Granderson: Politics will never be the same if Democrats replace Iowa caucuses with South Carolina (via latimesopinion)
so that South Carolina holds the first primary, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire, then Georgia and then Michigan. That lineup empowers a different demographic.
While liberals in Iowa and New Hampshire are probably disappointed to learn they will no longer kick off primary season, the truth is the process should begin where most of the Democrats are. That’s not to pooh-pooh the power of those two states. Since 1972 only three candidates secured the nomination without winning at least one of them — George McGovern, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden.
Elevating South Carolina to first while adding Nevada to second not only increases minority participation in the early stages of the primary but also reshapes candidate talking points and ensures the issues Latino and Black voters care most about aren’t treated as garnish.This is also an opportunity for minority voters to have greater influence on how the media talks about candidates.
And of course there’s Biden himself, who many thought was done after disappointing showings in Iowa and New Hampshire. He not only went on to receive the most votes in American history, but also had one of history’s most successful midterms for a sitting president. His campaign was never “done.” It’s just that the pundits started opining about the favorite candidates before the “backbone of the Democratic Party” had a say.
Because of the schedule change, a different kind of candidate may emerge. Someone who must address issues such as immigration beyond the same old tired platitudes but also without alienating working-class white voters. When the first two states in the nominating season are more than 90% white, it’s easier to kick off a campaign without mentioning systemic racism. Now there ought to be no campaign without antiracism being part of a candidate’s platform.
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