Waiver Granted, Missouri Democrats Will Proceed with February 7 Primary

There has been a revised version of the 2012 Missouri Democratic Party delegate selection plan (dated December 2011) circulating this week.¹ It shows the party abandoning the originally proposed, but never fully realized March 6 primary date for the February 7 date on which the state-funded presidential primary will be held according to state law. FHQ's efforts to confirm both this plan and the party's feelings on the likelihood of a waiver -- for an obviously non-compliant primary date -- were ignored by MDP. [Sadly, we've been at it since at least our post on a similar situation in Minnesota and still never spoke to anyone at MDP.]

However, what the state Democratic Party could not confirm was confirmed and then some today -- well, yesterday -- by the Democratic Rules and Bylaws Committee.² The RBC yesterday not only confirmed the date of the Missouri Democratic primary but also that a waiver had been applied for and granted for a primary date a month ahead of the earliest date for non-exempt states allowed by the national parties. FHQ won't rehash the whole Missouri primary date ordeal, but there was enough obstruction -- whether directly or through intra-party [Republican] division -- from the Republican-controlled General Assembly to prevent a move back a month to March in order to comply with the rules.  There was -- in the eyes of the RBC -- enough of an effort made by Democrats in the state to move the primary to trigger a waiver. Again, though, a waiver is much easier to get in a year in which the Democratic Party is the incumbent party in the White House and is not facing a competitive race for its nomination.

Regardless, Missouri Democrats will be utilizing the February 7 primary as a means of beginning its delegate selection process for 2012.

Hat tip to DemRulz (via The Green Papers) for the news.

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¹ Here is said delegate selection plan:
2012 Missouri Democratic Delegate Selection Plan

² The RBC also approved waivers for the four exempt states -- Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. The states' early positions were protected and none will face sanction for shifting ahead of the Florida primary scheduled for January 31.

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