- Mar 25, 2007
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Obama and Edwards both removed themselves from the ballot at the request of Democrat party officials. Each state normally has its primary or caucus on a certain day, but this year because the election was so interesting (no incumbents could run), some states, such as Michigan, decided to change their election dates to be sooner. The Democrat party told candidates they couldn't campaign in those states, basically to punish those states for moving their election dates. So even the people who were on the ballot didn't campaign very actively there.
It's a little more complicated than that: In the very beginning of the primaries/caucuses, there are usually several people running, like six or seven. The very first state to have a caucus is Iowa, and whoever wins the Iowa caucus is usually thought to be likely to be able to win in other states too--it's a psychological thing. The first state to hold a primary is New Hampshire, so if a candidate manages to win both Iowa and New Hampshire, then they are very very likely to win other states too. Or if one candidate is #1 in Iowa and #2 in NH, and another candidate is #2 in Iowa and #1 in NH, then it will be a race mostly between those two. As the primary season goes on, by the time other states hold their primary elections in March, a lot of the candidates who were running in January will have dropped out of the race, on account of having lost in the first caucuses and primaries. So if you happen to live in those states who hold the later primaries, you don't get nearly as much choice as the folks in Iowa and NH.
Some states who had late primaries decided they were sick of never getting a decent choice, and moved their primary election dates earlier. For some reason, this enraged the Democrat party officials--don't ask me why, I am unclear on that point.
It's a little more complicated than that: In the very beginning of the primaries/caucuses, there are usually several people running, like six or seven. The very first state to have a caucus is Iowa, and whoever wins the Iowa caucus is usually thought to be likely to be able to win in other states too--it's a psychological thing. The first state to hold a primary is New Hampshire, so if a candidate manages to win both Iowa and New Hampshire, then they are very very likely to win other states too. Or if one candidate is #1 in Iowa and #2 in NH, and another candidate is #2 in Iowa and #1 in NH, then it will be a race mostly between those two. As the primary season goes on, by the time other states hold their primary elections in March, a lot of the candidates who were running in January will have dropped out of the race, on account of having lost in the first caucuses and primaries. So if you happen to live in those states who hold the later primaries, you don't get nearly as much choice as the folks in Iowa and NH.
Some states who had late primaries decided they were sick of never getting a decent choice, and moved their primary election dates earlier. For some reason, this enraged the Democrat party officials--don't ask me why, I am unclear on that point.
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