March vote for party's presidential candidate won't count (WA Dems)

[chascarrillo]

March vote for party's presidential candidate won't count

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEATTLE -- Washington Democrats can cast their vote in March for their party's presidential candidate, but it won't count, despite costing taxpayers more than $6 million.

The Democratic National Committee earlier this month rejected the state party's plan to allot 20 percent of its delegate votes through the primary election scheduled for March 2.

Instead, all the party's delegates will be allotted during the Feb. 7 caucuses, held in public places and activists' homes around the state.

The committee reasoned that splitting the delegation votes could lead to possible credential challenges and send mixed messages about the intent of the state if a candidate were to win the caucus yet lose the primary.

The committee also asserted it would be unfair to the candidates to force them to focus their energies on two dates in Washington.

(snip)

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aplocal_story.asp?category=6420&slug=WA%20Democratic%20Primary

[goobergunch]

1. This helps Dean IMHO

I think he is very likely to win the WA caucuses.

[salin]

2. I am curious

if Washington state has always had a caucus selection system, what was the intention of starting a primary system in 1992? With no context - it seems like a curious story. Any Washington DUers want to help me fill in the blanks?

[Rose Siding]

3. I couldn't tell you

This is the first time I've tried to understand how it works.

What I've done to find out about the precinct caucus:

Go to DNC site, "Get Local" tab for state, mid page drop down program for "Find the local Democratic Party organization near you:" lists counties. On my county page, I found my legislative district and meeting info for my princinct. There's a contact, phone #, e-mail.

I guess I'll go to the next meeting (ours are 2nd Tuesdays) and see how hooked up I need to be to participate in the Feb 7 caucus.

I'm in damn it!

[chascarrillo]

6. I listened to the WA Dem Part Chairman on the radio...

Apparently the move to a partial primary system was to provide for more public input. Even though the primary vote was scheduled next year (and still is, even though it wouldn't count), the result would have only counted towards 20% of the delegates, the other 80% being decided by caucus.

Apparently this isn't as big of a deal as feared. The only really negative point about it is the $6m election scheduled, but it can be cancelled (by whom, I forget).

[damnraddem]

9. For some reason, other states do the same.

Why, I don't know.

[stevedeshazer]

4. This is insane.

This systen ensures that party insiders and not voters will decide the nominee. It strikes me as a particularly corrupt and undemocratic process.

[Ediacara]

5. the caucuses

are completely public, and the members vote on candidates as well as other plank issues. Curiously, in 2000, the caucuses had no effect on choosing the nominee, and the primaries were the sole choosing location.

[MaineDem]

7. Religious observances

If I remember correctly, I read a while ago that the caucus will be held on a Saturday and some people were upset that it was on a day of religious observances. So the state was going to hold a primary as well. That part I never did understand.

[Rose Siding]

8. Is the caucus during the day?

Or after sundown? Our regular precinct meetings are at 7pm