11.  Al Gore and George W. Bush were awarded big states as if they were touchdowns and small states as if they were field goals.

12.  Alaska is a big state.

13.  Brazilian shares fell, led lower by big state companies, amid concern a possible increase in foreign interest rates will keep investment away from emerging markets like Brazil.

14.  But big states that fear irrelevance from going last, and traditional opponents of giving party leaders more power, are joining to fight the proposal.

15.  But like local papers in many big states, The Herald is feeling rising pressure from bigger papers with statewide or national ambitions.

16.  But never has the process been more front-loaded, or compressed with a flurry of big states, seeking greater influence, having moved their primaries forward.

17.  But Republican control of redistricting machinery in big states like Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania makes that goal difficult.

18.  But physicians of another big state, New York, have decided that the stakes are too high.

19.  But the Democratic challengers in big states like New York, Texas, Pennsylvania and Michigan are far behind in early surveys.

20.  But they could have a difficult time at their convention, where the big states pushed back to June have more votes.