California has gone and done it - moved their 2008 presidential primary to Feb. 5, "setting the stage for a potentially decisive one-day, mega-primary across the country," says the AP. Previously, California held its presidential primary in June. What does this mean for candidates?
Political experts aren't exactly sure...
"Such a jam-packed early schedule presents a monumental challenge to candidates in a presidential contest that is already moving at warp speed," says the AP. But while it increases the prominence of California earlier in the nominating process, it may also, paradoxically, make the earliest primaries and caucuses in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina even more important.
Many strategists in both political parties believe it also increases the significance of early successes in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina - all of which will hold contests before Feb. 5.
"To go to California, you are going to need a huge head of steam," said Democratic political consultant Jenny Backus. "California moving up actually makes more attention go on the first lap. Even if you have all the money in the world, it will be hard to catch up to somebody who has racked up some victories in the first states."
Republican consultant Rich Galen said California's impact now will be huge - and multiplied by all the other big states considering moving their primaries to Feb. 5.
"It means the living room and luncheonette phase of the campaign will be very short because campaigns need to conserve cash to buy TV time," Galen said. "You've got to have enough money to be legitimate."
California's move raises the pressure to raise big bucks early - that helps Mitt Romney, who has shown the ability to bring in the money - but it also benefits candidates with high name- and face-recognition, which would seem to help celebrity candidate Rudy Giuliani, for example, and perhaps Fred Thompson if he decides to run.
It may also force some of the lesser-known, lesser-funded candidates, such as Mike Huckabee, Sam Brownback, Jim Gilmore, Duncan Hunter and the rest of the GOP field, to pursue a more "regionalized" strategy, trying to pick among the Feb. 5 primary states those states where they have the money to compete and a decent chance of victory.
'Pressure will be on campaigns to figure out, OK, where do they play on Feb. 5 and where they are going to target, what are their strengths, what are their weaknesses, what do they need to do to come up with a strategy?' said Bill Carrick, a California Democratic consultant and a veteran of presidential contests.
One interesting fact about California: It is not a winner-take-all primary on the Republican side. A candidate can lose statewide but still win some delegates by winning in congressional districts.
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