I'm a delegate

[Titania]

Just got back from caucusing in the democratic primary. I am a delegate, and am moving on to the county level. I'll certainly campaign to make it to state and national level, but will likely be knocked out next round.

A very surprising number of people there were Ns, and were awesome. The people immediately next to me were 1) a former national campaigner for Edwards, will be defending his Philosophy doctorate thesis tomorrow. 2) A guy in the middle of his masters in biochemistry. 3) A woman in the middle of her marine biology graduate.

We're all delegates or alternates. Wonderful, wonderful people.

Anyway, I know you are all burned out on politics, but this was a great experience. I recommend it!

[Madrigal]

Even though I get happy you aren't apathetic (especially politically, that's not normal on the board) I can't be happy that it's the Democratic Party. :D

My mother once became a candidate for local elections with a social-democratic although self-proclaimed trotskyist party, and she never forgave that I didn't vote for her. That was the farthest left she ever got, deep down I was proud. :ph34r:

[Titania]

Baby steps, maddie, baby steps. Far left libertopia before we drag this country into little-c communism via some sort of conspiracy. I'm not sure what sort.

[eyebyte_atWork]

Sound cool.

I would not have guessed about the N factor - but after some thought I guess it make sense.

[Volpeculus]

[ronpaul]

[MacGuffin]

[ronpaul]
Shhh!

Don't piss off Lurker!

[Rajah]

Shhh!

Don't piss off Lurker!No kidding. You really don't want to make her mad.

[MacGuffin]

No kidding. You really don't want to make her mad.
Mr. McGee, don't make her angry. You wouldn't like her when she's angry.

[eyebyte_atWork]

RON PAUL !!!

[Thevenin]

Just got back from caucusing in the democratic primary. I am a delegate, and am moving on to the county level. I'll certainly campaign to make it to state and national level, but will likely be knocked out next round.

What actually happens when you are caucusing? What's it like? How does it work?

[C.J.Woolf]

Anyway, I know you are all burned out on politics, but this was a great experience. I recommend it!
That sounds fantastic! But I'll relay something Mrs. Woolf tells me when I quote left-wing blogs at her: Beware of the echo chamber. (She was right about 2004, anyway.)


Even though I get happy you aren't apathetic (especially politically, that's not normal on the board) I can't be happy that it's the Democratic Party. :D
Hey, in the US, radical parties don't get elected -- unless they can fool Americans into thinking they aren't radical, as the Republicans did.

Hmm...

[Titania]

What actually happens when you are caucusing? What's it like? How does it work?It is different in every state, but the general overwhelming characteristics of a caucus:

1) It is not a secret ballot. In fact, it is designed specifically so that everyone at the caucus can see who is voting for whom.

2) Encouraging people to change their mind and talk about the candidates is not only allowed, it's encouraged.

3) It takes effort and time. It is designed in part to take effort and time. This is not an impersonal uninvolved vote, this is a vote seen before your community and which you must work to cast.

Texas is unique. First, our primaries are open-- that means that voting in that party's primary, and not indicating on one's voter registration, is what registers you for that party.

After casting one's vote in Texas, and therefore becoming a member of the party whose primary you just voted in, allows you to caucus for them. Once the polls close, and once those in line when the polls closed finish voting, a list of registered voters for each party in that precinct is made available to the caucus organizers. The organizers are members of the party who volunteered.

The parties differ from this point on.

Here's how the Democrats work. Note this is the one I know about, and a Republican could probably explain theirs better:

35% of the Democratic delegates are awarded via caucus.

The number of delegates in a district is proportionate to the number of people who voted in the previous gubernatorial race. The more people who voted in that district, the more delegates that district has. Mine, for example, had 28 up for grabs.

Once the voter rolls are obtained for the district, those who were there at that time were told to get into separate lines, one for each candidate. You stand in line and "sign in" to the caucus using your name, your address, and your voter ID number, and then write the last name of the candidate.

This log is what determines what proportion of the delegates up for grabs go to what candidate. There is a sort of complex formula for determining this, and it's designed to make sure that someone doesn't end up with 3/4ths of a delegate, which would be sort of painful for that delegate.

Signing in grants you access to the meeting (confusingly, ALSO called the caucus). Not everyone stays for this. The orders of business in the meeting are:

1) Elect a district leader if the one appointed by the party didn't show up.
2) Appoint a secretary to record the event.
3) Review the count on the sign in and the math, and vote to confirm we all agree with that math. For example, the number of sign-ins in my district were roughly 280, with 200 going to Obama and 80 going to Clinton. Coincidentally, we happened to have 28 delegates. Their math was pretty easy, 20 went to Obama, and 8 to Clinton.
4) Once agreed upon, the meeting splits into camps for each candidate, and they appoint delegates to represent their district and candidate at the county level. Frequently, these are chosen from the people still at the meeting, although any member of the party in that district is eligible. We also appoint alternates, in case someone is sick or dies or stops caring.
5) The two meetings get back together, and someone is appointed to basically call and bug the people who volunteered to make sure they show up. They also inform you about meetings.
6) Finally, we vote on resolutions which will help to decide what issues are brought up for a vote at the next level. It's stuff like ordinances or resolutions.

It's not over, though. For example, only about ten people on the Hilary side stayed to caucus in our district! If only seven people and no alternates show up on their side, one of our alternates can take their place at the next level up and vote Obama. Also, while it's considered slightly dirty to do this, it is entirely permissible to campaign to those delegates and try to change their minds so they vote differently at the next level!

So, at the county level, I do this all again, I stand up and I caucus for my candidate. The difference is, I have to make a case for why I should go on to the next level, the State level. How loyal am I, how well informed am I, how active have I been in the campaign, would I be or have I been a real asset etc. If I can't make my case, I'll be eliminated.

I am a little unsure of how to make my case and when. I am looking into this now.

If I make it to the next level, I will do it all over again. At this level, in addition to competing for who is the most loyal, the Democratic party has a rule that the delegates have to reflect the gender and cultural make up of the state. So, I will be running for Young White Female for Texas Delegate. If I make the cut, I will go to the national convention and will cast a vote for my candidate there.


How the Republicans work.

They also sign in. Their sign in means nothing, it's just a record of who is there and there to make sure everyone there is a Republican. All of their delegates are awarded to whoever won the primary, winner take all. Their caucus is just so someone can stand up and argue that they'd be a loyal representative of the elected candidate on the state level. These are nearly always campaign workers. Whoever wins gets to go to the national convention and have a victory party, basically, since McCain has now reached the number of delegates needed to automatically win.

[Thevenin]

It is different in every state, but the general overwhelming characteristics of a caucus...

It sure is complicated. I've always wondered about caucuses because I've never lived in a caucusing state. Thanks for the great description.

[Titania]

It sure is complicated. I've always wondered about caucuses because I've never lived in a caucusing state. Thanks for the great description.I wouldn't say it's complicated, but rather has to deal with a messy situation (a mob) and try to find a way to precisely quantify and organize the will of a mob. It's a lot easier to do than it is to describe, as long as you're willing to wait in line for a few hours, and as long as the organizers know what they're doing.

I had the fortune to spend three hours standing around and talking with a guy who is defending his doctorate on philosophy today, another who was a computer science major with minors in biology and Russian and who is studying microbiology post grad, and a neat athletic chick getting her post-grad in marine biology. Oh, and these people all live less than a block from me. And we were all totally hot and about the same age. Most fun I've ever had standing in line.

[Titania]

This is probably totally uninteresting to you, but I am back from a meeting...

... where I just convinced the majority of the other delegates to make me 1st priority delegate to the state convention. It's conceivable I will not make it to state still, but it is a strong possibility.

So, one step closer to the national convention. Saturday LATE I'll know if I'm going.

Still a little in shock. Very close.

[Rhu]

We, your INTP constituents, can expect larger pork barrels of goodies the further you advance in this Thunderdome tournament. Right?

[Oso Mocoso]

So, one step closer to the national convention. Saturday LATE I'll know if I'm going.

Good luck Titania, you're awesome. I hope you're going.

[Madrigal]

On a personal level, I'm happy for you. On a political level, well, you know. ;)


Hey, in the US, radical parties don't get elected
They don't get elected here either! Maybe they can get a couple of people into Congress, but usually not even that.

[Zephyrus055]

I don't understand. Why do upper middle class people ever vote for the democrats? Why do you want to pay taxes on dividends, higher capital gains, higher estate taxes, and higher income taxes? In short, why the hell do you want to pay higher taxes? You're privileged, why don't you want to keep it and exclude the working class from it? I understanding hating the upper class, but why vote for people who are voting against your interests?

[Rhu]

You're privileged, why don't you want to keep it and exclude the working class from it?
Why do you want to keep it and exclude others from it?

edit:
To put it in other terms: it's a different sort of survival strategy, you can either buy your comfort directly by using your resources to put yourself out of reach of the lower class, who understandably hates you. The other way would be to try to make the working class more comfortable, so you don't have to put yourself quite so far out of reach.

[Titania]

You're privileged, why don't you want to keep it and exclude the working class from it?I, personally, am economic working class. I grew up richer than you, almost certainly. I am probably social upper class.

So, hush up.

[Zephyrus055]

Why do you want to keep it and exclude others from it?

edit:
To put it in other terms: it's a different sort of survival strategy, you can either buy your comfort directly by using your resources to put yourself out of reach of the lower class, who understandably hates you. The other way would be to try to make the working class more comfortable, so you don't have to put yourself quite so far out of reach.
Fair enough. But then why not support legislation that would tax the upper class, and not your class? Why not divert the hate directed at your class to the upper class?

For example. Rather than support estate taxes that hurt the upper middle class (like $1- 5 million), why not support an estate tax of like 90% for billionaires? They're the ones that avoid these things, the upper middle class gets the hammer.


I, personally, am economic working class. I grew up richer than you, almost certainly. I am probably social upper class.

So, hush up.
Maybe you were. But it's very unlikely you were born in a family with a networth in the hundreds of millions to billions of dollars. A few million is more understandable, and it counts as upper middle class or lower rich.

So let me get this. You make under $25,000 a year, are over the age of 25, but your friends and family are very wealthy?

[Rhu]

For example. Rather than support estate taxes that hurt the upper middle class (like $1- 5 million), why not support an estate tax of like 90% for billionaires? They're the ones that avoid these things, the upper middle class gets the hammer.
That's more or less what is wanted in theory. Hammering the upper-middle class is easier, in the end. The government has to walk a tightrope to get anything at all out of the richest of the rich since they have the accountants and lawyers needed to exploit those loopholes created to encourage international business. Assets and estates start moving offshore when that's most viable.

[Titania]

You're not terribly bright if you attribute being liberal to malice.

[C.J.Woolf]

I don't understand. Why do upper middle class people ever vote for the democrats?
For the same reason lower middle class people vote for Republicans and against their own economic interests -- values. The Christian right aren't the only values voters.

[Titania]

In any case, I'd rather this not turn into yet another "Imperator doesn't understand basic human nature" thread.

Tomorrow is going to be an extremely long day. If all goes as planned in the meeting (and not enough people showed up to be 100% sure it will; we've elected a whip for our side, and she's extremely competent, so here's hoping), I can leave a little earlier than some.

Been feeling a little guilty, I beat out a friend who is also extremely qualified. He'll hopefully make it as an at-large delegate. He's under 35, he's an activist, and he's got some extremely useful life experience that may qualify him. We also have a shortage of white males since the Clinton supporters are universally slightly tubby blond women from aged like 21-60, and they all run on like really tight wound clockwork. That skews the convention female, so the men will actually have an advantage when they do the affirmative action magic.

The Whip, though, also extremely qualified. I think she's going to end up being an alternate, though, so that's good.

Our side was a lot more diverse, from what I can see. Good age spread, good class spread, lots of minorities

We've voted, and the Whip will enforce, that we have to stay positive about the campaign in public. In private, yeah, we're frustrated, we feel the campaign has been too long and too dirty, and we don't feel it's really come from us. It's hard to stay positive when everything from your feminist values to your world experience to whether you're a cult or not is questioned directly by the Clinton campaign, especially when minor factual corrections (not a cult, it's highly disrespectful to the victims of cults to call a political movement one) are treated like attacks and all that. Hell, this paragraph, where I say I'm frustrated? Would be called an attack. Bleh.

But in public, we are pleased to be part of this vital part of Texas democracy, and in helping choose the next president of the United States.

[Zephyrus055]

You're not terribly bright if you attribute being liberal to malice.
No one said that was the case.


That's more or less what is wanted in theory. Hammering the upper-middle class is easier, in the end. The government has to walk a tightrope to get anything at all out of the richest of the rich since they have the accountants and lawyers needed to exploit those loopholes created to encourage international business. Assets and estates start moving offshore when that's most viable.
Good explanation, thank you :). I also suppose that hammering the upper middle class may help the upper class by continuing their hold on power by reducing competition.


For the same reason lower middle class people vote for Republicans and against their own economic interests -- values. The Christian right aren't the only values voters.
Fair enough. In the case of the Christian right, I don't think they really understand economics very well, so they may not be a very accurate group to assess. On the other hand, the upper middle class should know better, so yeah I guess some of them are voting based on values.


But in public, we are pleased to be part of this vital part of Texas democracy, and in helping choose the next president of the United States.
Good luck

[Titania]

Videos!

Somewhat interesting:

It is a convention! (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v63/Meshou/?action=view&current=000_0183.flv)

The color of the video makes the place look less full for some reason, but I can assure you, at that point, it was really really close to standing room only.

Not at all interesting:

I am a princess. (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v63/Meshou/?action=view&current=convention.flv)

Oh, and I am, in fact, going to the state convention.

I a little doubt that, unless I get a LOT more involved real quick, I'll be making it to the national. Shoot.