# Democratic Party Presidential Primary Calendar -SC now first (edited title) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 9, 2019, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581 "2019-12-09T02:35:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2022, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/101 "2022-12-02T22:26:08Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > South Carolina was already the fourth state in the Democratic primary calendar; I don’t know that you can get “much earlier” than that. The issue is not connected to when the vote is held but to the campaigning that takes place for months - even years - before the vote. Republican candidates have already made significant trips to Iowa. Here’s [an article about that from July](https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/07/06/republican-2024-iowa-caucus-midterm-campaign/). Democrats will pour time, money, and attention into the earliest states. Issues important locally will be emphasized over national issues. (Listen to Republicans in Iowa and take a drink every time agriculture is emphasized. You won’t be able to drive for a week.) Urban states and minority states have a slate of issues that white, agricultural, rural states do not. A full year’s worth of focus on those issues will shape the election in ways that mealy-mouthed fealty to agriculture - which is both important and utterly ignored for most of the rest of the year - never leads to the imperative discussion about cities that Republicans always want to avoid. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/102 "2022-12-03T00:44:36Z")
> **[A Biden-backed shakeup of Democrats' presidential calendar is OK'd by a party...](https://www.npr.org/2022/12/01/1140193037/president-biden-calls-for-a-big-shakeup-in-democrats-presidential-nominating-cal)** > > South Carolina will be the first primary in the nation in 2024, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada, then Georgia and Michigan. > **[Democrats vote to move forward with Biden plan to put South Carolina first on...](https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/02/politics/dnc-south-carolina-primary-calendar-2024/index.html)** > > The rule-making arm of the Democratic National Committee on Friday voted to approve a proposal to drastically reshape the 2024 presidential nominating calendar and make South Carolina the first state to hold a primary, followed by Nevada and New... > **[Democrats adopt Biden’s new 2024 nomination plan](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/12/02/biden-2024-early-states-democrats-reaction/)** > > Party leaders in New Hampshire and Iowa may defy the new rules, while Republicans in Georgia have not yet signaled whether they will allow an earlier primary date. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/103 "2022-12-03T02:19:17Z")
Good on the DNC. Iowa shat the bed so badly last time that they don’t deserve first place anymore. IA and NH have too little minority population to keep going first- the nominee should be someone who can carry big states with diverse populations. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/104 "2022-12-03T02:58:10Z")
The national party doesn’t actually have a huge amount of leverage to make this happen. Iowa and New Hampshire combined account for less than 2% of delegates, and a lot of those delegates end up going to also-rans who flame out quickly after, so stripping them might not be a huge penalty. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/105 "2022-12-03T14:41:41Z")
Yeah, this is my take. The reason why candidates campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire isn’t because of the (paltry) number of delegates, it’s because having a strong showing in the first caucus/primary can get you a ton of early media exposure, increase your fundraising, etc. When (not if) Iowa and New Hampshire hold their respective contests early anyway, candidates who refuse to participate risk being seen as two-time losers before the first “official” primary has even happened. Obviously not insurmountable (ask Joe Biden), but a risk. I’ll also point out that while South Carolina may be more “diverse” than IA and NH, it’s not particularly “demographically representative.” Compared to the nation at large, it is more Black and less Hispanic and Asian. It’s also a state that no Democratic presidential candidate has a hope of carrying in the foreseeable future. If they were determined to promote an already early primary state, they should have gone with NV. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/106 "2022-12-03T17:45:40Z")
Then why did they choose South Carolina? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/107 "2022-12-03T17:58:57Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Then why did they choose South Carolina? > [@flurb](#): > > it is more Black and less Hispanic and Asian Political realists will agree. Notice that Nevada is second and it is more Hispanic and Asian than the general population. Georgia and Michigan have large and influential black populations and major urban centers. Those four states hit all the Democratic buttons. New Hampshire is just a sop, but it has been going Dem lately so why antagonize it too much? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/108 "2022-12-03T18:03:31Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The issue is not connected to when the vote is held but to the campaigning that takes place for months - even years - before the vote. Republican candidates have already made significant trips to Iowa. Here’s [an article about that from July](https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/07/06/republican-2024-iowa-caucus-midterm-campaign/). > > Democrats will pour time, money, and attention into the earliest states. Not if Biden is going for the Nomination, methinks. It will be more of a slam dunk like trumpski in 2020. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/109 "2022-12-03T18:10:06Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Then why did they choose South Carolina? You don’t remember what happened in 2020? > Former vice president [Joe Biden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden) and senator [Bernie Sanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders) were the only candidates to earn delegates. Biden won 48.7% of the popular vote and notably placed first in every county in the state; **it was his first ever win in a presidential primary**. > **[2020 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_South_Carolina_Democratic_presidential_primary)** > > The 2020 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary took place on February 29, 2020 and was the fourth nominating contest in the Democratic Party primaries for the 2020 presidential election. The South Carolina primary was an open primary and awarded 64 delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention, of which 54 were pledged delegates allocated on the basis of the results of the primary. Former vice president Joe Biden and senator Bernie Sanders were the only candidates to earn deleg... So it is mostly a case of Biden rewarding the state which turned his primary campaign around from losing to winning. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/110 "2022-12-03T19:27:36Z")
I did think of that, but I hoped it wasn’t something so political. I know, that sounds dumb given what we’re talking about here. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/111 "2022-12-03T20:40:50Z")
I’m probably too cynical. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/112 "2022-12-03T21:15:53Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Former vice president [Joe Biden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden) and senator [Bernie Sanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders) were the only candidates to earn delegates. Biden won 48.7% of the popular vote and notably placed first in every county in the state; **it was his first ever win in a presidential primary**. SC was the forth state in the line up, just before Super Tuesday. The other three minor state primaries were small potatoes. Not to mention Biden did get the most delegates from the first primary in Idaho, with Pete #2. Biden then crushed Super Tuesday. Biden wasn’t expected to do well in the first three states. Idaho is deeply RED, so why reward it? ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2022, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/113 "2022-12-04T03:19:35Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > I’m probably too cynical. Noooope. Iowa and New Hampshire have a track record of supporting insurgent challengers to the “establishment” Presidential candidate. While I don’t believe any incumbent President has lost either, having the first primary in SC all but guarantees Biden a big margin of victory in the first primary state in 2024. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/114 "2022-12-05T16:04:39Z")
Well, my personal cynicism is that it’s a kickback to Jim Clyburn, who is a perfect example of everything wrong with Democrats House leadership. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/115 "2022-12-05T16:39:05Z")
Yeah, Clyburn was the first person I thought of, too. Joe Biden wouldn’t be President right now had it not been for his strong support at a crucial point in the 2020 Dem primaries. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/116 "2022-12-05T19:45:38Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Joe Biden wouldn’t be President right now had it not been for his strong support at a crucial point in the 2020 Dem primaries. I have great doubts. Biden was the front-runner in the polls going in. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/117 "2022-12-05T20:00:41Z")
I dunno. He’d taken several hits early on and seemed to be almost on the ropes when he pulled into S.C. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/118 "2022-12-05T20:02:15Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > . He’d taken several hits early on and seemed to be almost on the ropes when he pulled into S.C. No one expected him to do much in the first three states. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/119 "2022-12-05T20:18:07Z")
I don’t remember it that way. As I recall, some thought the Biden Machine would be a juggernaut all the way through the primaries. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581/120 "2022-12-05T23:06:58Z")
You appear to have confused Iowa with Idaho. Also, Sanders (not Biden) and Buttigieg tied for the delegate lead in Iowa. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-presidential-primary-calendar-sc-now-first-edited-title/844581.md?page=7)