Unraveling of presidential primary dates, continued

Labor markets aren't the only things that unravel: the competition to be influential in selecting presidential candidates continues to do so: Iowa Republicans Eye Jan. 3 for Caucuses

"DES MOINES – Iowa Republicans are tentatively eyeing Jan. 3 as the date for the state’s caucuses, the first stop in the party’s battle to select a nominee to challenge President Obama.

The date is the consensus of party officials, who are frantically working to keep the first votes of the 2012 campaign from creeping into December. But the date is not locked down and could change depending on when the New Hampshire primary is held.

“I think for the long-term stability of maintaining our role as the first-in-the-nation caucus state, it’s important for us to start this process in 2012,” Matt Strawn, chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, told reporters here Friday. “Actually for the voters, for the candidates and for the entire process, we all would be best served by starting this in January.”

"The Republican primary calendar has fallen into disorder. A plan to start the balloting in February has fallen apart, with Florida and other states rushing to move up the dates of their primary contests. The biggest remaining question is when the New Hampshire secretary of state, William M. Gardner, intends to schedule the contest there.

"He has not ruled out a December primary, given the leapfrogging by other states. If that were to take place – a possibility that most party officials still believe is unlikely – the Iowa caucuses could also be adjusted."
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I'll be talking about unraveling and exploding offers in class on Friday, so expect a lot of unraveling posts this week (if I were cleverer, I would have posted them last week...)