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Proposal For 2012 GOP Primary Puts Big States Last

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By WILLIAM MARCH

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 5, 2008

TAMPA - Even as Florida Democrats struggle over the results of the state's early presidential primary, Florida Republicans may be fighting for the right to vote early again in 2012.

This week, a key national Republican Party committee gave preliminary approval to a 2012 primary schedule that puts big states including Florida at the back of the pack, with later primaries.

The committee's approval of what's called the "Ohio plan" for primary dates is tentative, only the first step in a long process. Changes and amendments are likely, party officials say.

Meanwhile, it may be years before the Florida Legislature sets a date for the state's 2012 primary.

But Florida GOP legislative leaders have given no indication of wanting to back off from Florida's early date, which this year was Jan. 29. So a conflict could arise if the national party sticks with the Ohio plan.

Gov. Charlie Crist and state House Speaker Marco Rubio have declared themselves happy with Florida's early date.

State Sen. Mike Haridopolos, who is likely to be Senate president at the time the Legislature sets the 2012 date, said unless circumstances change, he is likely to favor an early primary.

State Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer, attending a meeting of RNC members in New Mexico where the vote on the plan was taken, said Friday that he is pushing an amendment to the plan that would allow the party to make last-minute changes to the schedule.

It would establish a commission that could change the schedule or lift any penalties imposed on a state that violates the schedule, he said.

That could allow Florida Republicans to do just what they did this year - set an early date that violates the schedule, but not worry about the penalties.

This year's Jan. 29 date violated the national Republican Party's schedule just as it did the Democratic schedule, but the GOP imposed lighter penalties.

Greer said his amendment could also prevent the 2012 GOP primary from becoming mired in the kind of fight over national convention delegations that's now afflicting the Democratic primary.

The national Democratic Party is refusing to seat a Florida convention delegation because the primary, set by the GOP-controlled Legislature, was held too early.

In the future, he said, Democratic-controlled legislatures in other states could do the same to Republicans by moving dates to create conflicts with the Republican schedule.

"It's my belief that what has occurred in 2008 will be considered in the future as a political strategy to beat the other party," he said.

Greer said he will oppose any scheduling plan that doesn't include his proposed commission.

In New Mexico, the 56-member GOP Rules Committee, consisting of one representative from each of the states and territories, voted 28-12 for the Ohio plan.

It creates three tiers of states: the four traditionally early states, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, which would hold the first primaries; then small states; then in March, large states.

Large-state representatives, who have no more clout on the Rules Committee than small state representatives, are already objecting.

The full Republican National Committee, in which large and small states also have equal weight, will vote on the plan in August.

But the final decision must be made by the full delegation to the Republican National Convention, in which larger states have more votes.

Reporter William March can be reached at (813) 259-7761 or wmarch@tampatrib.com.

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