I wish my state was a caucus state.

[RooferDem]

Sadly, I'll never experience a party caucus. They seem to be democracy in its purest form, where democrats come from all over to engage one another on issues before they put them to a vote. Anybody can speak their mind, anybody can take the floor and persuade his/her neighbor that maybe year round schools aren't such a good idea, for example.

Meaningful debate is a thing of the past in our current system. All too often we make our decisions based on soundbites, not complete information.

[LisaM]

1. No ----- it's where people get shouted down

and people who are old, have no transportation, have to work, have to take care of babies, etc. can't participate.

I was not really given a chance to speak at my caucus, it was absolute chaos, and another DUer told a story of a women trying to speak at a caucus for Hillary getting booed and shouted down by young male Obama supporters.

I wouldn't wish it on an enemy, and the level of voter participation was extremely low.

[KSinTX]

5. I am sorry to hear yours was so disorganized

We had some passions but nothing less than everyone having a chance to be heard. It was a fairly large group but everyone came with the rules and it was pretty much connect the dots.

[eleny]

27. Ours was nothing like that - It was so much fun

I posted about it down-thread. Sorry your experience was negative.

[KSinTX]

51. Mine was great!!

Think you meant to hit LisaM with the response. What state? Mine was Texas.

[eleny]

55. Yes, I clicked the wrong post for my reply

Glad you had a good one!!! :hi:

[GoesTo11]

8. Why does voting for a nominee have to be harder than voting for American Idol?

Caucuses are the last bastion of the elites.

Primaries are nice and clean. With electronic voting especially. All you have to do is watch some ads, let Fox News analyze them, and then press the button for your favorite!

[RichardRay]

23. Because voting for a nominee is a whole lot more important

than voting for American Idol?

As a matter of fact, I sort of feel like having ever voted for American Idol should be a disqualifying behavior for anyone who wants to vote for a nominee or a candidate.

:-)

[Diane R]

9. Not my experience, at all. I've been to many and all different views are respected.

[LisaM]

18. I've been to several. Last time (2004) was better than this

although I ended up voting for Kucinich even though I preferred Kerry just to keep Kucinich enough above the threshold so that he would get a delegate. I really can't see that this is exactly democratic. It put me on the spot. If I'd changed votes, it would have disappointed people I was caucusing with, and since there is no privacy, they'd have known it.

This time was a nightmare. The Obama people had fun, the Hillary people all have horror stories. I got so visibly distraught at mine that another woman came over to console me. Another woman had brought her kids and they were taking up some of the few chairs, which didn't seem right (voters on the floor - little kids on the chairs?) They never showed us the results of the second vote and the people running it couldn't explain how delegates were allotted. It was a disaster, and drew less than half of the people who voted in the "beauty contest" primary a week later. In fact, they told us that participation in past years had been THREE percent! Three percent? Not even representative.

[otohara]

12. No Shouting Down @ My Caucus

and it was packed - I was chosen to talk to an undecided, but he enjoyed the undecided label and wouldn't listen to either side.

[grantcart]

13. When I was younger the caucuses I went to were dominated by the old folks and they

were so happy to see me they sent me to the state convention when I was 18.

These years the caucuses were very unusual.

Now if you want higher participation then skip primaries and have American Idol handle it they have much better participation than primaries.

[fight4my3sons]

16. not one person got shouted down at my caucus

also Maine experienced historic turnout

http://www.mainedems.org/02102008.html

I'm sorry you experienced what you did at your caucus. My husband worked in the morning and planned accordingly to attend the caucus. We took our twin 3 yr olds and our 5 yr old boy loaded with snacks and toys. People were patient with us. :) Everyone who wanted to speak in support of their candidate had a chance and not one person was disrespectful. There were Hillary and Obama supporters and a Kucinich supporter. Our caucus came down to a coin toss for the last delegate. Still not one person shouting. :shrug:

[RichardRay]

20. I'm sorry you had that experience, but it certainly was not mine...

Here in Wyoming there were about 800 people gathered for the Teton County caucus. People got to speak in favor of their candidates and discuss the campaign issues and the party platform. Any time during the four hours of the meeting we could go get our ballot, mark it in private and deposit it in a locked box. A couple of people started to get a bit rowdy and were told to behave themselves by other supporters of their candidate of choice. I am an enthusiastic supporter of Senator Obama, and two friends of similar persuasion assisted me to repair a glitch the PA system for the primary Clinton advocate when it was her turn to speak.

I spent part of the day driving a 17 passenger van around the county picking up people who had called in for a ride. The ride service was available for anyone who called, it was not run by the supporters of any particular candidate. It was announced all day on the local radio stations and had been bannered in ads in the local paper for days. There was child care provided at the caucus site for parents who didn't care to bring their kids into the meeting room, but there were also a lot of young'uns learning about politics, too.

I understand that other people had other experiences in other places, but the blanket generalization that a caucus is

a place where people get shouted down and people who are old, have no transportation, have to work, have to take care of babies, etc. can't participate.

is simply not true.

Simply not true.

[high density]

33. Nobody got shouted down at mine either

Though the Obama people did have louder applause than everybody else.

Other than the speeches, the caucus process sucks in my opinion. It takes a 10 minute process and stretches it out to hours.

[Condem]

64. Where were you, LisaM?

[patrice]

2. Caucuses are one way to short-circuit the MSM and churches on the ISSUES. nt

[KSinTX]

3. Having had the best of both worlds here

I found it required I become much more immersed in the issues and the politics of the entire system. I really enjoyed the caucus and will engage in coming years.

[TexasObserver]

4. Caucuses Rock!! They are real party builders.

I like the Texas Two Step. We have a primary for the amateurs, and a caucus for the pros. It works.

[KSinTX]

7. LOL - I like that! nt

[blogslut]

15. Me too

I wish every state had a hybrid primary/caucus. I attended my first one this year and even got to be secretary. It was very cool and the Democrats in my little town were just plain thrilled that there were so many of us. The county convention got a little heated from what I heard but I had to leave that one early.

Texas is having the state convention this June 6-7 where we'll choose the 67.

Remember what Howard Dean said:

"Even in Texas, more people voted in the party's primary than voted Democratic in the 2004 general election. Texas, is ready to turn blue."

[TexasObserver]

40. If we can get Hispanics, we can win Texas.

That's one reason I like Richardson for VP. I think he helps us carry Texas.

[AtomicKitten]

6. It's a pure process: Voting and counting is out loud and in public.

[grantcart]

10. I agree - I used to go to them in Washington State and loved them

primaries are democracy lite

primaries are to democracy what Big Macs are to cuisine.

Fast easy and superficial.

Caucuses are where you go to talk about the issues you care about and get people to support you and then go to the County and State convention. You talk with your neighbors and listen to what they have to say to.


People think Democracy is real important but don't want to spend more than 15 seconds doing it.


The meme that Primaries are more democratic is complete rubish. Primaries are more convenient. For that matter American Idol call in is more convenient.

People want democracy they just don't want to work at it. People that regularly participate in caucuses love them. And I miss them.

[Debi]

11. But then you wouldn't count

:shrug:

[grantcart]

14. Oh and welcome to DU

[Skink]

17. I arrived at mine on Horseback.

[Tarc]

19. The caucus system is the tyranny of the minority in action

Having a handful of diehards speak for an entire state is simply ludicrous. A shame that this system seems poised to produce a weak candidate for the fall.

[RichardRay]

25. Then get your freaking butt in gear and go speak!!!

If it's not important enough to participate in then it's apparently not all that important to you, either. If the system has produced a weak candidate (and I DO NOT believe it has), then quite your belly aching and do something about it. The caucus system is the shortest and most effective route to your being able to do that if you really think it's worthwhile. If you just want to bitch about it and expect that to accomplish something then you'll get exactly what you deserve - nothing.

[Tarc]

29. What the fuck do you think I'm doing now, O-Bot?

Speaking out against moronic threads like this that spread the halfwitted notion that the caucus system is a GOOD idea is what I and others are doing.

Dumbass.

[RooferDem]

31. You just tickled me with your WORDS!

[RichardRay]

35. Right now you're bitching on an Internet forum.

That has just about nothing to do with the actual political process as it's carried out in the real world. I'll say it again: get your butt out of the chair and go out and change something.

If you're paraplegic or nailed down by the care requirement of young children or an aging parent or something then get on a phone bank and start making calls. If you can't operate a telephone (unlikely since you seem to be able to type) then ask the local precinct captains for your favored candidate to find a way you can be of assistance.

If it's too late to do any of those things this time around than blame your own lazy ass for the problem. I went to my caucus, I spoke, I voted, I took care of kids and drove a van to help pick people up to get to the site; if you are physically unable to accomplish anything to support your candidate then I apologize, otherwise take your rhetoric out onto the streets where it will acomplish something of value.

Grow a fucking spine.

[LisaM]

39. Well in Washington state we actually voted to switch to a primary

but the parties chose to ignore the results of that vote. So then what do you suggest?

And to the guy in Wyoming, nice that you drove people around, but what about people who have to work?

[RichardRay]

43. From the Guy in Wyoming

One: The state doesn't get to decide how my party picks its candidates. If you trust your government to pick yours then that's a real mistake. People drive parties, parties drive governments; when you get that turned around you're on the way to a real problem. There is NO precedent for the government controlling political party formation nor decision making, and there should never be.

Two: Not all caucuses are run the same. Our was held on a Sunday afternoon, starting at 3 PM. Participants identified themselves against the party registration rolls and picked up a ballot. There were about 30 minutes of nominating speeches and then the voting began. At any time in the next four hours they could mark the ballot and leave. Late comers were welcome to just pick up their ballot, vote and go. The transport provided was also available to assist people to get from work to the site and back; a lot of folks from the local hospital, elder care center and workers from the resort did just that. I'd say it was a heck of an awful lot easier to participate in that event than it would be to get to a polling place on a Tuesday.

[LisaM]

45. Ah. That is actually way better than in Washington

Ours were for two hours on a Saturday, 1-3, and you had to be at the beginning. Your system sounds way better (though still imperfect, to my mind) but at least it seems to have attempted a way to accommodate more people. I'll never forget Hillary attending a town hall for nurses the Friday morning before our caucus, knowing many of them couldn't partcipate in the caucus, but still wanting to engage and hear their issues. That's one of the things I like about her.

BTW, my dog is from Wyoming. Rock Springs. We rescued him.

[RichardRay]

49. Thanks!! Rock Springs is a tough place to need help

if you're a person, dogs are way off the back down there. Our local no-kill shelter does an exchange program with them to pick up their 'hard to place' companion animals (and horses and goats, too!) and exchange them for cute little critters that get adopted much more easily. We end up with a lot of long term residents :-).

[LisaM]

50. Awww, that's nice.

He's a good little dog. We've had him since 2001, he just turned 10. He is cute, but his problem was that he marked everywhere he lived. I cured him of that in one week. He arrived in July when it had been 103 degrees in RS. It was about 63 here. I have pictures of him in our back yard that first morning. You could tell he was loving the weather. He is standing on top of my legs in cool green grass and he looks so happy! Because of him, we have become big Wyoming fans and watch their games if we can catch them on TV.

[KSinTX]

52. Stop it RR

I gotta do all of that to change a system? I'd just as soon write in a forum, thank you! :rofl:

[Tarc]

80. One again, asshole, I will do what I damn well please

And if it means putting down retards like you on an internet forum who tout the caucus system as viable, then so be it.

[CaptJasHook]

81. Harriet? Is that you?

[RichardRay]

86. Tarc, Tarc, Tarc - you're losing it

Retards like me are the ones who took the nominee selection process away from the party bosses, we're the ones who keep it running now, and we're the ones who will safeguard it in the future. Me, my brother, his son, my father and his father before him have been doing this work since before the turn of the last century. Sometimes we do well, sometimes we fuck up, but we keep working. Folks with the kind of energy you're projecting tend to fade away as soon as their sense of outrage is satisfied by snarling at people on the Internet or waving some signs in the streets.

If you can find something constructive to do, great, otherwise stop kicking the shovel out of the hands of the folks trying to get the ditches dug. It just irritates us, and it really doesn't gain you anything.

[Tarc]

87. Another O-Bot, lips flapping in the breeze

Thinking that a caucus is actually reflective of anything BUT insider politics is a laugh. If ignorance is bliss, you are one happy mother-fucker.

And with that; *plonk*

[RichardRay]

88. Plonk? Is that Tarc-speak for

"I can't find anyting of substance to say so I'll just tap out."

See, I told you your energy would fade :-).

[DemocratSinceBirth]

34. Leaving Outside The "Weak Candidate" Remark...

My mom is ninety years old and confined to a wheel chair ...She has voted for every Democratic president since FDR...It would have been impossible for her to withstand the rigors of a caucus...Caucuses also make it harder for the home bound, the elderly, those with serious physical challenges and the working poor from voting...

[RichardRay]

37. Here in Teton County

your mom would have a far easier time participating in our local caucus than in a primary. I don't know where you are or how it works there, but I transported several elderly folks in wheel chairs from as far away as a ranch 45 miles out of town, in a van fully equipped to handle their needs (rented from the local elder care facility for the day be Teton County Democrats). In our version of it a person who doesn't want to participate in the speeches and the discussions can just identify themselves on the voter roll, get a ballot, mark it and leave.

I know that not everyone's experience matches mine, and I respect that, but I also ask that others note that their experience is not the only way it happens in other parts of the world.

[eridani]

63. Which is bullshit

Absentee caucusing for any reason would fix that. Maine does it, and every other caucus state could do it as well.

[VotesForWomen]

48. yeah, get a bigger mob with bigger bricks and bats, you pussy. (sarcasm)

[RichardRay]

54. And just how is it any better to sneak into a dark booth and

poke holes in an anonymous piece of cardboard and covertly sneak it into a box so that no one knows who you are or what you think?

I understand that some people aren't comfortable standing up for what they believe in all alone, that can be scary and sometimes get you hurt. So form a party to stand up with you, that's what political parties, and unions, are for.

OK, OK, the secret ballot is sacrosanct to you, I get it. It's not sacrosanct to me, as I think it's confusing a means with an end. The secret ballot is supposed to implement the idea of getting to express preference without having to worry about the reaction of others - I think there are better ways to do that, but that's just me.

[eridani]

62. The little red hens get to eat the bread. Sorry.

The opinions of doorbellers, phonebankers, and in general people who are working for Democrats even in odd-numbered years ought to be more important.

[dsomuah]

21. I think states should do both

I think both caucuses and primaries have their merits. Primaries measure overall support, caucuses measure intensity, and it takes both to win an election these days. The person with the most overall supporters tends to win a primary, while the person with the diehard supporters tends to win a caucus.

[crispini]

22. Caucuses are teh bom!

They are really great for getting you out, meeting your neighbors, and really getting a chance to put your hands on the wheels of democracy.

Edit -- and the hybrid primacaucus! even better! two for the price of one. :)

[sudopod]

24. Certain candidates seem to suffer from caucus envy. :3 nt

[eleny]

26. I enjoyed it

The room was packed with hundreds of people divided into districts. We could speak for our candidate within our group and it was great to see how people felt and why. Then we took the vote. No yelling or shouting people down. Just spirited Dems excited about the general election coming later in the year.

I saw nobody that I recognized so I met all new people that I now recognize once in a while at the market.

It was my first caucus and I'm delighted to have experienced it.

Maybe if you get involved with a local Party group in your area you'll get that same feel of neighbor to neighbor contact.

[wvbygod]

28. I'd support both but not a caucus only

A voting booth better insure ones voice be heard. A popularity and mobility contest is
far too much for many people to attend and be heard.

[jobycom]

30. They are great for some things, but anti-democratic for choosing a nominee.

Caucuses are good for what you say. They are a great system to allow local debate and discussion on controversial issues, and to allow the smallest localities to have a say in the national platform. An idea can start out at a precinct caucus, get approved, and move through county to the state convention, and influence the national convention. Or, it can be met with absolute scorn at the lowest level and never move beyond that. Democracy at its finest, beyond a doubt.

But as a system of choosing a candidate, the caucus should be banned. The state of Washington said it best when they voted to hold a primary election every four years even though both parties used the caucus. They argued that because of the structure of a primary, and because of the requirement to be at a certain location at a narrow time window, and because caucuses are not private ballot, and because they frequently require attendees to remain for several hours, that they discriminate against people who cannot meet those requirements. Primary caregivers who can't leave children or others, for instance (usually women). People with jobs during the narrow window of opportunity. People with health issues who can't stand or remain for so long. And the fact that ballots aren't secret means pressures can be applied by employers, by peers, by whatever other means. Washington summed it up as "the elderly, the infirm, women, and shift workers," at least. In this primary season, it clearly discriminated against Clinton supporters. In others, it will discriminate, eventually, against yours. Everyone eventually becomes elderly (or dies trying).

The only way to measure the will of the people (the popular vote) is to hold a full election, with polls open for long periods of time, where a voter can cast a vote whenever they have the opportunity, and then return home if they so choose. Caucuses do not do that.

I like the Texas system, with one caveat. Texas holds primaries, and caucuses. The caucuses are used to decide party issues--convention delegates, resolutions, sometimes local issues. That's a good system. What I don't like is that they also hand out delegates based on caucus attendance, subverting the popular election and giving many people two votes instead of one.

Two states hold both a caucus and a primary--Washington and Texas. To see just how unrepresentative caucuses are, look at those states. In this Democratic primary alone, both states had close popular votes--both within 4%. Obama won Washington, Clinton won Texas. That shows a close race in the minds of the voters. But look at the caucus results. Obama won the Texas caucus by about 20%. That's a 24% variance from the popular vote, and yet he got a large number of delegates from that--enough to subvert the will of the people.

But Washington was worse. Obama won Washington by 4%, but won the caucus by 37%. That's a 41% difference between the will of the people and what Obama actually got. And in Washington, only the caucus counts, by Democratic Party rules (the Republicans use both results). In short, the party in Washington told the voters to go fuck themselves, and gave Obama an overwhelming percentage of the delegates, despite an almost evenly divided state.

This isn't an issue that has just popped up because of Clinton. This is always a sore spot. There are lawsuits every primary season. If you haven't been gut-punched by it yet, you will be. Over a dozen states awarded delegates by a discriminatory caucus system. If all states had used the popular vote, the election could be very different right now, one way or the other. More importantly, all elections would better represent the choice of the people.

So I love caucuses. But not to choose candidates. And that's not new with this Clinton/Obama thing. It's always been a problem.

[RichardRay]

41. Keep the cotton picking state OUT of my nominating process!!

I have absoutely ZERO interest in having the state control the nominee selection process. Cases in point for this year are Michigan and Florida - I think a lot of the problems in both those places were caused by conflicts between their state legislatures and the party needs.

If you want to advocate for party run primaries than that's another issue. Even in that case please remember that the selection of a nominee is a party function, not a state function. It's a deeply seated precedent that political parties can choose their nominees in any way they please.

People drive parties and parties drive the government, not the other way around.

[jobycom]

57. So you don't mind old party machinery picking your nominees?

More power to you. I just disagree. I'd rather see either a real democratic process, or just skipping the whole thing and going straight to the conventions. Caucuses are a lie.

[RichardRay]

60. I can fight old party machinery, that's just influence.

The state has the power of law and can simply mandate who gets picked and how. I do not want them in charge of the nomination process. That's perverse and backwards.

My community is a blob of Democrats connected by a long skinny line to a county full of Republicans to form a congressional district that goes Republican. Twelve miles away is the town that we're part of in every way that matters, but they're connected by another long skinny line to another county full of Republicans. That makes two districts that go Republican instead of one Republican and one Democrat. That was done to us by a Republican controlled legislature; I do not want that legislature having a damn thing to do with the process of selecting Democratic nominees. I fail to see how those 'elections' are in any way preferable to a caucus.

[CaptJasHook]

84. You bring in a good point.

I am not immediately against caucuses or primaries. My opinion if that the format of the nomination process is dependent on the make up of the constituents. A caucus may be fine in Wyoming, lending to a sense of community. Wyoming is a smaller state with more manageable crowds. Having a Caucus in LA or Philadelphia is a more difficult process and would most likely lead to party machinery having an edge over the common voter.

A hybrid seems unnecessarily complicated. Having some sort of large gathering wherein voters can express themselves and ask questions sounds exciting and useful, but finding a fair way of combining that with a primary seems suspect to me. Especially considering what happened in Washington.

[RichardRay]

85. I agree on the size issue.

I can't imagine holding the kind of a meeting we had here in LA, or any other larger population center; it would be mayhem. In those situations a polling place format is probably a better idea. The cost of holding a statewide polling place based event in a state like Wyoming (mostly empty, especially of Democrats) would be very tough for the party to carry, and we really need the party building aspects of a caucus (or whatever it is we have).

I really don't want the state government involved, however. A lot of the problem in both Florida and Michigan was driven by the involvement of their state legislatures in party business. We really don't need more of that!

[CaptJasHook]

89. How do you propose to pay for primary elections without involving state government?

[RichardRay]

91. That's one of my concerns.

I've talked about it in other posts on this topic on this board. It's a conundrum, but the comparison of the nominee selection process to the actual election is inherently flawed. The party must be independent of the state government, that's my bedrock issue. If the nominating process preferred by members of the party cannot be implemented under that constraint, then we have to pick a different process. State control of (or even substantial influence upon) the decisions of political parties is a road to more loss of political choice than that threatened by any caucus system or state convention event.

In big, populous states the party might be able to afford a 'real' primary election, in smaller and less wealthy places I don't see how it can be done.

[CaptJasHook]

92. One of mine is the combative nature that these primaries have become.

When you start seeing General Election smear tactics being used in the Primary, amongst fellow party members, that is a problem. When the nature of the Primary becomes so incredibly divisive as this one (and others) have been, that tells me that there is something inherently wrong with the process.

This primary started off as "Let the conversation begin" and has devolved into a discussion of who is the bigger victim and the politics of character assassination.

Pathetic tactics that are unworthy of the party, but consistent with competitive politics.

[tritsofme]

32. One man one vote, and the secret ballot are what matter to me.

Not some group of asshole bullies that can dominate a caucus.

[high density]

36. I didn't see any asshole bullies

I saw a group of Kucinich supporters that did their thing, then eventually went under their own accord to Obama when they did not meet the threshold to get a delegate.

I watched us count the Clinton group twice, upon request of the Clinton group.

All of this happened with no moaning, groaning, or bullying.

The caucus process sucks, but not for the reason you mentioned.

[RichardRay]

38. Not all caucuse are the same.

Here in Teton County participants were free to cast a ballot at any time during the afternoon. You picked up your ballot when the doors opened by identifying yourself on the voting rolls as a registered Democrat. Each candidate got one nominating speech, then the voting opened. Speeches and discussion went on for several hours, but if a person didn't want to stick around it wasn't required. At any time you could go put your ballot in the box and leave.

So, is that a caucus? I don't know, we call it one. Seems to work for us.

[VotesForWomen]

42. yeah, get rid of primaries and secret ballots. not.

[RichardRay]

46. No state or government participation in the nominating process.

You want a secret ballot, that's fine. (My caucus had those, so maybe it's just called a caucus?) But keep the government we're trying to elect out of the process of picking the people who will run. That makes no sense to me.

People drive parties, parties drive the government. I think it's a serious mistake to get that priority mixed up.

[rug]

44. The purest democracy was in Greece.

Of course, the helots had no say.

[Fyddlestyx]

47. I had never been to caucus before this year...

I had no idea what to expect, but it turned out to be a very positive experience. It actually had an almost festive atmosphere. Everyone was civil and respectful. Absolutely no pressure from anybody. There were all ages there, from babies right up to elderly. Those that couldn't attend were able to send in absentee ballots. The doors were held open to make sure everyone in the long line got in. It was very well run. I would definitely caucus again.

[Peacetrain]

53. Caucus in Iowa are wonderful ...at least where I am

Everyone registers ..comes into a room.. we visit with each other, catch up with the news while they get a head count.. (300 this year)...then the leader designates the corners of the rooms as areas for your candidate.. Senator Clintons front corner, Senator Obama front right corner...etc.. then everyone goes an stands in the corner of their preferred candidate...and the precinct captain for that candidate does a head count.. and if you don't have at least 15% for viability.. you can join another candidate corner or go home if there is no one else you are interested in.. great fun.. My 20 year old son was the Biden precinct captain. Hubby and I were Obama supporters (there goes that myth, about only the young for Obama) but just a great great experience.. and we know exactly the numbers of how many voted for who


After that if there is any other business for the poliitical party.. people sit around and chew on that.. but the voting process, for the candidate.. very simple, and engaging and energizing

[Condem]

66. Iowa City, peacetrain. Where you?

[Peacetrain]

90. Hi Iowa City

Out on the western border.. King Country :(.. I love Iowa City.. the People Republic of Johnson County .

[damntexdem]

56. LOL! Good one! Great satire!

But caucus goers do make greater efforts than those who only go to the polls.

Of course, here in Texas, we do both. And I ended up with over a thousand people in my county caucus in an open park, because there was no venue large enough to hold us on caucus day. And we did get the job done. And now I'm off to the state convention this week. But the arguments tend to be over such things as who gets to be the delegate, alternate, or committee member at the next level -- not whether year-round schools make sense.

[Writer]

58. Dude, it's not what it's cracked up to be.

I've lived in primary states (Texas; NJ) and currently live in a Caucus state (Colorado), and I have to say, the caucus was an incredible joke. The entire point of holding caucuses is that people inform one another about their respective candidates and speak on behalf of them. We had hardly any time to discuss our candidates because our schedule was so packed with the many planks we had to go over as well as reading the rules, etc. Everyone had shown up at the caucus with their minds made up anyway (communication has advanced considerably since the 19th Century), so even discussing or debating our candidates was a moot effort.

Accordingly, there was a man sitting two chairs behind me who had interviewed me for a job a couple years before. He happens to live in my precinct. Seeing him there bothered me, because I believe my political viewpoints should be private and kept away from professional relationships.

I would have preferred to have shown up on election day, cast a vote, then went home.

[Carrieyazel]

59. Too bad for Obama there are no caucuses being held in any state on GE Day.

He excels in that format.

[eridani]

61. The "access" issue is total bullshit

Maine has absentee caucusing for any reason whatsoever. That eliminates the argument that people who work nights or Saturdays and disabled people can't attend. All caucus state should be doing this, and I will be working for this in Washington state. With preregistration and modern databases, much of the sign-in hassle could be eliminated.

People who favor primaries favor passive sound bite politics--why not eliminate primaries altogether and just look at the FEC filings? You could just award delegates according to how much money each candidate has raised.

[DevonRex]

65. We love our caucuses in Colorado. It's not just voting for candidates.

It's voting for the state party platform, too. And getting people to volunteer to be poll watchers and election judges. And nominating delegates to county and state conventions.

We can even propose our own planks to the party platform. Imagine that.

[Beaverhausen]

67. Caucuses disenfranchise many voters

To have every voter in a state be available at the same hour on the same day isn't fair.

Some people can't get out of work, are unable to get to the polling place due to age or disability, or emergencies come up that preclude people from attending at that hour.

I think in theory it is good to have debate, and I too used to think caucuses were exciting, but having witnessed a caucus (Nevada) I changed my mind.

[Condem]

68. Hey beaverhausen

Do you think that,just maybe, caucus goers are a little more educated about the candidates and the issues than the primaries?

[Beaverhausen]

73. That's not the point

I canvassed door to door the day before the Nevada caucus and talked to many people who wanted to vote couldn't for one reason or another. Many were old and simply couldn't go through the process. In primary states, these older voters vote absentee, as do other disabled people. They should have a voice. A few had emergencies come up (like a funeral - no way to plan for those) and also couldn't make it even though they wanted to.

Also, as I was canvassing, I kept running into the mail carrier, and I finally stopped and asked him if he was going to be able to caucus the next day. He wasn't able to but wanted to. He lived too far from his route to be able to take the time off and do it.

Then there are doctors and nurses, and anyone else who works on a saturday. You can't shut a state down for two hours. It's not possible.

And the caucus I witnessed was at the Bellagio - it was the casino workers and it was a huge clusterfuck. Again, you can't shut Las Vegas down for 2 hours while people vote.



edit- wrote wrong day.

[Condem]

77. You're in Vegas, I'm in Iowa

Young, old, wheelchair bound- everyone at my caucus. In Iowa, beaver, it's a state honor. But also- we're first. That helps. You have a good point. However, when I was in high school, I always had a good excuse for skipping school.

[Beaverhausen]

78. So you're saying you're OK with people not being able to vote

And you have no idea how many couldn't make it. You only saw those who did.

Did you do any canvassing? Talk to anyone? and yes, I know there are programs for caucus-goers to get rides. I was at one woman's house who was waiting for her call from the NV dem party about her ride.

[Condem]

79. Are you saying that we live in an absolute democracy?

That some people are even qualified to vote. C'mon beaver, wake up. To some , it's a beauty pageant. Brig your holier than thou attitude up when we ban the electoral college. Do me a favor. Don't ever bring up canvassing or working the phones. You sound like a first-timer.

[illberichtomorrow]

69. caucus states have a 5% turnout

gruesome turnout. Not exactly my definition of "democracy". The way I see Democracy, people actually go and vote.

[Condem]

70. Been to one, illberich?

[illberichtomorrow]

71. You don't have to attend an event to know its turnout

The statistics are just there.

[Condem]

72. Yepper!

It's always the posters who haven't been to one who bitch about them. Like you, illberich. If statistics matter so much, than according to some, Hillary won the popular vote.

[Marrah_G]

74. I'm glad mine is not- There is a high probability I would be left out

Not everyone has the luxury or schedule to allow them to participate.

In an actual election I can drop by the polling place on my way to or from work and have my voice heard.

It's sad that people in some states never have the opportunity to have their voices heard.

[Eric J in MN]

75. Traffic nightmare

Thousands of people told to go to the same place at the same time.

People crammed together inside the front doors.

I hope Minnesota switches to a primary by 2012.

[swishyfeet]

76. Votebymail-i-caucus FTW!!

[Veruca Salt]

82. This year was my first caucus

and it was a lot of fun! I got to meet people I wouldn't have otherwise met and had an all around good time!

[electron_blue]

83. Fwiw, there was no meaningful debate at our caucus.

It was a total madhouse, with votes written on scraps of paper, some of which fell to the floor. I think normally there are debates you're imagining, but not this time.