Could the West actually matter on a National Scale?

If Governor Huntsman's plan works, the western states may soon have a much bigger say in what happens nationally.

And since the West is the fastest growing region of the country, it makes sense that the issues we have out here (water, land) should have a bigger sway on candidates than they currently do.

If the West is given the chance to be heard through primary elections similar to those in Iowa, which have long determined which candidates make it to November, we might actually see some visits from these candidates. They might actually take the time to hear about the things that we care about, and maybe, just maybe, we can get some of the issues that have divided the west for so long, such as federal lands and water rights, heard on the national stage.