I think we should have all caucuses. Than again, listening to all those podcast trying to explain how the primary process works, I am starting to think that we need to go back to smoke filled rooms picking the candidates. But then the media circus would lose out on a lot of money, so that is never going to happen. The way we pick candidates has turned into a multi billion dollar industry for the TV networks and other media.
If the idea is to give the masses a say in the nomination, a primary is better. If the idea is to have the most involved partisans choose a candidate, a smoke-filled room is better. It is amusing but politics should not be amusing.
The Electoral College goes by state population. IMO it's obvious that the amount of delegates each state has should go by how many voters the state has in that party, not total population. New York has 27 House districts. Texas has 36, which is one-third more. In 2018, the Democrats got more House votes in New York than in Texas. I looked at how many delegates each state has, and just like adding the two for the senators overweights the least populated states in the Electoral College, the least populated states are overweighted in Democratic delegates. I have no idea how it is determined how many delegates each state gets. Most states give a majority of the delegates broken down by House district. Delaware and Montana have only one House member and break it down by region, while at least one state uses state legislative districts rather than House districts. I saw a prediction that my district will be close to New York overall.
The Kansas Democratic Party used a caucus in 2016, but this year they are moving to ranked-choice voting, and I'm really happy about it. The Kansas primary date is May 2. I'm due to squeeze out crotch fruit on May 3. There's about zero percent chance I could participate in a caucus, but with the ranked-choice voting, I can request an early ballot and, ya know, actually be represented.
Congratulations on the new human to be. Never heard the term "crotch fruit." It is descriptive in a way nothing should be described. Good job.
Caucuses in California? It would be a total disaster. Just leave us with our idiotic propositions. Getting past all the crazies trying to get me to sign something at the entrance to the supermarket is more than enough direct democracy for me.
Well you guys are do for a good division in the state, a little more manageable if we have 5 or so new states (same for Texas).
Yes. The city of San Francisco itself should be a state on its own. Or better yet, an independent principality, like Monaco.
1. "Crotch fruit?" New one on me. 2. My bday is May 2, so if it's a he, and he comes out 1 day early, do the right thing.
Caucuses are very undemocratic. The dems in Iowa said for the 1st time they will release raw vote numbers and totals and delegate count numbers. Which means there could be 2 different winners in Iowa on that night yay!
Fetus does appear to be in possession of boy-junk. My father and maternal grandfather were both Davids, and I actually wouldn't mind running with a family name. Unfortunately, husband's eldest brother is ALSO David, and he's a lil bit douchey. Sort of ruined the name as an option. His wife is ALSO pregnant with a boy, and they're gonna name it...David. He's due to arrive on July 4th though. 'Murrica.
OK, you're forgiven. Middle name? In all seriousness...you're married to the French economist, right? I'm from a two culture family too. We gave our kids "American" first names so they'd fit in, and Luo middle names to honor both sides of their heritage. Just a thought.
The Jewish tradition would be to pick a name that starts with D, to remember previous Davids. Or you could name him Superdave.
Colorado used to have caucuses and I actually went to the ones in 2016 and 2018, and was a delegate to the Boulder County Democratic Convention in 2018. Caucuses suck. Thankfully, we've got a primary now. I'm not about to be fruitful, nor multiply, but schlepping out to the local middle school on a Tuesday to do the same thing with my neighbors that could've been accomplished with Colorado's mail-in voting seemed wasteful. P.S.
Congrats on the sexually transmitted parasite. So would a caucus help the candidate who's most people's second favorite?
Seems like Bernie is surging in both Iowa and NH. Still caucuses suck. Biden I believe has a chance to backdoor win in Iowa will see. One week away.
Yes. Overall, in a perfect world where people had perfect information, unlimited discretionary time, and a unfailing desire to participate in democracy, caucuses sound amazing to me. Involved discourses about the direction of the country ultimately deciding, people have to defend their choices and actively engage with decisions about what candidates they'll support, it sounds awesome. But unfortunately we don't live in the above perfect world, and caucuses are therefore quite clunky and exclude people based on circumstance.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/605788/ Mayor Pete getting much deserved criticism for his use of the heartland and code talking in Iowa. This guy always rubbed me the wrong way. Liked him on baseline but he always gave me an uneasy, watch my back sort of feeling. He has only fueled that and confirmed it over this primary season. If he can't do well in 90+% white Iowa and NH he is toast.
He will do well there. Unfortunately his clean cut Midwestern overachiever vibe really clicks with white small town moderates.