Texas GOP looking to move its primary earlier... for... Rick?

Will Texas move its primary earlier in the year? Is there something behind this designed to help Rick? I doubt it (link). Excerpt follows...

In an e-mail update to supporters Monday, new Republican Party of Texas Chairman Steve Munisteri made a brief mention of his desire to see Texas play a larger role in the 2012 presidential primaries.

Recapping a report that Republican National Committeeman Bill Crocker made to state party leaders, Munisteri wrote, “Bill also gave a report at my request, on his efforts to preserve Texas as a more important player in the upcoming presidential contest of 2012. Bill already eloquently presented a proposal to the RNC to allow Texas more flexibility in holding its presidential primary, but we narrowly lost at the last RNC meeting. Consequently, I’ve asked Bill to head an informal committee to look at Texas’ options at becoming a bigger player in 2012, including the feasibility and consequences of moving up the Texas primary and/or holding a straw poll.”

The effort to move up the primary, if it gains steam, will be something to watch once we get past the 2010 election in three weeks. An earlier Texas primary would have major implications on a national race.

While it is easy for peeps to jump on and pile on in the same way that the Fed Up book coming out next month makes peeps think Rick is running in 2012 as I wrote a blog about this morning (link).

The thing is that Bill Crocker has been saying he wants an earlier primary for years... years... hell maybe decades... and it has nothing to do with specific Texas candidates including Rick... it has more to do with Texas activists and political insiders wanting to have more say in presidential primaries in general... Texans rightfully believe we are the most important Republican state in the nation... we provide the most campaign money for Republican candidates... we are the biggest state... with a diverse population that increasingly resembles America as a whole... our Republican leadership just wants to take away the power from a few argyle sweater wearing pinheads in New Hampshire or plaid overall wearing farmers in Iowa... Texas Republicans believe it would help prevent RINO peeps like John McCain from being nominated... and yet keep crazy South Carolina which also has an early primary from speaking for the conservative southern wing of the party...

Other people just believe it would help energize the party at grassroots local level... with a big push from national candidates every few years. Imagine if these big national contenders came to Texas every few weeks not just to raise money from rich people and leave but to go to the bbq stands and the state fair and all the rest and work the state for votes... real votes... hitting a dozen or more media markets with bus tours and air wave blitzes... it would also be a huge boon to Texas political operatives and consultants... and it might separate the wheat from the chaff a lot earlier in terms of forcing out fringe long shot candidates who can't keep up with spending to win 25 media markets around Texas...

Texas Democrats no doubt saw a huge surge in November 2008 because Texas was a big primary-caucus state in early 2008... the ground game and the organization that was put into place for a competitive primary ended up helping Democrats in Texas. Republicans want that every few years... they want it to be "as goes Texas so goes the nation..."

If they pull it off... which is unlikely because they have been talking about doing this for decades... if they pull it off... it could theoretically help Rick if he changes his mind and decides to run... then again it may not help that much because a lot of times voters resent it when their elected officials bolt and run for president instead of serving in the position they were chosen for... I think Texans might forgive Rick if they see that he is their best shot at ending Obama's assault on our state... but I just still don't see Rick taking that plunge unless his peeps have the best poker faces in the world on this issue...