RNC May Consider Tighten Calendar Rules

Four Republican primary contests in the bag having produced three different winners may dampen talk of a radical GOP calendar re-alignment for 2012.

But Michigan’s outsized role so far indicates to some party leaders that its enforcement mechanisms might not work. The state was punished by the RNC for deciding to schedule its primary in January – half its delegates were taken away. Clearly, Michigan is still relevant. So is South Carolina.

The RNC’s rules committee meets today to consider, among other items, how the party will punish calendar violators in 2012.

One proposal would take away all delegates but two from a state.

Which proposal ultimately survives may depend on whether the members of the RNC rules committee are happy with the identity of their nominee… or the identity of the person they assume will be the nominee.

In April, when Republican state chairs meet, the party will consider three different proposals to change the calendar itself. (Those plans will be informally presented today.)

The Michigan plan, written by state chair Saul Anuzis, would see a series of six rotating regional primaries with states chosen by lottery. The two others, one offered by Texas and one by Ohio, would also group states into small bunches and rotate primaries among them.

In late August, the rules committee will submit its proposed schedule and enforcement plan to the full Republican National Committee, which will mark it up and amend it. And then the delegates to the Republican National Convention get to decide.

Although there was staff-level contact between the RNC and the DNC earlier this year, there has been no recent communication.

The RNC rules committee chair is long-time party veteran David Norcross, who said in a statement that “in the midst of the 2008 campaign, it’s the RNC’s role to ensure that not only are the Party’s current Rules enforced, but that we are reviewing this process in advance of the 2008 Republican National Convention.”

The chairman of the RNC, Mike Duncan, said: ““The Republican Party has always been a Party of rules. The RNC is moving forward with the process that our Party unanimously voted into place in 2004. This process will be reviewed and leading into the 2008 Republican National Convention, we will make a recommendation concerning the process for 2012.”