karenfh
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2006
Posts: 1,495
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Post by karenfh on Feb 6, 2008 1:32:12 GMT -5
Well, I just heard from the local Democrat chairperson.
(I am only registered as a Democrat so I can actually vote in the primary elections. Usually, I vote for whoever I darn well please, whether it be Mickey Mouse (and yes, I have written him in) or whomever. I don't appreciate having to be pinned down, until I am ready to decide. But, I have to be something, or else my vote does not count in the primary....)
Guess my vote does not count in the primary, this year!
Nebraska is doing the caucus thing, and if my vote will be counted, I have to attend a function on Saturday, at a local town near me.
Jeez!
I did not realize this about the caucus thang... all Democrat votes in the Primary Election won't be counted, here in Nebraska. It all happens at the caucus on the "local" level, which is happening all over the state...
I am sorry, but I have some real reservations about this process.
Especially since I will be out of town/state that day.
Democratic republic at its best?
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Post by BuiltonRock on Feb 6, 2008 10:39:41 GMT -5
Caucuses are an old time way and will probably fade away in the years to come.
A caucus is where party members get together in their precincts to pledge their support for a favorite presidential candidate. Delegates are then awarded to the candidates based on the votes taken at the caucuses. The delegates then attend county assemblies and the state convention to vote on the party platform and “carry” the votes from their precinct. The state convention then awards delegates based on the results from the state as a whole.
A primary is simply an election that allows registered voters (with a specific party) to go to the polls and cast their ballot for a candidate. In some States the primaries are closed, which means you must be a member of the party to vote for that party’s candidate.
The caucuses and the primaries finally culminate in a national convention in which the party’s nomination for president is formally announced. During the conventions, the elected delegates cast their vote for a party candidate and the candidate with the most delegates gets the party’s nomination. The end of the convention marks the beginning of the general election season.
Most of the above info was taken from internet articles and compiled into one.
john
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Post by Tonyterner on Feb 6, 2008 11:40:44 GMT -5
Thanks for the explanation John. I live in a state with primaries but always wondered what a caucus was. Karen I'm with you, I used to register independent but decided to go with a party just so I could vote in the primaries. I've been registered with both parties depending on the election but right now I'm a dem. Looks like McCain should have the rep nomination wrapped up.
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Post by akansan on Feb 6, 2008 11:49:19 GMT -5
Yeah - we're really a representative democracy throughout the whole process. During the primaries, we have people that represent us to the national committees in some regard or other. And yes, they can vote however they choose, but they generally don't get to attend the next one in the same capacity if they don't follow the the will of the people they are representing.
In some state caucuses the tallies don't all go toward one candidate, but the percentages play true...so if Joe Blow won 50% of the state, John Doe 30%, and Tweedle Dum 20%, the delegates are awarded in that manner. Joe Blow gets 50% of the delegates from that state and on down the line. In traditional primaries, the winner carries all the delegates.
Kansas changed from a primary state to a caucus state because our primaries were so late in the year they didn't really matter. It does bring out the faithful to the party, though...
What gets me are the people that attend the National Conference that get a say without being tied to a state. Just random people (okay, not so random) that can be the tipping point.
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