Confused Yet?
The WaPo tries to parse the nominating calendar:
Before the leapfrogging began, it appeared that Iowa would hold its caucuses on Jan. 14, followed five days later by caucuses in Nevada. New Hampshire would preserve its customary premier primary slot on Jan. 22, and South Carolina would hold its primary Jan. 29.The candidates planned their travel, staffing and media buys accordingly, but then Florida made a move.
Defying the DNC, Florida moved its primary to Jan. 29, which prompted South Carolina Republicans to jump to Jan. 19 and retain their state’s distinction as the first Southern state to vote. New Hampshire law requires the state’s primary to be at least seven days before any similar contest, so Secretary of State William M. Gardner declared that the vote would move up by at least a week. That gave Michigan its opening…