The Primary Calendar Begins To Fill Out, Finally

Though New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner hasn't set his date yet and flux seems to be the state of the primary calendar, there is, among the leading Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, remarkable unanimity about its most likely shape.

The Iowa Caucuses will move to Saturday, January 5.

Gardner will schedule New Hampshire's primary for Tuesday the 8th.

The Democratic National Committee will permit Nevada to move its caucuses to the 12th; the Republicans will probably follow suit.

Michigan Republicans will vote in a primary on Jan. 15; Democrats will vote in a non-delegate beauty contest. (Michigan will lose half its allotted GOP delegates).

South Carolina's Democrats will, with the DNC's permission, move their primary to Jan. 19 to coincide with the Republican primary that day.

And then Florida Republicans will vote on Jan. 29; the Democrats will participate in another non-delegate beauty contest. (Florida will lose half its allotted GOP delegates, triggering a rules change to winner-takes-all, which will benefit, obviously, the winner).

To sum:

Jan. 5:   Iowa caucuses (both parties)

Jan. 8:   New Hampshire primary (both parties)

Jan. 12:  Nevada caucuses (both parties)

Jan. 15  Michigan GOP primary; Dem beauty contest

Jan. 19:  South Carolina primary (both parties)

Jan. 29:  Florida GOP primary; Dem beauty contest