In 49 weeks, we'll have our candidates

With Illinois and lots of other states moving their primaries up to Feb. 5 of next year, the Republican and Democratic presidential nominations for 2008 almost certainly will be wrapped up on that day. That's less than 50 weeks from now.

Dick Morris says here that the primary and caucus season will last only three weeks from start to finish.

The implications of all this are far-reaching. The front-loading of the process will work against candidates who don't have tons of money. That goes for both parties. Primary fights for offices at state and local levels will be waged much earlier than in years past.

It also seems likely that we'll see at least a few TV campaign spots mixed in with the Christmas season ads. And by New Year's Eve, political advertising will dominate the airwaves.

One good thing about this dramatic change is that the influence of voters in Iowa and New Hampshire -- states that are too small, too rural and too white -- likely will be diminished.

And for the first time in a long time, we Illinoisans will have some say in who gets nominated for the presidency.