Iowa Caucuses - I noticed this a week or two on NBC's site, thought it was an error, but....

[George II]

....now The Green Papers has put it on their site, too.

Apparently Iowa realigned some of their delegates.

Originally they were:

Biden 8
Buttigieg 12
Sanders 12
Warren 8
Kobuchar 1

Now the list is officially:

Biden 14
Buttigieg 9
Sanders 12
Warren 5
Kobuchar 1

The bottom line is that Biden DID win the Iowa Caucuses!!!

[Laelth]

1. That's strange.

It doesn’t really matter, at this point, but was there any explanation for the change in the tally?



-Laelth

[George II]

3. I haven't seen any, that's why I didn't believe the NBC numbers a week or two ago. I wonder....

....if candidates who dropped out could recommend their delegates be assigned to other candidates, or the delegates themselves can back a different candidate?

Caucuses are strange, and this is just another strange twist on a horrible process.

But........on to November!

[Bettie]

5. The numbers change due to county and state conventions

as candidates drop out, many delegates switch to viable candidates.

I was a Warren delegate, but once she dropped out, I went to Biden. That is why he has more at this point, because the candidates people caucused are no longer in the race.

ETA: Many Warren and Buttgeig delegates at county conventions clearly moved their votes to Biden as he was going to be the nominee at the point those conventions happened.

[Laelth]

6. Interesting.

I didn’t know that delegates could alter their choices after the caucus. Thank you for the reply.

-Laelth

[Bettie]

7. By the time the state convention happens, a nominee is usually all but chosen

so the delegates tend to align accordingly.

It's a Byzantine process and I'd prefer a primary, but no one cares what I think.

My husband usually runs our caucus, he understands the process, the math, and is good at running a meeting, they always (always) make me secretary.

The great thing about it though is that nomination petitions are signed by a lot of people on caucus night and any individual can submit a platform plank suggestion, right then and there and all of them are looked at, both at county and state level. I like that we at least have the illusion of being listened to. Never had that in Wisconsin or Illinois.

Not that any one at the national level cares one little bit what any of us at the local level thinks.

[Laelth]

8. As a "national" Democrat (not one with any power, mind you) ...

... my preference is for the Iowa Farm-Labor Democratic party to do what works for Iowa. You serve the country best by doing what works for you. Your system may seem Byzantine to me, but I don’t feel that I have standing to tell you how to run your party. You be you.



-Laelth

[Bettie]

9. You're one of a very few at DU who thinks that way

Seems like everyone here loves to say how stupid people in Iowa are.

Thanks for a rare kind word for those of us who live here.

[Budi]

2. Then Biden's State Primary wins are damned near a rout!

Guess they pretty much were even w/o Iowa. But this certifies any questions about Iowa.

Thanks!

[unc70]

4. Don't they have multilevel balloting?

As they work up through districts and finally at the state level?