Flint Journal: Keep Michigan's Jan 15th Primary

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Primary mission
Michigan should stay focused on Jan. 15 vote

THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Friday, November 09, 2007
By Journal Editorial Board

Michigan's Republican and Democratic lawmakers should stay the course on holding a Jan. 15 presidential primary, no matter the threats from national party leaders.

As of Thursday, the GOP was doing its part, but Democrats appear to be withering as a result of the hurdles they've encountered - and possibly because of other agendas interfering. If the Democrats renege on their earlier commitment for an early primary that challenges Iowa's and New Hampshire's traditional dominance in the presidential nominating process, Michigan residents and democracy will be the loser.

It's imperative, therefore, that lawmakers fix legislation establishing the primary so it passes legal muster. The GOP-controlled Senate ostensibly did this Thursday, approving a technical change in response to an Ingham County circuit judge ruling that a part of the law is unconstitutional, because it gives the two parties exclusive access to lists of primary voters.

But the change requires immediate effect to meet a Wednesday deadline for informing the Secretary of State whether the primary is a go. And not enough Democrats supported giving the law the needed two-thirds majority. Instead, they raised other election-law issues that appear to be nothing more than a cover for their foot-dragging.

Democrats who control the House appear similarly unenthused about keeping the primary. This probably results from four of the Democratic presidential contenders pulling their names from the Michigan ballot to comply with national party rules forbidding any state from having primary contests before Feb. 5, except for a privileged four. Michigan also could lose all of its national convention delegates, though many question whether the Democratic National Committee could make good on this threat.

A similar sanction has come from the GOP, with the Republican National Committee on Thursday saying it would take away half of Michigan's delegates to next year's national convention for scheduling a nominating contest before Feb. 5.

Yet the Michigan GOP, to its credit, is standing up to this pressure, with the Senate passing legislation to repair the primary law. The change also had provisions to keep all major candidates from both parties on the ballot, regardless of the candidates' wishes.

This would provide Michigan the primary it deserves - one that would make it relevant in the presidential selection process. It would strike a blow against a tradition that lets Iowa and New Hampshire lead off the presidential voting. Giving these states this disproportionate say in choosing the party standard-bearers is demonstrably unfair, something Democrats like U.S. Sen. Carl Levin have long wanted to change. Other states, notably Florida, are also fighting for this cause and risking party sanctions.

This is no time for Michigan's Democratic lawmakers to chicken out, or to give in to party interests that might want to keep a caucus system that involves a minuscule number of party activists, not the numbers that would be attracted to a primary.

With 2008 being the first time in generations without a sitting president or vice president on the ballot, interest is high among everyday Republicans and Democrats in a presidential primary. If one were held, there would be little crossing over by Democratic or Republican voters, and independents would want to participate, too.

Next year's election has other important elements as well, because a woman or a minority has a good chance at the White House. Michigan can play a big part in all of this if it keeps to its primary mission.