South Carolina Pushes Up GOP Primary

WASHINGTON -- South Carolina Republicans pushed up their 2008 presidential primary to Jan. 19, an earlier-than-planned date that provokes a dramatic shift in the nominating calendar and could mean the first votes are cast in December 2007.

New Hampshire is sure to follow suit to protect its first-in-the-nation primary status, and Iowa, home to the leadoff caucuses, left little doubt it would do whatever necessary to ensure it kicks off the nominating process as it has for three decades.

"Iowa will go first, that is the bottom line," Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat, said Thursday in a statement, vowing to do "everything in my power."

South Carolina's move _ and the expected aftershocks in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early voting states _ is the latest chapter in the extraordinary movement in the presidential primary calendar for Republicans and Democrats as states such as California and New York jockey for more power in choosing the party nominees.

The ever-changing contest schedule _ and the earlier start to the balloting _ has created an enormous level of discomfort for national parties trying to impose discipline on the states as well as presidential campaigns trying to figure out strategies when voting could begin in just four months.

"Not only is this unprecedented, what's also unprecedented is the number of journalists who could spend Thanksgiving in Iowa and Christmas in New Hampshire," said Ken Mehlman, a former Republican National Committee chairman and President Bush's 2004 campaign manager.

As a deterrence, both national party committees insist they will penalize states that schedule nominating contests before Feb. 5 by withholding half of their delegates to the conventions next summer.

But that threat has largely been ignored. States assume that, as in past elections, whoever the party nominates will take over the national committees before the conventions and won't enforce the penalty.

Florida recently flouted the warnings and moved its primary for Republicans and Democrats to Jan. 29. That prompted the South Carolina GOP, which has fiercely protected its first-in-the-South primary tradition, to maneuver for a date earlier than its originally scheduled Feb. 2. The South Carolina Democratic Party said it would stick with Jan. 29, consistent with Democratic National Committee rules.

On Thursday, Katon Dawson, the state's GOP chairman, announced in Concord, N.H., that South Carolina Republicans would vote Jan. 19. He stood alongside New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, whom Dawson called an ally in protecting the traditional early role of both states _ and the retail politicking _ in the presidential nominating process.

"This date will help solidify a combined 83-year history of being first in the nation and first in the South," Dawson said. "In our two states, picking presidents is about so much more than 30-second ads and clever soundbites."

Given South Carolina's change, New Hampshire will be forced by state law to move its primary to at least Jan. 12. Should that occur, Iowa then would have to, according to its law, shift its leadoff caucuses, perhaps to as early as mid-December. Those states traditionally have held their Democratic and Republican contests on the same day.