Presidential Elections 1996 Louisiana

The first votes of the 1996 presidential race will be cast Tuesday in this tiny Cajun-tinged hamlet, an unlikely site for such a momentous occasion, especially because not a single candidate has visited or bothered to post a sign. Then again, it wasn't political activism but ironic gimmickry that inspired the Louisiana Republican Party to convene its first-in-the-nation caucuses here 30 minutes before they start elsewhere in the state.

The first votes of the 1996 presidential race will be cast Tuesday in this tiny Cajun-tinged hamlet, an unlikely site for such a momentous occasion, especially because not a single candidate has visited or bothered to post a sign. Then again, it wasn't political activism but ironic gimmickry that inspired the Louisiana Republican Party to convene its first-in-the-nation caucuses here 30 minutes before they start elsewhere in the state.

Like a well-rehearsed game of follow the leader, America's 50 states have accepted their place on the presidential campaign trail: First comes Iowa, then New Hampshire, before any other gets a turn. It's a time-honored and pivotal pecking order, despite being arbitrary and largely self-anointed. By authority of lawmakers in their respective states, the Iowa caucus (set next year for Feb. 12) and the New Hampshire primary (scheduled for Feb.

Like a well-rehearsed game of follow the leader, America's 50 states have accepted their place on the presidential campaign trail: First comes Iowa, then New Hampshire, before any other gets a turn. It's a time-honored and pivotal pecking order, despite being arbitrary and largely self-anointed. By authority of lawmakers in their respective states, the Iowa caucus (set next year for Feb. 12) and the New Hampshire primary (scheduled for Feb.