RNC Rules Committee passes major overhaul of primary calendar for 2012

[Mr. Morden]

No idea what's going to happen with this.  Unless several dozen state parties and state legislatures go along with this, is this ever going to work?:

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/04/rnc_rules_committee_passes_ohi_1.php

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scanned first page of the "Ohio Plan":

[Mr. Morden]

More on this here:

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/04/republicans_take_step_to_chang.php

There are still a lot of hoops this would have to jump through before it becomes binding.  Another idea being floated by the RNC is to keep everything the same, but shift the cutoff date for losing half your delegates from the first week of Feb. to the first week of March.  That is, right now, states lose 50% of their delegates if they vote before the first week of Feb.  This could be changed to the first week of March.

[Mr. Morden]

The Ohio plan is being pushed by conservatives who want more power for smaller states that are less likely to vote for someone like Giuliani:

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/08/post_6.php

Also:

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[Mr. Morden]

Ambinder says that on final approval, the Ohio plan went down in flames, by a vote of 39-12:

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/08/rnc_rules_committee_endorses_c.php

If I'm understanding him correctly, the plan that *was* approved would let IA, NH, SC, and NV vote as early as January, but any other state that voted earlier than the first week of *March* (not February) would lose half their delegates.  Of course, several states (like NH, MI, SC, FL....) voted before the RNC approved window in 2008, accepted the 50% delegate penalty, and still played a big role in the primary process for the GOP (in fact, McCain's victories in NH, SC, and FL basically gave him the nomination).  So don't expect the 50% penalty to be much of a deterrent.

[Mr. Morden]

More:

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/rncs_calendar_could_be_chaotic.php

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