Getting a say in the race

The roster of presidential candidates already has grown to a size that would strain the limits of a school classroom. Even now, 10 months before the election, there is a hint of excitement in the air as a completely wide-open race looms for the first time in more than a half century.

Wouldn't it be nice if Utahns actually had a say this time?

Or, to phrase it differently, why on earth do the folks in New Hampshire and Iowa have such disproportionate power when it comes to narrowing the field?

Utah will participate in a Western states' primary on Feb. 5 next year. So far, only New Mexico and Arizona have agreed to join on that date, but the possibility remains that Montana, Idaho and Wyoming will come along, as well. But this will come a few weeks after the early primaries and caucuses in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, as well as in Nevada, which has managed to worm itself in among the traditional early deciders.

That means the possibility exists that some of the candidates already may be heading home before Utahns go to the polls. In fact, some pundits were heard this week speculating that Mitt Romney, who has clear ties to this state, may not survive unless he can show well in New Hampshire.

Our guess is that the more primaries that pop up around the country, the longer candidates will try to hold out in order to regain momentum. Of course, that factor has to be weighed against the cost of campaigning.

Which is why Utahns need to be realistic. As residents of a sparsely populated state, they never will attract the attention that bigger states get from presidential candidates. And even though Utah has about as many people as Iowa and a lot more than New Hampshire, those states have an early election importance that is ingrained in history and tradition.

But a Western primary will force candidates to pay attention to issues of value to people in this region — such as land use, immigration, water and a booming growth rate. Even if that interest is fleeting, it is better than nothing.

And even though a Democratic convention in Colorado will not necessarily focus politicians on the West, this fast-growing region naturally will become harder to ignore as its cities continue to grow.

The current primary system is a crazy way to winnow the list of candidates. But absent anything better, Utahns will at least get a chance to play early next year, rather than sitting on the bench until the final game. That's an improvement.