I Completely Support the Democratic Primary and Caucus System.

[MineralMan]

In most states, registered Democratic voters have an opportunity to vote for the primary candidate of their choice. In others, they can support a candidate in the caucus/convention system. All Democrats, of whatever variety, can make their opinions known as to which candidate they want to be the Democratic nominee. The more who do, the better the nominee will reflect the will of Democratic voters.

Already, a group of candidates and their supporters are beginning their campaigns for that nomination. There's even still time for additional candidates to declare their intent and join the race. That's how we do it. It all leads up to the Democratic Presidential Nominating Convention next summer.

At that convention, delegations from every state will come together and vote to select the Democratic Nominee. Every state. The number of delegates depends on the population of that state. States like New York, California and Texas, for example, will have more delegates representing them than states like Vermont, New Hampshire and Iowa. That's only fair, since more voters live in those states than in the others.

Right now, we're pretty much only hearing how candidates are doing in the four states that have primaries or caucuses in February, 2016. They are the focus of the news and of the various candidates. However, those four states represent only a small number of delegates to the convention. On March 1, another, larger set of states will hold primary elections and caucuses. Those states will be choosing vastly more delegates to the convention.

Bottom line is that it takes 50 states to determine who the nominee will be. Projecting the nominee based on the four early states is not possible. There are so many states, including states that usually vote for Republicans for President. They, too, have Democratic voters and those voters will also participate in the delegate selection process.

Frankly, it's far too early to predict the final outcome. Yet, we seem to insist on attempting to do so. Every candidate has supporters, but only one will be the nominee.

I support Hillary Clinton for the nomination. However, whoever is selected in our long, Democratic process next Summer, will get my full support for the General Election. If I could not say that, and mean it, I couldn't call myself a Democrat, really.

Anyone who believes they know who the nominee will be, with certainty, is laboring under a misconception, I believe.

[Le Taz Hot]

1. Of course you do.

Was there any doubt?

[MineralMan]

2. I don't know if there was any doubt.

I felt like posting this, that's all. It's DU, and I'm a DUer. Thanks for your reply.

[99Forever]

3. Isn't that special?

[MineralMan]

4. Is it? Seems to me to just be an affirmation

of something that's pretty important, really. I like affirmations. I'm affirming that I will support the Democratic nominee. I can't imagine doing anything else.

It appears that you disagree with what I wrote.

[99Forever]

16. Is that what "it appears?"

Interesting that you would speak about deceiving appearances.

[MineralMan]

18. Deceiving? I will support the nominee. I always do.

I have since 1960, even before I could vote. I will do so again in 2016. No deception at all. That's what I will do, because that's what I believe is the right thing to do.

[99Forever]

22. Seems like someone can't even remember recent history.

[MineralMan]

23. I explained my reason for changing which candidate

I support. I reserve the right to do that, if I think it appropriate. I have total agency over my choices.

[99Forever]

25. I don't think you changed at all. n/t

[orpupilofnature57]

27. Even if the nominee walks, talks and votes like a Republican ?

[mythology]

28. Please present evidence based on something other than cherry picked votes

If you look at the total votes Sanders and Clinton had together in the Senate, they voted together 93% of the time. While Sanders was the most liberal Senator, Clinton was ranked the 11th most liberal Senator by that same scale. Kind of makes it look foolish to claim that at the very best there were only 10 Democrats who voted like Democrats.

[orpupilofnature57]

29. Out of the 10 Hillary didn't make that list, I know she only went on what she was told . Cherry pick

[Turbineguy]

5. In Washington

we went off the caucus system when Pat Robertson became the republican nominee.

[MineralMan]

8. Minnesota still uses it, although we also have primary

elections. Our delegation to the National Convention, though, comes straight from the caucus/convention system. Our primaries are mainly for state and local offices, although Presidential candidates still appear on them every four years. The delegates, however, are almost all selected based on the caucuses and a series of conventions that culminates at the state convention.

[Vattel]

6. I have no problem calling myself a Democrat even if I can't support every Democratic candidate.

[MineralMan]

9. OK. That's not how I do it. In the end, I vote for

the Democratic nominee. I can only speak for myself, and have just done so.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. I don't.

"I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever, in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else, where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent. If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all." --Thomas Jefferson

[MineralMan]

10. OK. Your choice.

In a national election, I put a great deal of value on the democratic process. The people will decide on the nominee. I'm just one person. I'll vote as I choose in the caucus, but will support the nominee. I believe in the democratic process. As far as I'm concerned, it's the only viable method for a population to choose its leaders fairly.

I can't always get what I want. I recognize that.

[NCTraveler]

11. Overall, I think is is an excellent process.

I do think it needs some changes. We can't underestimate the momentum that can come out of the first states. The parties base simply doesn't exist in some of them. That momentum is literally established with complete omission of the base.

Overall, great process.

[MineralMan]

12. No process is perfect. Personally, I wish we had a vastly

larger turnout for primary elections and the caucus equivalent. Their biggest flaw is that a small minority ends up making the decision. However, whether a person votes or doesn't in primaries is also a choice. I'm a big believer in people making choices, even if that choice is the wrong one.

I've never seen a reasonable suggestion for a replacement of our election system. It's easy to find fault with it, but much more difficult to find a replacement that would still reflect the choices of such a large and diverse population.

[PoliticAverse]

13. Do you support the use of "super delegates" not elected by primary/caucus voters? n/t

[MineralMan]

14. Actually, yes, I do.

In Minnesota, I know who those so-called "super delegates" are. They're elected people who are already serving in office after being elected. I have no problem with the concept. They serve as a buffer.

The large majority of Minnesota delegates to the national convention are chosen at our state convention, from among the delegates elected in earlier conventions. The process is very democratic in nature and ends up supporting the will of the voters in the caucuses. In other states, the process is similar, but super delegates have earned that status by being elected to office in earlier elections. They act as a buffer to smooth out the rough edges that can occur in the process.

[murielm99]

15. Thank you, Mineral Man.

We have a similar process in our state. After I became involved in political activism as an adult, I found out that the process is actually quite open. People who gripe about it should get involved and they will see for themselves.

I have a hard time convincing people to vote in primaries. I wish there was a better way to get people out for those elections.

[MineralMan]

17. It's very difficult to increase the turnout for primaries.

That's what I've found in California, where I used to live, and in Minnesota, too. We also have caucuses, on March 1 next year. The turnout for those is way lower than in primary elections. But those caucuses are hugely important in delegate selection to the national convention, since it all begins with them.

In my precinct, for Presidential election years, our caucus rarely gets more than 100 participants. In 2008, it was higher, and Obama got the vast majority of votes in the straw poll that year. Still, though, only 6 people wanted to be delegates to the State Senate district convention, which is the first place delegates to the state convention are selected. Delegates to the national convention are elected at the state convention. 100 voters showed up at the precinct caucus. They are the ones who decide. 100!

It's amazing to me. We also have primary elections, but those affect local and state offices only. They have zero impact on the Presidential nominee selection process. We get, maybe 20% turnout for our primaries. Dismal.

[TheKentuckian]

19. A buffer against the will of the people and their owners.

[MineralMan]

20. Hmm...that's how you see it.

Do you know who the superdelegates are? They're almost exclusively elected officials, including congress members, Senators, governors and others. Each was elected by the voters. It's important to know this information. You can learn more at:

http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P16/D

I highly recommend exploring that website thoroughly.

[TheKentuckian]

30. I know exactly who they are, Captain Condescension.

Being elected to a position does not grant you any extra votes under the law.

[MineralMan]

31. It can earn you a delegate seat, though, if

you're in Congress or are a governor. Democratic National Commitee members are also unpledged PLEOs, too. It's not easy to become a delegate to the national convention. You have to earn it.

[TheKentuckian]

32. I don't believe in the ability to earn super delegate status, it is a distortion of democracy

that is completely unnecessary.

What is your problem with the voters deciding directly? I'm not really even in favor of delegates of any sort, what purpose do they have. Count the motherfucking votes and call it a day.

What is so wrong with counting the votes?

[MineralMan]

34. I didn't invent the system, nor can I change it.

I participate in it, because I can. What I can't change, I work with. That helped elect Al Franken and Betty McCollum. They're doing a great job. Do you have a better idea?

[Midwestern Democrat]

35. You'd have to drop the 50% threshold and allow a candidate to win the nomination with a plurality in

order to do away with delegates. In most states, a candidate can win the primary for Governor, US Senate, congress, etc with only a plurality, but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with that for the presidential nominee - there's enough differences between the various regions of the country where I think nominating a candidate with only a plurality could prove problematic.

[TheKentuckian]

36. What 50%? Bill Clinton won with like 42% of the vote. Who cares?

[Duckhunter935]

26. Always nice to know

That some people are more equal than us little people

[MineralMan]

33. Get involved, and you can become a national convention

delegate. It's not easy, though. It requires years of work in the Democratic Party organization, actually. I can get to the state convention, but have zero chance of being a national delegate. You have be elected by those at the state convention, in all states I know about. You have to earn those votes.

That's how it works. I didn't create the system.

[bigwillq]

21. There should be a Primary Day

Just one day, like Election Day.

By the time I vote in CT, the candidate is usually already decided. I don't think that's very democratic.

I don't really like how the process is now.

[MineralMan]

24. There are many reasons for staged primaries.

One of them is to give the smaller states a real chance to influence the choice.