If you think New Hampshire has had far too much influence on presidential politics, blame it on Indiana:
Ever since its emergence in the 1950s as the key primary, critics have grumbled that the Granite State, which is neither large nor reflective of the American populace, had no business hosting the most influential primary. Compounding the unfairness, New Hampshire attained its first-in-the-nation status through dumb luck. Back in 1916, it scheduled its contest for its Town Meeting Day, which fell on the second Tuesday in March—the same day as Minnesota's vote and one week after Indiana's. But by 1920, Indiana had kicked its election date back to May and Minnesota scrapped its contest altogether. The Granite State ended up, by default, as the primary primary.
