South Dakota, Other States Must Reconsider Dates of Presidential Primaries to Remain Relevant

When the South Dakota State Legislature returns to Pierre on March 26th for it's veto day, here's something useful they could do: resurrect the early Presidential Primary Bill.

The bill to move the primary from June to the last Tuesday in January passed the Senate but was defeated in the House during the regular run of the session.

Now that California has moved their primary from June to February and several populated states are doing the same thing, the Presidential candidates for both parties will likely be picked by March. Other states have also moved up their primaries, either in anticipation or in response. The primary calendar is still in flux.

South Dakota's already last in the nation primary will be even more irrelevant than it already is. This is not a partisan issue but a bi-partisan, citizen participation issue.

Last year, our legislators were willing to spend millions of dollars to defend an anti-abortion bill they knew was unconstitutional. How about spending several hundred thousand to not disenfranchise South Dakota Republican and Democratic voters?

Or think of it another way: think of it as lobbying money for South Dakota's interests.

Someone from each party who comes to South Dakota will eventually get the nomination. The other candidates will go back to being U.S. Senators and Congressmen. We get several months and opportunities to educate them about important South Dakota issues--things like agriculture, ethanol, Indian issues, rural economic development and telecommunications issues, and the like.

Otherwise, South Dakota remains fly-over state to these leaders. In 1988 and 1992 when South Dakota had the early primary, the winners all came here and they had to answer questions and talk to citizens about OUR ISSUES.

So, if you're a hopeless believer in democracy like me, bring back the primary because it is good government and good democracy.

If you're cynical, think of it as hiring a couple of good lobbyists for South Dakota's interests.

It's not too late for South Dakota's 2008 Presidential Primary to mean something. Right now, it means absolutely nothing.