Zack needs to know

This jockeying for an early primary spot has gotten maddening. Now Florida has moved their primary up past everyone but Iowa and New Hampshire, putting theirs on January 29th. Don't look now, but someone's going to make a move to have their primary in 2007.

So here's the question I need someone to help me with: what'd be the harm in having a national primary, with all states voting on the same day?

Here's where I see upside:

• you take the power away from Iowa and New Hampshire, which has gotten increasingly sillier over the years that two marginal states like them get to set the national primary agenda
• you can do all 50 states at once without worrying about just the swing states, since in most states delegates aren't all or nothing like electoral votes
• maybe this will help eliminate the pointless conventions (really, when's the last time a convention was relevant? 1968?)

I'm sure some will say that the downside is that the candidates will just spend their time and money on the larger states. And that's different from now in what way? So tell me where I'm wrong on this one.