Joe Biden and his team are attempting to alter the Democratic primary schedule for the 2024 elections, with the intention of having South Carolina vote first. This move is seen as an attempt to repay the state for saving Biden’s candidacy in the 2020 elections. However, leaders in other early primary states, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, including Democrats, are rejecting this plan.
The proposed plan aims to increase diversity in the early primaries by giving South Carolina priority over New Hampshire and Iowa. While Democrats in South Carolina have expressed support for this idea, bipartisan hesitation in Iowa and New Hampshire has complicated its implementation for the 2024 elections.
Over 20 Democrat leaders in New Hampshire have urged Biden to reconsider his plan, warning that it could negatively impact their party’s performance in 2024. This is because New Hampshire would lose its status as the first primary state if the plan were to be implemented. Additionally, Republican Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire has pledged to block any potential plan to move the state’s primary.
Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, has also taken action by setting the state’s primary for March 12, directly contradicting Biden’s call to move it to February.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Iowa have been working to undermine the President’s plan to delay their caucus. These rejections of Biden’s plan have come from both Republican and Democratic state leaders, highlighting the bipartisan resistance.
Even Nevada Republicans are opposed to changing the primary calendar, while New Hampshire’s state law mandates that it must be the first primary state. If changes were to occur, Michigan might even have to cut their state legislative session short to accommodate the early primary schedule.
Some speculate that this plan is being driven by South Carolina Representative Clyburn, the third-ranking Democrat in the House. Clyburn initially supported Biden because of his promise to nominate a black woman to the Supreme Court. It is believed that Clyburn’s influence within the party is behind this move.
While Biden and his team have claimed that the motive behind this plan is to promote diversity, many see it as a purely political move. The rejection of the plan by leaders from both major parties indicates that there are concerns beyond the stated goal of enhancing diversity in the early primaries.
In conclusion, Biden’s attempt to change the Democratic primary schedule for 2024 is facing significant pushback from both Republican and Democratic leaders in early primary states. Although the President and his team argue that the plan is motivated by a desire to increase diversity, skeptics believe that it is purely a political maneuver. As the debate continues, the ultimate fate of this proposed schedule change remains uncertain.
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