The American Spectator

The Spectacle Blog

The '08 presidential primaries could go by in a flash:

The [California] Senate passed a measure that would enable Democrats and Republicans to choose presidential nominees Feb. 5 instead of June 3. The bill is expected to be heard in the Assembly next week and to pass easily. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said he will sign it.

Lawmakers hope that an early California primary will force contenders to rethink a campaign strategy that traditionally focuses on face-to-face persuasion in New Hampshire and Iowa, which hold the country's first primaries or caucuses in January.

But at least four other big states are poised to hold early primaries as well, potentially eroding the greater role California hopes to play.

Legislation similar to California's is pending in Illinois, Texas, Florida and New Jersey. And politicians in New York and elsewhere are pondering early primaries.

Pennsylvania and Indiana have bills that would move their primaries to the first week of March.

At least eight states have tentatively scheduled primaries or caucuses for Feb. 5.

The front-loaded schedule seems likely to give the frontrunners nearly insurmountable momentum. By this time next year, we may pretty much know who the nominees are.

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Law