GOP picks Jan. 19th

S.C. keeps 1st in South primary

S.C. keeps 1st in South primary

COLUMBIA — A move Thursday to ensure South Carolina Republicans are the first in the South to vote in the 2008 presidential primaries might have Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani competing with Santa Claus.

State Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson set the GOP primary for Jan. 19, potentially pushing Iowa and New Hampshire to schedule their voting dates into mid-December and early January, respectively.

"We wanted to retain the integrity of the process," said Dawson, who made his announcement at the Statehouse in Concord, N.H. "We're firmly committed to being the first in the South."

Dawson said Florida precipitated the move by scheduling its primary Jan. 29, jumping ahead of South Carolina's GOP primary that had been tentatively scheduled for Feb. 2. Democrats in South Carolina will still vote Jan. 29.

However, by law New Hampshire's primaries and Iowa's caucuses must be first in the nation.

"Florida has really thrown everything into turmoil," said Iowa State University political scientist Steffen Schmidt,who was vacationing in Charleston. "Everybody wants to be first but everybody can't be first."

Schmidt said the timing will present unique challenges to the presidential candidates in a wide-open race that's already unprecedented by its early nature. In this race, there will be little time for the candidates to catch their breath between the first two contests, other early states such as South Carolina and Super Tuesday on Feb. 5, Schmidt said. Voters in as many as 20 states will head to the polls that day.

"Everything is happening so fast," Schmidt said. "I think some of them are going to be dead ducks by the time they leave Iowa."

University of South Carolina political scientist Todd Shaw said he's worried about what the schedule will mean for voters.

"All the more pressure it puts upon the voter to make up his or her mind early," Shaw said. "Traditionally, they can wait until after Christmas to really congeal their conclusions. Now, they have to worry about the holiday season and who they are going to select as their nominee for president, in some cases."

The 2008 Iowa Caucus is scheduled to be held Jan. 14, but state law requires it be set at least eight days before any other contest.

"Iowa will go first, that is the bottom line," Iowa Gov. Chet Culver said in a statement. Iowa Republican and Democrat parties said they would wait to see what action New Hampshire takes before considering rescheduling their date.

New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary has been widely reported to be scheduled Jan. 22. But Secretary of State Bill Gardner told The Associated Press no date's been set and that he has no plans to do so anytime soon. The state is required by law to hold its primaries a week before any other.

South Carolina Republicans could face sanctions by the Republican National Committee. According to the committee's rules, the states have a window between Feb. 5 and July 28 to individually schedule the caucuses and primaries. States that set the contests outside that window risk losing delegates at the convention.

Still, maintaining South Carolina's first-in-the-South GOP primary is wonderful news for the state, said Lin Bennett, chairwoman of the Charleston County Republican Party.

"That's our legacy," she said. "We've been so successful in picking the presidential nominees, and it's a really a good thing for South Carolina voters."

Reach Yvonne M. Wenger at ywenger@postandcourier.com or 803-799-9051.

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