Terry McAuliffe, his position as Democratic National Chairman a little more secure now that Governor Dean is out of the way, threatened the state of New Hampshire yesterday. He said that New Hampshire's status as the traditional first-in-the-nation primary state depended on how it voted in November. Of course for the Democrats the first primary state franchise is also a racial issue.

Michigan's Senator Carl Levin and Pennsylvania's Governor Ed Rendell played the race card when they noted that their states were more diverse than New Hampshire so their states deserved the first-in-the-nation primary state designation. It looks to me like New Hampshire is going to be out of luck in 2008 because McAuliffe has probably made a backroom deal with Michigan or Pennsylvania.

New Hampshire's four electoral votes went to President Bush in 2000. With those votes Gore would have won the election. Without Ralph Nader on the ballot Gore would have probably won New Hampshire's 4 electoral votes.