New Primary Dates

The RNC Summer meeting adopted proposed new significant rules that will change the way we select delegates in the 2012 RNC presidential convention.

The Republican primary season was effectively over when John McCain defeated Mitt Romney in Florida on January 29, 2008. Rudy Giuliani then endorsed McCain effectively ending the primary cycle.

 Members of the RNC are concerned as more states force earlier primaries we are facing a National Primary. A National Primary would concentrate the nomination process to major urban areas, campaigning would be only via national TV  and end the vetting candidates through state by state retail politics  would end.

 The rules change is a modest proposal. Three components are:

1. Prohibit states from having primaries before March.
2. Grant early carve outs to Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.
3. Penalties would include reducing delegate strength of early start state by a proportional reduction of delegates.

For more information see here.

Tampa In 2012

RNC unanimously voted to select Tampa as the convention site for 2012.

After considering bids from Phoenix and Salt Lake, Tampa, Florida offered the best terms to the RNC for its first ever Presidential Convention. Tampa includes St Petersburg and Clearwater in central west Florida. Republicans must carry Florida to beat Obama.

Tampa officials pledged to raise some $40 million from private sources to support the convention. The convention will begin August 27, 2012.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 9th, 2010 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.