The Washington Times has a good story about why this calendar is still in flux. First Florida moves up. Now the South Carolina GOP is talking about moving up:
"We have the latitude as a party of setting our own primary dates and we are going to move our primary accordingly before January 29 to ensure that we are the first in the South," South Carolina Republican Chairman Katon Dawson told The Washington Times yesterday.
"I’m not worrying about angering anyone else. Remember, this is a state that started the Civil War. We are not worried about offending any other state. We’re going to pick a date and let the chips fall where they may," Mr. Dawson said.
So what day?
Their decision trumps Florida’s attempt to hold its primary much earlier than all but four other states and likely will force New Hampshire to hold its primary a week or two earlier than its tentatively set date of Jan. 22
What’s the catch? That’s the day of New Hampshire. And ….
New Hampshire’s primary law does now allow any other primary to be within a week of its first-in-the-nation primary, and South Carolina’s move likely will force the state to hold its primary much earlier, Mr. Dawson said.
So New Hampshire moves up a week to the same day as Iowa. And Iowa moves up…
