January Kickoff for Presidential Race Looming

Iowa and New Hampshire are again making scheduling moves to remain first in the nation in presidential voting, The New York Times political blog, The Caucus, reports. The maneuvering could mean the Iowa caucus happens in January 2012 -- despite an informal agreement among both political parties to hold off on contests until February.

Among reporters and campaign managers, “the whole idea of an early start to the voting brings back bad memories of a holiday season ruined,” the Times’ Michael D. Shear writes, noting the 2008 campaign kicked off with a Jan. 3 Iowa caucus and a Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary.

“It’s also not seen as a positive development among voters, who regularly complain that the campaign stretches on for too long,” Shear writes.

Even so, the positioning for early advantage seems to have developed a momentum of its own, with states disregarding the parties’ pleas to wait until February.