Regional primary is good

Deseret Morning News editorial
Published: Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2006 9:49 a.m. MDT
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Good ideas often take awhile to catch on. Former Gov. Mike Leavitt pressed hard for a Western states' presidential primary in the 1990s, but the effort fell far short of success. Today, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., has taken up the charge in a more modest way.

Modesty is the key to understanding why such a primary is a good idea. No one in Utah should overestimate its importance. Utah still will be a bit player on the national stage. But no one should underestimate the value of a regional primary, either.

As it now stands, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico will combine to hold primaries on Feb. 5, 2008. This will come on the heels of primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

Such a primary would serve two purposes. It would force presidential candidates to begin at least considering issues that are unique to the West, such as those having to do with water, the disposal of hazardous wastes, the protection of wilderness areas and other environmental concerns. Secondly, it would allow voters in this part of the nation at least some say in the selection of candidates.

Skeptics say it would accomplish little because of the region's relatively sparse population, and because of geographic distances between major cities. Candidates aren't likely to visit every state in such a primary. They would pick and choose areas where they most likely would see success.

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But the trouble with arguments against a regional primary is that there is little logic at all in the way major parties in the United States choose their candidates. Who decided that New Hampshire or Iowa should be home to important, early primaries? Why should voters in those small states be allowed to winnow the field of candidates before anyone else gets a say?

No one should get carried away about this. Utah, Arizona and New Mexico will not combine to form a major political block in the primary process. The three states also have issues unique from each other, and those may well continue to be overlooked. But the three states eventually could entice other Western states to join in, forming a regional primary that at least forces certain issues onto the political landscape.

Absent a nationwide primary election, that is the best for which Utah could hope.

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