How the Super Tuesday States Screwed Up

The states that rushed to hold their primaries as soon into 2008 as possible are probably regretting it right about now, writes Slate’s Jeff Greenfield. It turns out that early momentum hasn't been generated, and Super Tuesday might not decide anything. That would give the straggling late states enough influence to land a campaign promise “worth its weight in ethanol.”

After Gore and Kerry rode early victories to the 2000 and '04 nominations, states rushed to the conclusion that later voting no longer counted in the process. Now once-powerful late states such as New York are scrunched together on February 5 and will have to content themselves with quick whirlwind stopovers as the candidates try to stump in 24 states in 13 days. (More Super Tuesday stories.)