Tuesday, October 18, 2011
How the Campaign Season Got So Long - WSJ.com
We probably all wonder about the answer to this...
Larry J. Sabato recently provided some answers in the Wall Street Journal:
"What is novel, though, is the growing length of the overt public campaign for party nominations. For that we can largely thank Jimmy Carter.
Before 1976, extensive private preparations notwithstanding, candidates almost always waited until the actual calendar year of the election before announcing their candidacy. Mr. Carter changed that when he practically became a resident of Iowa, site of the country's first nominating contest, shortly after he left office as governor of Georgia in 1975. His successful strategy became the new norm, copied by candidates in both parties since."
