"They're addressing [our issues] to a degree, but never as much as you want," Diamond says. "But the [economic] issues are being heard. At least we had a chance to approach the candidates."
Organizers hope the increased visibility associated with the Yankee Primary will translate into higher voter turnout.
"Making people feel that their vote in the primary process is important is good for the party because it's good for grass roots," Hansen says. "It gets them interested."
A Possible Trend
If the Yankee Primary meets its objectives, political observers may have to consider whether the primary process may be moving away from individual state primaries toward regionalization.
"It would be better for the candidates," says Maxine Isaacs, an adjunct lecturer at the Kennedy School of Government. "They wouldn't have to jump around a lot, and it's easier for the media."
But Isaacs says regionalization--if handled haphazardly--might give some regions an unfair advantage in the presidential selection process.
"The only fair way would be to rotate regions randomly" in terms of assigning primary dates, she says.
Watanabe fears that regional primaries may lead to the selection of candidates who prove unviable in a general election.
"Regional primaries have inherent limitations," he says. "They can lead to strong regional candidates that may not have national appeal."
Instead, Watanabe proposes having a limited number of "primary days," where voters in selected states across the country would make their choice.
"What is interesting is the idea of having primary days where there are different primaries all over the country," Watanabe says. "That used to be difficult before the age in which most of the campaigning is not done in person anyway."
The nation's secretaries of state have formed a committee, of which Massachusetts' Galvin is a member, to consider changes to the primary schedule. The Yankee Primary, if it goes well, may send a signal to the country that regional primaries are a viable election reform, McCarthy says.
"They may try to have primaries on the same day, almost regional," McCarthy says. "They might use the Yankee Primary as a model."