You can't blame them. There are hundreds of millions of dollars at stake for a state to be in on the first group of presidential primaries. This is largely because those are the most relevant contests and will feature the most candidates spending tons of money on everything from printing to ads, to hotel accommodations. So tradition runs smack up against the reality that states are desperate for the kind of boost that swarms of politicians, activists, reporters, and hangers on can give to the businesses. CNN: Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon told CNN on Tuesday that a state commission exploring potential primary dates is likely to choose January 31 to hold the nominating contest. If that happens, it would almost certainly force the traditional early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada to leapfrog Florida and move their primaries and caucuses into early- to mid-January. "We are expecting to meet on Friday from 11 to 12, and I expect that they will pick January 31...(Read Full Post)