, in House Committee testimony |
Oklahoma politicos are especially thankful that the state legislature rejected former chairman David Weston's push to bury the Oklahoma primary back to April 5th. Rep. David Dank spent his last days fighting to keep Oklahoma relevant by protecting our March 1st Super Tuesday tradition. Former Senator, Randy Brogdon returned to the capitol last March, just to participate in the committee debate which killed the bill. Sooner Politics editor, David Van Risseghem helped lead a grassroots effort, citing his leadership of the 2012 Santorum Oklahoma campaign. Tulsa 912 director, Ronda Vuillemont-Smith organized a letter-writing campaign which convinced several legislators to press for protecting Super Tuesday, in Oklahoma.
Oddly, Oklahoma's 1988 move to a primary state was a Democrat design. Prior to '88, the Sooner State used the caucus system to select our delegates to the national conventions. But southern Democrat legislators got together and devised a plan aimed at helping a conservative Democrat candidate's chances at winning the DNC nomination. Al Gore was the first to test this strategy. He failed in '88. But in '92, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton was successful and he did carry the south in the '92 Super Tuesday.
Oddly, Oklahoma's 1988 move to a primary state was a Democrat design. Prior to '88, the Sooner State used the caucus system to select our delegates to the national conventions. But southern Democrat legislators got together and devised a plan aimed at helping a conservative Democrat candidate's chances at winning the DNC nomination. Al Gore was the first to test this strategy. He failed in '88. But in '92, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton was successful and he did carry the south in the '92 Super Tuesday.
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| David Van Risseghem |
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