Liberal Talk Radio

Bob Graham has a nifty idea for revamping the presidential primaries:

A series of five regional primaries, spaced three weeks apart and rotated every four years, would give voters from Miami to Maui to Manchester opportunities to be first in the nation. Candidates could spend more time with citizens of neighboring states and less time on coast-to-coast flights. Because the primaries would be stretched out over three months rather than three weeks, reporters and other political scorekeepers could not rush to declare a national winner.

Why is it nifty? Well, for one it’s pretty much the same idea I floated back in May, of course! Plus, a bonus environmental angle:

One option would be to do the primaries by region. This would allow candidates with strengths in different parts of the country to solidify their base and give them at least a shot at a brokered convention. It would also have the advantage of keeping the candidates in one part of the country at a time. It’s got to be hell on the environment for Clinton, Obama, Giuliani, McCain and the rest jetting between California, New Hampshire, and Iowa every day in their official campaign Boeing 757.

As an extra bonus, having regional primaries each year adds an extra level of gamesmanship. For example, if the South went first in 2008, maybe BIden and Dodd sit it out and wait for the Northeast to go first.