The New England granite industry seems like a relic of another era. A brochure from Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, Mass., informs the reader that "Today, a single granite quarry remains in operation on Cape Ann; several others are active across New England." Has the "first-in-the-nation" primary in the Granite State, New Hampshire, also outlived its era?

Every four years, the New Hampshire primary exercises a disproportionate influence on who becomes our chief executive. This tiny state, with a population of just over 1.3 million, a land area of under 9,000 square miles, and four electoral votes, can quickly create front-runners and doom candidates who fail to finish first.

Is there any way to counter the power of the Granite State? Or will the winners of the 2008 New Hampshire Democratic and Republican primaries use their sudden momentum to triumph elsewhere? This country needs a state to challenge the New Hampshire primacy. "Checks and balances" aren't just needed in our federal government; they would also prove useful in our presidential primary system.

Merci to my muse on this one...