New Hampshire Today, Oct. 15

In New Hampshire today, a day analyze what was a busy weekend on the campaign trail and also a day to analyze what campaign finance reports due for all federal candidates.

It is also the first day for presidential candidates to file papers putting them on the New Hampshire Primary ballot.

Over the weekend there were visits by Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Dennis Kucinich and John Edwards.

Fred Thompson canceled his trip to New Hampshire and it was noticed. But a front page story in the Globe suggests that maybe no one really cares about him or his plans.

All candidates, of course, are campaigning in New Hampshire without a solid idea as to when the state's presidential primary will be. This is where from Salon.com's Washington Bureau Chief (and NH Primary lover) Walter Shapiro offers an interesting idea to New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Garder: hold the primary on January 12. If you don't read this you simply don't care about the primary date.

Going forward an op-ed in the Globe over the weekend says the presidential primary process should reflect the NBA draft. This means the smallest states would be pooled in a lottery and one of the states goes first.