Hello everyone. I have made some upgrades to the site recently. I have added the Star-Tribune's RSS feed so the primary news source in Minneapolis has a chance to compete with my blog. I also widened the layout for easier reading.
If this is not met with you approval, please, use the new "Call Me" button that I have installed. Yes, The Critical Minneapolitan now has a voicemail box. Don't leave anything too profane or I'll be forced to post it. Thanks again for reading.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
Mechanics of a Caucus
On February 5, 2008 I went to my precinct caucus. It was my third caucus. And it certainly won't be my last. I thought some may find it helpful if this process was explained in reference to a primary. A few of my friends have inquired as to why I exhibit this Hannah-Montana-crazed-nine-year-old-girl-style excitement about these political functions every other year.
So, there are Democrats and Republicans. You can't be both in this process (few exceptions out there though). Each party needs to elect a candidate. They do this democratically with the use of delegates. Each delegate is supposedly a representation of a caucus (quite simply "group") of people. In Minnesota, precinct caucuses are held (generally encompassing a neighborhood). People volunteer to be delegates. If selected, they move on to the Senate District caucus (generally encompassing a set of neighborhoods). At that level, they will attempt to be elected to the state convention to represent that senate district. Along the way, these delegates pledge their support for candidates. Depending on majority of delegates at the state convention, candidates are endorsed and nominated by the party.
Now, the more distilled version of this process is the primary. Depending on your party, you show up to a polling place and look at a ballot filled with one party's candidates. You vote, drop it in the box, the party counts it and assigns delegates accordingly (or, if a winner-take-all state, all the delegates are placed in favor of the winner). That is the simple process and in Minnesota, it was attempted in the stead of caucuses because it's faster about ten years ago. But it's not cheaper. Taxpayers typically foot the bill for a primary where caucuses are party function and the cost absorbed by the party. Here's where I inject my opinion: I prefer caucuses without question. And so do Minnesotans, which is why we returned to the process.
Some elements of a primary were adopted by the caucus system recently to create a hybrid system. Now, at least in DFL caucuses, you show up, register, fill out a "preference ballot" and can then either leave or stay for the caucus. I stay because that's where the fun starts. Sitting among you neighbors, you begin to meet and learn who they are, all within the scope of issues concerning you and your neighbors. From anti-war resolutions to the stop sign on Zenith, your discussions are often charged with a sense of community and purpose. It's invigorating.
In Minnesota, about half as many Republicans attend their caucus as Democrats. And this year yielded record turnout for both parties. MPR reported that "[Secretary of State Mark] Ritchie says he expects up to 330,000 voters to participate by the time caucuses for the Green and Constitution parties and an online Independence Party caucus wrap up next month." In my precinct (Lowry Hill), almost 700 turned out. The line wrapped down two blocks, the church's lobby double backing before two flights of stairs, into a kiddy play room and back out to the registration tables.
As I was sitting on a trike waiting for the line to budge forward, a warm feeling washed over my heart as my faith in this country, despite the recession, war, scandal, and housing crisis, was awakened.
So, there are Democrats and Republicans. You can't be both in this process (few exceptions out there though). Each party needs to elect a candidate. They do this democratically with the use of delegates. Each delegate is supposedly a representation of a caucus (quite simply "group") of people. In Minnesota, precinct caucuses are held (generally encompassing a neighborhood). People volunteer to be delegates. If selected, they move on to the Senate District caucus (generally encompassing a set of neighborhoods). At that level, they will attempt to be elected to the state convention to represent that senate district. Along the way, these delegates pledge their support for candidates. Depending on majority of delegates at the state convention, candidates are endorsed and nominated by the party.
Now, the more distilled version of this process is the primary. Depending on your party, you show up to a polling place and look at a ballot filled with one party's candidates. You vote, drop it in the box, the party counts it and assigns delegates accordingly (or, if a winner-take-all state, all the delegates are placed in favor of the winner). That is the simple process and in Minnesota, it was attempted in the stead of caucuses because it's faster about ten years ago. But it's not cheaper. Taxpayers typically foot the bill for a primary where caucuses are party function and the cost absorbed by the party. Here's where I inject my opinion: I prefer caucuses without question. And so do Minnesotans, which is why we returned to the process.
Some elements of a primary were adopted by the caucus system recently to create a hybrid system. Now, at least in DFL caucuses, you show up, register, fill out a "preference ballot" and can then either leave or stay for the caucus. I stay because that's where the fun starts. Sitting among you neighbors, you begin to meet and learn who they are, all within the scope of issues concerning you and your neighbors. From anti-war resolutions to the stop sign on Zenith, your discussions are often charged with a sense of community and purpose. It's invigorating.
In Minnesota, about half as many Republicans attend their caucus as Democrats. And this year yielded record turnout for both parties. MPR reported that "[Secretary of State Mark] Ritchie says he expects up to 330,000 voters to participate by the time caucuses for the Green and Constitution parties and an online Independence Party caucus wrap up next month." In my precinct (Lowry Hill), almost 700 turned out. The line wrapped down two blocks, the church's lobby double backing before two flights of stairs, into a kiddy play room and back out to the registration tables.
As I was sitting on a trike waiting for the line to budge forward, a warm feeling washed over my heart as my faith in this country, despite the recession, war, scandal, and housing crisis, was awakened.
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