Longest Election Season May End in a Flash

The primary season that kicked off a record-long two years before Election Day could wrap up in a record-short five days of voting, Reuters reports. Under the right scenarios, Iowa’s Jan. 3 caucus and New Hampshire’s Jan. 8 primary could yield nominees on both sides of the aisle—10 months before the election, analysts say.

Others dismiss such speculation, saying losing candidates would be fools to fold so early. Those with big bankrolls will likely hang around no matter the outcomes in Iowa and New Hampshire, said one, especially with so many primaries coming soon after. Still, "if a front-runner goes two for two, it's over," said another political analyst. (More Election 2008 stories.)