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Subscribe to RSSCONCORD, N.H. -- After much political wrangling and calendar jockeying, the last piece of the presidential primary puzzle was finally put into place. The New Hampshire primary has been set for Jan. 10, one week after the Iowa caucuses, according to Secretary of State Bill Gardner.
"I was sort of on the edge of a cliff," Gardner said. "I was hoping if I had to move there would be a puddle of water to jump into."
The Jan. 10 date was widely expected. The way was cleared for New Hampshire to set its date after Nevada moved back to Feb. 4. Gardner had threatened to move the New Hampshire primary to as early as December of this year. Today, Gardner claimed his counterparts in Iowa and South Carolina were prepared to appear in New Hampshire to "stand in solidarity" with the Granite State, before Nevada pushed its date back.
"I want to point out, our friends in Iowa and South Carolina, particularly the state Republican chairs there," Gardner said, "they were very helpful at the critical time during the last month and ... demonstrating the solidarity of the early states. Both were willing to come here to demonstrate solidarity, if necessary."
According to state law, Gardner -- who has unilateral authority to set the date -- must schedule the primary at least seven days before any "similar event." But in 1996 and 2000, New Hampshire went just four days before Delaware. Many have argued Nevada was not a similar contest, because it is a caucus.
But shrugging off the controversy surrounding the date, Gardner said this wasn't even the most difficult decision he's had to make in setting the date, since he's been doing so since 1976.
"In my opinion, the most difficult was 1984," he said, adding, "We've been closer, if you consider the cliff being going the year before."
"I thought after the next cycle we wouldn't have to face this a again and I'm hopeful in the next cycle we won't have to face this again, but there is no simple answer."
Gardner also praised pressure brought on Nevada by the Republican National Committee.
"What they demonstrated, they were willing to do," he said, "help in that process. It was a good thing."
And, of course, he stressed the importance of the Granite State's primary.
"No one has finished below second and become president since we've started listing the candidates," Gardner said.
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I'm all 'tingly' at this news! lol
Will Slick Rick sober up by then?
Imagine him & Boehner the Moaner playing drinking games..?
Talk about a couple of sloppy drunks! ;o)
Jo Ling, Dominico - come on guys here's your chance.
Go out there and do a story on Corzine and how he embarrassed the government regulators and made a mockeryof Frank-Dodd.
Corzine leverages BILLIONS in bad debt and the regulators are nowhere. Why I bet there will be calls for....more regulation. But of course.
Seems the regulators only found out about MP Global last week. Funny thing is the Wall Street Journal was tracking Corzine's adventures in PIIG debt for two months.
Come one Dominco, Jo Ling - scoop them all. After all we know the regulators we not regulating cause Corzine is a huge Obama supporter.
No? Rather deeply investigate the Cain accusers? Jo Ling on the trail of what Bachmann is going to have for lunch today?
Fantastic. Keep it light and easy.
Man, did he ever. And bet it all on Europe. Doesn't Jon read the papers?
Maybe in the big scoop on MF Global (that's the finance firm Corzine led), someone can talk about the $500,000 Jon raised for Obama and the Democrats. Maybe we can speculate like the media is doing with the Cain story, and say that's the cost of doing business to keep the federal regulators out of MF Global's business.
I'm certain there will be an investigation, probably by the New York Times, maybe in a year or so, when they have all the facts.
Goodness, so soon?
I'll need to buy a dress and dust off my dance card.
There's no bowl game that day, is there?
Because, the way things are currently going, I doubt that this primary will offer any suspense or excitement that could possibly compete with a bowl game.
Staggers the imagination Feisty!
"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly
Gardner later admitted borrowing the quote from Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, and Mitt Romney although Romney indicated that he was "saving it" preferring to use it just before the November 2012 election.
Oh Boy! Now I can relax now that that has been settled!
Let's skip to the General Election.......Obama's campaign will sound like.....VOTE FOR ME AGAIN and I will give you.....
More than $15 trillion debt
more s&p downgrade
NO budget
more lies like " There will be NO lobbyists in my White House"
open borders
more Solyndras
more military action without Congress' approval
higher taxes
and more bail outs.
Leona,
I'm all for skipping to the general election, but you morons need to settle on a sacrificial candidate first...
MkeMike,
Be careful what you wish for......right now Obama doesn't have to do anything but be the Campaigner-in-Chief , since he gave up "leading" a long time ago . He can continue giving "speeches" ( 806 speeches + or -) . He goes around the country demonizing those nasty Republicans . Obama's hoping we forget that he hasn't solved any of the nation's woes that he was ELECTED TO FIX.
"It is Bush's Fault! " LOL
We need to get our guy out in front and unify the party behind Mitt Romney - he can beat Obama !
Our political process is too long. And our politics has little to do with serious policy differences and more to do with entertainment. (Republicans were just not expecting the farce they got in this election cycle.) The primaries should not start until March 15. There should be no caucuses. Caucuses are just for political junkies. And there should be four or five regional primaries and that's it.
And during debates, candidates should be warned over and over that they are not answering questions, but rather stating their memorized script, so that time will be deducted. Our process is getting downright goofy. In Europe, the whole mess is over in four or five months.
Now that you mention the words "memorized script"...........do you think Mr. Obama has anything MEMORIZED from the 806 + or - speeches he's given ????
like...."millionaires and billionaires"
"on the backs of the poor"
"infrastructure"
"corporate jets"
"pay their fair share"
"WE CAN'T WAIT !"
Other important dates for GOP candidates.....Besides April 1, 2012 (April Fool's Day) which is too obvious...and January 13, 2012 (Blame Someone Else Day)
Rick Santorum--January 6, 2012 "Cuddle Up Day" and January 9, 2012- "Play God Day"
Newt Gingrich-November 30, 2011 --Tiffany's bill is due and January 26, 2012 "Spouse's Day" (lots of reasons for Newt to celebrate).
John Huntsman-Dec. 25, 2011 ---The day everyone in GOP realizes there's "another Mormon" in the race and March 8, 2012 "Be Nasty Day".
Mitt Romney- January 25, 2012 "Opposites Day" and March 25, 2012 "Waffle Day"
Herman Cain- March 2, 2012 "Employee Appreciation Day" and March 29, 2012 "Smoke and Mirrors Day"
Rick Perry- March 5, 2012 "Multiple Personality Day" and March 9, 2012 "Panic Day"
Michele Bachmann- January 3, 2012 "Fruitcake Toss Day" and February 27, 2012 "No Brainer Day"
Ron Paul- March 2, 2012 "Old Stuff Day" and March 15, 2012 "Everything You Think is Wrong Day"
http://www.holidayinsights.com/
Just stop the spending, end social security and medicare now! Come on GOP do your job!
THE GOP FIELD IS IN SHAMBLES.
Cain underlines the GOP field's complete lack of credibility. It's just wealth defending wealth with no conscience or mind toward governing the American nation.
It's more than sad. These are the end years of the American dream.
If we don't stand up and push back at the MEGA-corporations and the top 1%,...the middle class will become a thing of the past.
VOTE Barack Obama in 2012.
VOTE Barack Obama in 2012.
VOTE Barack Obama in 2012.
Anyone who can't see that Obama's inability to make more change is due to complete, unified and concerted GOP obstructionisn and propaganda is BLIND or asleep.
The GOP is the simply the party of "No" !! Their sole purpose is protect corporate profits for the 1%,...by keeping the 99% powerless and at arms length.
VOTE Barack Obama in 2012.
VOTE Barack Obama in 2012.
VOTE Barack Obama in 2012.
Come together in 2012.
The GOP has hit bottom and they have begun to dig.
What a lowly bunch of disingenuous gangsters,....just waiting to get middle America by the throat again.