Some food for thought on the S.C. GOP primary move: Florida’s primary is scheduled for Jan. 29, the same day the DNC has scheduled the South Carolina Democratic primary. The DNC has threatened all states in an attempt to keep its schedule intact. States that move their primary dates are to lose delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Florida ignored the threat. South Carolina’s Democratic Party so far has been cowed by it. Here’s how that helps the GOP.
Unless the S.C. Democrats change their primary date, Democratic candidates will have to compete in South Carolina and Florida in primaries that occur on the same day. But Republicans do not. Their S.C. primary is now set for Jan. 19. So the Democratic candidates will have to raise a lot more money in a shorter time span, and they will have to choose to campaign on primary day in South Carolina or Florida, or split the day between the states, losing valuable campaign time in flight.
Republicans will be able to concentrate on winning South Carolina, a smaller media market requiring less money, then they will have 10 days to campaign in Florida, and the exposure some of them will get from the S.C. primary will reduce their advertising costs in Florida. Advantage: GOP.