By Richard E Walrath

January 5, 2008 is the new date for the Wyoming Republican party conventions – just 10 days prior to the new proposed date for Michigan’s primary – January 15, 2008.

State law requires New Hampshire to hold their primary at least one week before any other primary and Iowa state law requires Iowa to be the first in the nation to have any type of voting so the states will be lining up behind Iowa, but in what order is yet to be determined.

The WSJ calls this leapfrogging, but it seems to me it’s more like backing up.

A national primary would be the obvious solution, but I think the party officials like to think they can maintain better control by not having a national primary. 

The way it is, not very many people vote in the primaries.  People in large numbers do strange things.  Every now and then, there is a surprise in who gets the Democratic nomination, but I can’t think of any surprises for the Republicans.

There’s something ironic here, or maybe it’s poetic justice.  Bush got into office with an election that dragged on into December 2000. 

It’s beginning to look like the 2008 election will be backed up into December 2007.