Democratic Group Endorses Plan for More Early Primaries

The New York Times reports:

An influential Democratic committee on Saturday endorsed the idea of adding as many as four state primaries and caucuses to the early presidential nominating season, now dominated by Iowa and New Hampshire.

The goal, they said, was to add more racial, ethnic, regional and economic diversity to the process of choosing a Democratic nominee.

Iowa, whose caucus marks the opening of the nominating season, and New Hampshire, which holds the first primary, have long been criticized as far too homogeneous and atypical to exercise such a powerful influence over the process.

Back-to-back victories in those states can set a candidate on a glide path to the nomination — as they did for Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts in 2004 — before the bigger and more diverse states weigh in.

The voice vote came before the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee. Only the representative from New Hampshire, which has long guarded its place in the calendar, voted against the plan, which was recommended by a party commission in December.

Under the plan, Iowa and New Hampshire would still hold their traditional places as the first caucus and primary. But up to two states would be allowed to hold caucuses after Iowa but before New Hampshire. And one or two other states would be allowed to hold primaries after New Hampshire, but before Feb. 5, the formal start of the season for the rest of the nation. Committee officials said they would seek applications from states interested in these slots.