Bye-bye caucuses - Thanks Obama for keeping Iowa First

[Debi]

:banghead:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/08/20/obama_clinton_looking_to_dimin.html

<snip>

Barack Obama's campaign will call next week for the creation of a new commission to revise the rules for selecting a presidential nominee in 2012 with a goal of reducing the power of superdelegates, whose role became a major point of contention during the long battle between Obama and Hillary Clinton.

The commission also will be urged to redraw the calendar for 2012 to avoid starting the primaries and caucuses so early, and also to look specifically at assuring more uniform rules and standards for those caucuses.

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said the campaign will ask the national convention delegates in Denver to approve a resolution approving the establishment of a 35-member Democratic Change Commission. The charter would authorize the Democratic National Committee chairman appoint the commission soon after the election and ask them to report back by January 2010.

<snip>

The other significant change is the call to redraw the primary and caucus calendar. The 2008 calendar drew significant criticism both for the early starting dates for the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries, and also because there were so many states crowded into the first month of what turned out to be a five-month campaign.

<snip>

The other major area the commission will be asked to examine is the operation of caucuses in states that choose that process rather than a primary. The caucuses drew criticism, particularly from the Clinton campaign, which said they restricted participation and that in some states lacked the necessary infrastructure to insure fairness.

"We agree that we ought to make sure they're funded properly, staffed properly and run smoothly, and even see if people ought to be eligible to vote absentee," Plouffe said.

[Rambis]

1. What the fock Barack?

who launched your ass?

[Debi]

2. But he has to appease the folks who didn't win the caucuses

I guess by getting rid of the caucuses?? :shrug:

[Blue Gardener]

3. Our State

Our Caucus. We don't need help making this decision.

[Debi]

4. But I guess the winner of the Iowa Caucuses does

This is very dissapointing - and a real kick in our teeth from the nominee.

[chiefofclarinet]

5. Message to the campaign

LEAVE US ALONE! It isn't your business what we do. We like the caucus, therefore we keep the caucus. End of story.

[Debi]

7. Agreed - and it seemed to work well for Sen. Obama

So why change it?

[Peacetrain]

6. We do just fine with the caucuses

Just because some people have difficulty getting their people to caucus, is not the problem of the caucus. It is the problem of the campaign. Just saying

[Debi]

8. And I wonder just which campaign suggested changing the caucuses

:think:

[Peacetrain]

9. Makes you want to go hmmmmmmmmm

doesn't it :hide:

[McCainHeartsYucca]

10. off topic

okay this sucks. I'm going to re-direct myself while i dwell on this.


www.mccainvsiowa.com

now THAT is a website you can sink your teeth into. mccain is a skunk on equal pay

[rurallib]

11. you need to start a new thread on this

It deserves a headline.
BTW - Welcome to DU and to the Iowa Forum. We really dislike that phony McCain here.

[IA_Seth]

12. How big of a threat?

How many decisions can an inter-state commission make regarding Iowa's nominating process? I realize they can exert influence on our 'leaders', but doesn't it take a State Party change to change things?

[Debi]

13. Ask yourself what Iowa would look like if we went some time in May?

Or if we pulled a MI/FL and jumped in line (and the candidates signed a pledge not to campaign here - or have staff here - or have offices here).

Get back to me on how much change would occur then.

[IA_Seth]

14. Lol, hey now..

Oh ok ok....calm down Ms Debi, I wasn't saying that we weren't a target, or that being a target didn't suck.. I just don't understand why (if we have strong party leaders) any nationally-organized group can change OUR process.

I personally don't have a lot of faith that we'd hold firm, but we SHOULD be able to do so, right?

And I know we could get screwed for jumping in line, but there is always the slight hope that this 'commission' will respect the tradition (and Iowa LAW) that has us first.

I'll start freakin out when we see the names of those commission members.. and hopefully phone numbers and email addresses.. ha ha.

[Debi]

15. It will be headed by Debbie Dingell of Michigan (God...Michigan...AGAIN)

And check your PM.

Understand that Senator (or President) Obama will have no control over the commission once it is formed. No protection for Iowa or Iowa's tradition or Iowa's (Incredible!) Caucus plan. Once that commission is formed and headed by a Michigan (Clinton) Super Delegate - our state and our process will be at the commission's mercy (with no guarantee that Iowa will have one of the 35 seats at the table).

Feel secure? I sure as hell don't.

[IA_Seth]

16. Yeah, not so much.

Thanks for the info, and the PM!

[Debi]

17. Yepsen gets it .... Others don't

Yepsen gets it

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080821/OPINION01/808210346/1166


Others don't

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080821/NEWS/80821016&theme=CONVENTION

[4dsc]

19. Yepsen rarely get's it...

I find Yepsen's lean to the right in more than one issue and this is another fine example.. I cannot stand this asshole.. It looks as though he was given his talking point by Karl Rove personally.. Zogby poll?? Give me a break please..

[iowasocialist]

18. Why not?

If Obama loses, it would be very clear that this is no way to elect a president.

We badly need electoral reform in this country.

I ran a caucus this past January, and I came to see that a primary would be better for Iowa.

We should not let our Iowa pride and our status as political junkies blind us to what might be better for our nation and our party.

[Peacetrain]

20. See that is just it.. the primaries can be punked

by people crossing over. The primary season is not an election season , it is a selection season. And in Iowa, the caucus works well, because we also do party business at caucuses. In fact it bring "democracy" to the the voter level at a much higher rate than a primary does. You walk in and vote on what has been decided for you. In the caucus,you impact not only on the canidate selection but how we are going to run our state party,pick delegates to the state convention,elect local officers for the local party.

[4dsc]

21. I found very little to back up your last sentence

I found that the party faithful were in charge from the beginning to end of the whole election process.. And if you are not a "known" individual amungst the party faithful, you have little if any chance at all at determining how we are going to run the party.. Its all been decided well in advance..

[Debi]

22. Maybe that happend to you at your caucus

but here in Black Hawk County the new people involved (mainly w/Obama and Clinton) shook up and enlivened our Party. We have new central committee members - we had new delegates to the conventions and many many new activists and volunteers. Our State Central Committee members have changed (from the First District we have a new member who got involved for the first time because of Barack Obama) and I attended the State Convention with a high school friend of my son's who is only 21 and this was his first caucus cycle (and his family has not been politically involved in the past). When over 100,000 new people join in the process things are going to change.

[Peacetrain]

23. Well at our caucus, the state delegates were picked

from those at the caucus who wanted to attend. Some old timers,some new, very nice mix. We did a floor vote on who would run the caucus etc.

[IA_Seth]

24. That hasn't been my experience..

During my first ever experience with a caucus in 04 I was elected to the Central Committee, not even knowing what it was. I took on the two long-standing precinct reps (not knowing that either), but was able to make a case for new blood and a fresh voice. It wasn't difficult, and I'm a pretty shy person.

Since that caucus I've become fairly involved with the party, learning a LOT along the way, but never experiencing any sort of 'good ol boy' club roadblocks by any means. I've had my say in party votes, I've led a caucus, etc.

I am sure if you approach the caucus structure in a combative manner (like SOME posters come here), you are going to run into difficulty. It's a Democratic process that requires the building of support and coalitions.. it doesn't take well to people speaking like condescending know-it-alls, which is a-ok with me.

[Critters2]

28. the party faithful should run the caucus. It's a party meeting.

In Illinois, where I happen to be until I am delivered by the grace of God, I find it hard to connect to the party. In the primary, you walk in, you vote, you leave. Never meet anyone but the election judges--who are good folks, but many are just volunteers who are free during the day, and not all that active in the party. The party regulars meet in back rooms somewhere without my knowledge or participation.

Whereas, in Iowa, I went to the caucus, listened to platform discussions, heard impassioned speeches in favor of candidates, and was elected to the county caucus. Everyone was informed as to time and place, and able to participate if it was important enough to them to get to the caucus site.

I can't imagine why anyone would prefer primaries over caucuses.

[Debi]

30. Iowa's delegation to the National Convention

http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2008/08/26/news/metro/10566172.txt

<snip>

Delegate breakdown

There are lots of new folks in Iowa's convention delegation. Thirty of the 57 are at their first convention, a clear reflection, party officials say, of Barack Obama's influence. Obama, of course, drew tens of thousands of new people to the party's January caucuses.

His influence is also felt in the age breakdown. Seven of the 57 delegates are under 25 years old. The youngest is Merci Wolff, an 18-year-old from Sioux City.

The oldest, incidentally, is 84-year-old Ione Shadduck of West Des Moines.

There are two Iraq War veterans, seven African-Americans, four Hispanics and one Asian Pacific Islander in the delegation.

<snip>

[47of74]

25. Something has to be done though

I think something has to be done because our current system is so messed up all over the country. Also the only people who get to participate in caucuses are those who are free to get to the location at the time. Those of us who were unable to get off work that night, those serving in the military, or unable to get child care were unable to participate.

[Critters2]

29. It's like everything else...a matter of priorities.

It's a party meeting. People who care about party matters get there. And at the site where I sat in last January, childcare was provided. If it matters to people, they'll get it done.

[HuskiesHowls]

26. Code of Iowa, Title II, Chapter 43.4...

"43.4 Political party precinct caucuses.
Delegates to county conventions of political parties and party committee members shall be elected at precinct caucuses held not later than the fourth Monday in February of each even-numbered year. The date shall be at least eight days earlier than the scheduled date for any meeting, caucus or primary which constitutes the first determining stage of the presidential nominating process in any other state, territory or any other group which has the authority to select delegates in the presidential nomination. The state central committees of the political parties shall set the date for their caucuses. "

I don't think a national committee can get around that...we'd have to do it to ourselves...willingly.

[Debi]

27. This last cycle other states legislatures passed similar laws

so now several states have a law saying that state has to go first. What will we do?

++++

Although maybe Iowa has nothing to worry about after all...

http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2008/08/26/news/politics/10564896.txt

Culver confident caucuses are safe

DENVER --- Iowa Gov. Chet Culver said he doesn't expect a new commission set up to study the Democratic Party's nominating system to result in significant changes to the caucuses or Iowa's first-in-the-nation status. The party has approved the appointment of a panel to study its primary and caucus system. A similar commission was set up after the 2004 cycle and Iowa stayed first. However, the panel could be a storm cloud on the horizon.

"It will require, as it always does, a lot of work" to keep Iowa first, Culver told reporters this afternoon.

To that end, Culver said he'd visit the New Hampshire delegation Monday. The two states have had an alliance for years. New Hampshire is the first primary.

Critics of the caucuses have been more vocal this year about the exclusion of second-shift workers and people with kids who often can't make the events, which are held in a narrow window of time in the evenings. Culver acknowledged the concerns, but said: "I don't think there will be major changes, but I'm open to having a discussion about it."

<snip>

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