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The primary schedules have become such a mess this year that the average person has a very difficult time getting a handle on them. We know that there was a balagan last year when many states, including Florida, began jockeying to see if they could become the first state to hold a Presidential primary or caucus, thereupon supplanting New Hampshire and Iowa.

New Hampshire and Iowa upped the stakes by declaring that they would continue to move their own dates back, even if it meant holding them in 2007.

The Democratic Party put a stop to the revolt by threatening to strip rogue states of delegates if they moved primaries without party permission. In fact, both Michigan and Florida were stripped of all delegates at the national convention for moving their primaries to January 15 and January 29, respectively. The Iowa caucuses will take place tomorrow, and voting in the New Hampshire primary will be next week.

A lot of people in Florida are bitter about their treatment by the Democratic Party, but I’m on the side of the discipline threatened and enforced by the leaders of both parties. If the ugly process, partially started by Florida, had continued, we would have primaries a year and a half or maybe two years before the actual Presidential election every four years. Even now, it is ridiculous to have primaries in January a full 10 months before the actual election in November.

This means that the presumed Presidential candidate in each party will campaign for at least one year before the Presidential election the next year, if you count their campaigning before the first primary and caucuses.

And who will benefit? Mainly the mass media, especially television. Candidates will have to go to even more special interests and very rich individuals to gather money for a 12-month campaign. Already, television costs are staggering. According to the Boston Globe, Presidential candidates are expected to spend three billion dollars – yes, three billion dollars -- this year on television advertising alone, double the amount spent in the 2004 campaign.

Thank you, Florida, and our Florida legislators, for scheduling Florida’s primaries on January 29, thus giving a helping hand to the needy national networks and television stations in the state, and further befouling the entire election system in this country. There is something to be said for holding primaries first in a few small states where many potential candidates can afford to enter the race and be seen and judged by live human beings, without the benefit of the television signal. That’s still happening this year, despite the destructive and costly antics of Florida and Michigan.

This is Radio Ralph with a comment at mid-week for AM850.