Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Jan. 3? Maybe.

Jan. 3? Maybe.

National folks seem to be zooming in on a Jan. 3 caucus date, bases on Saturday's state GOP conference call. But it ain't a done deal yet. Here's Marc Arbinder's take:
The committee authorized the party's executive director, Chuck Laudner, to lobby Democrats and urge them to accept the same date. If Laudner succeeds is getting the Democrats to agree, the two parties will announce the date together.

If, by Monday, October 15, Laudner fails, then he's authorized to announce the Jan. 3 date himself.

The Dems told Iowa Independenters me and Jay Wagner: "We are working with our Republican counterparts for a mutual caucus date."

From the right, Sporer says: "Any ultimate decision by RPI will be made only after consultation with IDP leadership. Our party desires to act as closely as politics permits with the IDP leadership in the interest of the state of Iowa." And Cyclone Conservatives joins me in saying "if the Iowa Caucuses are to survive, a united front by both parties in Iowa must exist. "

I know the space needs argument, and the "Iowans are nice and won't cheat fantasy." But it's not going to take massive problems to hurt us. All it is going to take is one person -- ONE person -- bragging to a reporter, "I caucused for Ron Paul on Thursday and Dennis Kucinich on Saturday" to get a headline Iowans Vote First And Twice. Am I pointing a finger at those camps? Sure, why not. They're outsider camps that care a whole lot less about process integrity and tradition than they do about stopping the damn war.

Prediction: Dems will cave and join GOP on the 3rd. The main camp in opposition and pushing for the 5th was Team Hillary, but that weekend Register poll showing her in first, and showing Edwards and Obama splitting the Anyone But Hillary vote right. down. the. middle. may have quelled their concerns.

Meanwhile, Ballot Access News is saying New Hampshire on the 8th.




Other stuff:

  • Vote today.

  • McCain in town tomorrow.

  • GOP debate in town December.

  • UI President Mason, much to her credit, refuses to endorse 21 bars:
    Mason said she has heard compelling and logical reasons from experts in health and wellness for supporting the measure in the hopes it would reduce binge drinking.

    But she also has heard resistance to the ordinance because students are adults, capable of making their own decisions.

    “We let 18 year olds vote and we send them to war to die for us and yet we won't let them have a beer,” she said. “It's tough for me to decide.”

    No On 21 seems to be winning the sign war. And speaking of sign war, a drive up 12th Avenue and over Holiday RoOoOoOoOoOd in Coralville shows a lot of Mitch Gross signs...
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