Georgia’s presidential primary

From the AJC's Political Insider:

Within the next 26 days, states must let the Republican National Committee know the dates of their 2012 presidential primaries and caucuses.

We know the handpicked first states: Iowa on Feb. 6, followed by New Hampshire, Nevada, then South Carolina on Feb. 28. Other states would be allowed to follow no sooner than March 6, the date for a Super Tuesday vote by several states — Georgia not among them.

But several states are threatening to crash the RNC’s well-laid plans — Arizona, Florida and Michigan. “It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if you saw Arizona and Florida go in between [Feb. 28] and [March 6],” Secretary of State Brian Kemp said. “They would be jockeying to be the fifth state.”

Kemp is tempted to join them. This spring, the Legislature gave him the power to set the date of Georgia’s presidential primary in order to make Georgia more important in the selection process. The U.S. Justice Department gave final approval to the measure last week.

But revolution carries a price. Kemp says he’s seen no indication of RNC willingness to relent on its promise of severe punishment for rebel Februaryists. The bludgeon would be callous treatment at the national convention in Tampa . . . .

“They’re going to cut delegations in half. They’re not getting guest passes. They’re going to be in smaller hotels. From Georgia’s perspective, you’re looking at taking 400 people, vs. about 70,” Kemp said. Wives, husbands and special friends would have to stay home.

For many political activists, whether Republican or Democratic, attending a national convention is an important item on the bucket list.

“Or do we say, ‘Forget all that, we want to be relevant in the process?’ ” Kemp mused. “Right now, in theory, you potentially could have just South Carolina deciding the South.”

The Georgia secretary of state’s dilemma is the three-tiered system designed by the RNC. The privileged four states have February to themselves. March is given over to states that dole out delegates proportionately.

Winner-take-all states — and Georgia is one of these — must hold their primaries in April or later. Georgia could move up in the calendar by changing its rules. But awarding delegates by proportion — to competing sets of Georgia Republicans — is the stuff that convention floor fights are made of.

Democrats must follow the same calendar — and have their own rules to prevent stampedes to the front of the calendar. “I want to try to be fair to both parties,” Kemp said.