Caucus idea aims to raise Nebraska's political profile
Omaha World - Herald (Nebraska)
January 17, 2007 Wednesday

Are you a Nebraskan who's tired of getting the silent treatment while presidential candidates bump into one another chatting with caucusgoers in neighboring Iowa?

If so, an Omaha lawmaker has an idea for you.

State Sen. Steve Lathrop wants Nebraska to host Iowa-style caucuses next year on Feb. 9 -- about four weeks after Iowa's first-in-the-nation precinct caucuses and 21/2 weeks after the New Hampshire primary.

The idea is for Nebraska to grab some of the presidential campaign spotlight before the state's May primary election, by which time the nation's two major political parties typically have chosen their nominees.

"It has the potential to bring candidates into Nebraska. It's certainly better than where we're at right now," said Lathrop, who introduced Legislative Bill 460 on Tuesday.

Lathrop has his work cut out for him. A similar bill failed to come up for a vote last year after making it through committee. And even if Nebraska embraced an earlier caucus system, there is no guarantee the state would get attention from candidates.

The proposed Nebraska caucuses would fall after Iowa, New Hampshire and Super Tuesday, when about 10 states are expected to hold their presidential primaries.

In recent elections, the Republican and Democratic nominees have emerged victorious by Super Tuesday, said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist.

"You never know for sure, but the odds are that one or both nominees will be effectively chosen by then," Sabato said.

In addition, Nebraska is not the only state likely to try to get into the early presidential action. Numerous states, including California and Florida, are talking about moving their primaries up to January or early February.

Caucuses are not primary elections, where presidential candidates score actual delegates.

It is doubtful that candidates would give much attention to caucuses in Nebraska when actual delegates would be at stake in primaries scheduled on or near the same date as Nebraska's contest, said Dennis Goldford, a political scientist at Drake University.

"Especially falling after Super Tuesday, there would be no reason to play in an exhibition game after the season has started," Goldford said.

Lathrop was undaunted. He said if Nebraska was part of a large pack of states to host primary or caucus votes in early February, candidates could be expected to stop in the state as they campaigned across the nation.

He also said anything would be better than what Nebraska currently has with a May primary.

"Right now, nobody is paying much attention to Nebraska. We are so far down the list," Lathrop said. "Anything we can do to increase our chances, so presidential candidates pay attention to Nebraska, we should do."