Moving Primary Dates Creates unexpected Reults

Urge to be gripping puts Texas in wrong hands
EDITORIAL BOARD -
Austin American-Statesman, 05/08/07

While a bill to move up Texas primaries to Feb. 5 reposes in a Senate committee, the Florida Legislature has approved moving its party primaries up to Jan. 29, escalating the race of states to move their primary election dates back. There is even talk in New Hampshire of a December primary.
The race to be first has taken on absurd proportions, and the Texas Legislature would be wise not to get caught up in the rush. Senators should recognize that an even earlier primary benefits just about everybody in politics except the voter. In short, the Texas version of the early primary bill serves voters best just where it is — bottled up in committee.
The argument for moving the primary dates back is that states with large populations yearn to be relevant in the presidential nomination derby. There may be something to that, but whatever merit that argument holds is overwhelmed by the reality that early primaries won't work to enhance voter education on the issues. What early primaries enhance are the fortunes of the front-runners whose status is determined by a relatively small stable of donors, pundits, pollsters and party insiders.
Early primaries will magnify the influence of big donors as well because the earlier the primaries, the more expensive the air time. A February primary means a December filing deadline. Candidates not only will have to compete for attention, they will find the competition expensive because of holiday advertising rates.
The real beneficiaries of an early primary are not voters but incumbents — they have established name recognition — other political insiders and the people who give to them.
The March primary date is soon enough — too soon really — but it sure beats moving the date back to strengthen the grip of incumbents and big political donors.