Last time I checked, the New Hampshire presidential primary was not written into the U.S.Constitution.
For those interested in constitutional fundamentals, I would think they might question New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Bill Gardner’s insistence that his state will be the First Primary In the Nation — so help him God.
Yet Gardner muscles other states out of the way to preserve New Hampshire’s prime position in the presidential selection contest.
Now there is something to New Hampshire — although a virtually all white state with few minorities — saying that having a small state go first helps to vet candidates in person-to-person contact.
Great argument for New Hampshire — or Delaware or Montana or Idaho or some other sparsely populated states.
Now an admission.
I went to college in New Hampshire. Some of my best friends are from the state.
When I attended Dartmouth, I was able to see up close and person Nelson Rockefeller and Barry Goldwater campaigning for President (no, not Lincoln or Douglas, despite what my friends might say).
I enjoyed the experience.
But I don’t see why New Hampshire deserves a privileged place.
Sure, the entire nominating process is a mess. States jockey for position. At least in recent years, a coterie of four states — add Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina into the mix — are first.
Let’s hope that no candidates suffer frostbite.
The mixture of states provides geographic diversity, different size states, and there are even African Americans and Hispanics residents.
Just those four, except when a resentful state like Florida says I want in too.
Las Vegas Sun political reporter Jon Ralston decries the “miniature, Eastern monarchy” that is another name for New Hampshire.
And he is right, except that Nevada is being rolled by New Hampshire.
All in all, it is not a pretty sight. And not even written into the Constitution. Or did I already say that.
And to followers of the nominating process, particularly reporters and consultants, welcome to the snows of New Hampshire and Iowa.
Let’s hope that none of them suffer frost bite.
