Thursday, December 1, 2022

Biden Calls for Calendar Shake Up Ahead of Rules and Bylaws Committee Meeting

President Biden released a letter to the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee (see below) on the eve of the panel's meeting to consider and finalize the pre-window lineup of states on the 2024 presidential primary calendar

The committee and the full DNC had previously adopted all other rules for the 2024 cycle and had punted on making any decisions on the calendar until after the 2022 midterm elections. It had also awaited input from the White House; input the DNCRBC now has. 

Much of the president's guidance mirrors principles the committee has already been working under: diversifying -- geography, race/ethnicity and economic -- the early states to better match the Democratic Party electorate, eliminating caucuses, and representing urban, suburban and rural interests. The president also indicated a preference for the early states to be reexamined every cycle. 


Subsequent reporting was more specific about not only the states the Biden team highlighted to be granted waivers by the DNCRBC to appear in the pre-window, but also in what order they are to go. 
South Carolina
Nevada/New Hampshire
Georgia
Michigan
FHQ had some quick reactions here:
Some have already argued that this is a move intended to ward off a serious primary challenge. But the president and his team have already seemingly done a good job of that. Most would-be candidates on the Democratic bench had already deferred to the president before this move. As such, this proposal seems aimed more at legacy building by the president and those around him; an attempt at dealing with a seemingly intractable "problem" that has been ever-present in nomination politics for the better part of the last half century. 


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