CNS for October 2, 2011 What happened to equal rights?

It’s unanimous!

Well, our readers have spoken- all two of them and it’s unanimous. Nobody defended our practice of selecting the best good news stories each week to highlight here at COC. With no equivocation they say, “Give me a rant!”

While we do aim to please here at COC, it is an open question who should be the recipient of that pleasure. We’ve never bought the notion that the customer is always right. Still with only two customers who care enough to actually vote, can we afford to piss them off? I’d take the question to the editorial board here but frankly between Bob’s weekend visitation and Justin’s kids, Saturday is just not a good day for decisions. If this week’s edition is going out, it’s up to me to stop dithering.  As they say, If it is to be, it’s up to me. So what’s it going to be? A good rant or more news. I say, lets have both.

Sometimes I just amaze myself.

Florida holds fast to January 31 primary date

The first story I turned up this week is about the Florida legislature deciding to move their presidential primary earlier. They want to hold it on January 31. Now you might say to yourself, “Self, what do I care when those sun crazed loons in Florida hold their primary?” And your reasonable self might answer. “You know, self, I don’t give a rat’s ass when those sun-crazed loons vote.” But that’s not the problem. The problem is that residents of four states get special treatment. Only four states get to hold their primary elections before March 6 and therefore decide the frontrunner. The rest get second class billing.  And we all get stuck with the losers those teacher’s pet states pick.  

“Who are those four?” you ask “and why are they special?” The four special status states are Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Voters in those states basically get to decide who gets selected as the Republican presidential candidate. I thought we were all equal here.

This year, Florida says that it wants to matter. So they are moving their primary election before March 6 so that Floridians can join the chosen few voters that matter. Now you have to agree that it would be hard to pick out four kinkier states than the four special states and if you wanted to add a fifth nut job state, Florida could certainly hold it’s own but that’s not really the point. When it comes to picking a presidential nominee, why should some states get more pull than others?

I’ve heard that it’s all about money. Apparently by putting the early campaigning in small states, the candidates can save money. Well, all I can say is that if we picked the four smallest states, none of them would be included. The four smallest states are Wyoming, Vermont, North Dakota and Alaska. There must be something else. Maybe the voters in those states are smarter, making them better qualified for picking the best candidates. Maybe that’s it. Just looking at the rates of high school graduation as a proxy for smart voters, we find that Iowa is number one in high school graduation but the other three states are at the bottom. That can’t be the reason either. Let’s face it, there is no good reason that these states deserve any special status in picking our president. And there is no reason why Florida shouldn’t have just as much say as South Carolina. And while we are thinking about it what about the Coots home states of California, Utah and Georgia.  (That’s a scary thought, isn’t it?)

Put me on record saying that I’ve had it with candidates picked by those four teacher’s pet states. As far as I’m concerned, those four states are responsible for the sorry state of our country and the pandering, mealy mouthed politicians that we somehow get stuck with. Whatever reason there might be for giving those states first dibs on selecting candidates, it is clear that it was a piss-poor idea and their record should disqualify them from future voting.

I don’t know why any states should get more pull but I do know that if there are any states that shouldn’t have it, those states are Nevada, Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Considering the political mess we are in, I’m inclined to say that they should be banned from voting altogether but for now, I’d settle for making them vote last. If you have to have any states voting first, then there shouldn’t be any favorites at all, just pick the early primary states out of a hat. And leave those four teacher’s pets out of the drawing altogether.  Maybe even banish them to Canada.  Let them learn to vote in French.