Some national politicians and press are in an uproar because New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner refuses to rule out December for our first-in-the-nation Presidential Primary.

A December primary is a lousy idea and Gardner knows it. He will avoid it if at all possible. It is possible, if the Republican presidential contenders join with their Democratic rivals (Hillary Clinton notwithstanding) and refuse to let Michigan or other states destroy our primary process.

With the exception of the double-talking Sen. Clinton, the top Democrats have promised not to participate in Michigan, which is again threatening to move up its date. If it does, the Republicans need to make the same promise. Bill Gardner can then ignore Michigan as a non-event and set our date in January, seven days before the next primary. That gives time for New Hampshire's results to be meaningful elsewhere.

Mitt Romney said yesterday, "The candidates don't have a lot of say about where the calendar settles. We pretty much take what we're given."

Not so. Candidates can influence the calendar, and they should use their clout to help preserve the tradition of retail politics that only New Hampshire's primary provides. Romney has said he wouldn't "walk away from Michigan." But if that primary is earlier than Jan. 15, he needs to reconsider. If not, others can make a good case that they, not Romney, are from the "New Hampshire wing'' of the Republican Party.