Editorial: Does the presidential primary matter in Pennsylvania?
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The Super Tuesday dust still is settling.
On one day, 16 states and one territory had a caucus or primary — in Utah, both were held. People decided which candidates would receive the Democratic or Republican delegates toward the nomination of a presidential candidate. There had been similar contests in eight states, one territory and the District of Columbia already.
That means, as of the first full week of March, 24 states have had their say. Less than two months into the primary process, with three months to go and large electoral states such as Georgia, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio and, yes, Pennsylvania still to come, it’s all pretty much over.
With Nikki Haley’s suspension of her campaign Wednesday, Donald Trump is the last Republican standing. He has won every primary or caucus except Vermont and the District of Columbia. President Joe Biden is walking to the finish on the Democratic side, hampered only by “uncommitted” votes cast in protest of the administration’s handling of the conflict in Gaza and one loss to a relative unknown in American Samoa.
It is ridiculous that throw-away protest votes and straggling candidates holding on long after all the others dropped out have been part of the process at this point, but Pennsylvanians will not have their say in who become the nominees.
Yes, what happens in Pennsylvania will matter a great deal Nov. 5. It is likely the votes of Allegheny County will be counted over and over as they were in 2020 before a final decision is etched in stone. But, in a year in which poll after poll tells us people don’t like the matchup, it is demoralizing to be left out of this part of the process.
The swing states that have been major prizes in recent years have been Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Of that group, the Keystone State has the largest number of electoral votes by three. That means it takes Georgia plus Delaware to equal Pennsylvania.
How is it possible something so important in the end of the election matters so little in the beginning?
Pennsylvania voters would be served by state leaders and the state parties considering a change to the primary date — perhaps making Super Tuesday just a little bit bigger.