Politico -"Democrats race to avoid a Biden embarrassment in New Hampshire

[womanofthehills]

“NASHUA, N.H. — Top Democrats are scrambling for ways to avoid a catastrophe in New Hampshire in which Joe Biden may not appear on the primary ballot, ceding the first unofficial contest of 2024 to a fringe candidate.

The bizarre predicament is one of the president’s own making, after he pushed for changes to the party’s presidential nominating calendar that stripped the Granite State of its first-in-the-nation primary. The move was designed to reward South Carolina, which catapulted Biden to the nomination in 2020.

But there’s a state law requiring New Hampshire’s contest be held a week before any others, and Republicans in charge of the governor’s office and state legislature are refusing to touch it. If they don’t, a primary may well be held without the sitting president putting his name on the ballot.
Now, national Democrats are searching for an off-ramp. With a June deadline looming for New Hampshire to make progress on changing its law or get kicked out of the official early voting lineup, Democratic National Committee members are privately considering giving the state more time.“




https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/18/biden-new-hampshire-ballot-democrats-00097537

[TheRealNorth]

1. I am confused by this....

Why would there be other Democratic candidates on the ballot, but not Joe Biden? You either have a Democratic Primary with all the qualifying candidates, or you don't. And if you don't, then your state's delegates shouldn't be allowed into the national convention.

[CentralMass]

2. Well for one thing it probably pissed off a lot Democrats in New Hampshire.

[TheRealNorth]

10. Shit, I am pissed that they ALWAYS go first....

Fucking rotate the states already.

[brooklynite]

4. Answer: Biden won't run in a "first in the nation Primary", but other candidates will.

Biden called for South Carolina to go first. New Hampshire WILL go first so it would be hypocritical to run there.

[bottomofthehill]

3. It's long and confusing but I will take a shot

The DNC has said South Carolina is the First Primary but they have no legal authority to make it so. The State of NH has a law on their books that says they will move their primary one week before any other primary to keep them first in the nation.

The DNC can and should sanction candidates who participate in NH

Biden’s team runs the DNC

Biden’s team would have to sanction Biden if he participates

If he does not participate, Robert the Idiot Kennedy probably wins NH and the President does not look good.

So the President does not really have any good choices.

[karynnj]

6. Maybe, a HUGE write in effort for Biden

Murkowski won the Alaska Senate seat that way.

Obviously, it would be better for the DNC to concede that given the NH law, the primary will be first. In reality, it takes nothing away from South Carolina, a state that NEVER votes for us in the general election, to be second. What we DON'T need is something like 2008, where there was a fight over when Michigan ran - leading to anger in a very close primary.

[W_HAMILTON]

12. I thought we had a similar situation in Michigan in 2008.

Here is more about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Michigan_Democratic_presidential_primary

Just take the same approach.

Let Biden and whoever wants to enter the New Hampshire primary and just sanction that state's delegates similar to how we did with Michigan in 2008.

This isn't nearly the problem it is made out to be, but at the same time, we should know how national media loves to push rightwing angles with any sort of news that can be skewed as hurtful to Democrats, so maybe that are wise to figure this out ahead of time. Even though in doing so, the national media still finds a way to skewer us -- as is to be expected.

[rogue emissary]

5. "first unofficial contest of 2024"

Keyword "unofficial."

[bottomofthehill]

7. Unofficial to the DNC very official to the people and the State of NH

It will be odd and ugly as the Republican side will be official and the delegates will count. NH is always close ish and 4 EC votes we can not lose. Moves like this make it possible.

[rogue emissary]

8. This is a primary. It has nothing to do with EC votes in a general election.

This happened in '08 and it was resolved.

[Midwestern Democrat]

9. 2008 involved states deliberately moving up their primary dates to leapfrog over other states.

NH has been the first in the nation primary for decades - they were letting their citizens make their choice for their party's presidential nominee when about 40 states weren't holding presidential primaries at all and were letting their state's party power brokers decide who to support for president in smoke filled rooms. New Hampshire isn't going to let this go.

[rogue emissary]

11. They were allowed that status by the party.

The party rightly decided they didn't deserve that status.

[CentralMass]

13. The resolution was a f.....g joke.