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Friday, February 8, 2008

A Caucusing Tip

posted by on February 8 at 16:46 PM

From the Stranger Election Control Board’s How to Caucus guide: “First, you have to find out where you’re actually supposed to be. Then, when you get there, you’ll be in some decrepit church basement or cheerless community meeting room, getting hassled about your vote by people who are masters of convoluted rules that you don’t even begin to understand.”

From my friend Jill: “My caucus is with ten million others at the community college. Pro: It’s about 30 feet away. Con: Last time, this kooky old man folded his arms and said, ‘I’m undecided! Convince me!’ Jill’s Caucusing Tip: No punching annoying people in the face. I do not have the patience for democracy.”

I’m still registered to vote at my parents’ address (is that illegal?)—so the caucusfinder tells me my caucus (caucussite? caucasage?) is at the lovely “Private Home of H[redacted] W[redacted]” over on the other side of Capitol Hill. This signals anti-cheerlessness! With a chance of snacks and drinks!

H.W. is an extremely nice, intensely liberal, fiercely feminist woman. When I was 5, her two sons formed a club with the other neighborhood little boys that was No Girls Allowed. While I have no recollection of these events, it is said that I made a sign and walked back and forth on the sidewalk, picketing their Private Home. H.W. was mortified and forced her boys to offer me membership immediately, which I then refused, having just wanted to make a point.

I’m with Adrian Ryan: H.R.C.! (And not because I just want to make a point.)

RSS icon Comments

1

Bethany, you're at MY caucus site! Hooray! I will convince you to switch to Obama sooooo fast!

Posted by annie | February 8, 2008 4:48 PM
2

Your five-year-old self rules.

Posted by Greg | February 8, 2008 4:49 PM
3

Bring cookies and donuts, annie!

They work wonders.

Posted by Will in Seattle | February 8, 2008 4:49 PM
4

Your caucus site sounds way cooler than mine. I'm also caucusing for Hillary, though! Yay!

Posted by Aislinn | February 8, 2008 4:50 PM
5

Correct me if I'm wrong, but each caucus site can be comprised of many individual precinct. So even though many people will be entering the same building, you're not going to interacting with most of them. Your precinct group will be fairly small.

Posted by stinkbug | February 8, 2008 5:12 PM
6

Go Bethany! Rock the HRC vote and stay strong. This thing is far form over.

Posted by JM | February 8, 2008 5:23 PM
7

@5: Most caucus sites will house multiple precincts. But most obviously tiny ones--in private homes, for example--are just for that precinct.

Posted by annie | February 8, 2008 5:33 PM
8

Hillary in '08! Yes she can!

Posted by Carollani | February 8, 2008 5:34 PM
9

Yay, let's enjoy "Republicans vs Clintons: Round 2" for four years. Maybe eight. Seriously, HRC fans. Think about what you're asking for.

Gawd.

Posted by doctiloquus | February 8, 2008 5:38 PM
10

@5 - well, usually. But technically, a precinct represents 400 voters, so it could be up to 400 people.

Just vote. Tomorrow. 1 pm.

Posted by Will in Seattle | February 8, 2008 5:42 PM
11

obama has a MUCH stronger draw amongst independents and republicans. hillary vs mccain may very well land us with a president mccain, which might as well be another 4 years of bush. no fucking way!

Posted by skye | February 8, 2008 5:42 PM
12

Yes, Obama has a strong draw amonst independents and republicans as long as there isn't an intense GOP campaign against him. Which there hasn't been, but which there will be.

So things will change.

This whole idea he will unite red and blue is the Barney the Dinosaur "analysis." Suddenly, the whole country will become purple, like Barney the Dinosaur. Everyone will like Obama!! How wonderful that will be. Just look at Barney -- everyone likes him, don't they??

Let's all be purple, kumbaya.

Pro'ly McCain will just give up and vote for Obama, too. Whoo-hoo!

Posted by unPC | February 8, 2008 5:48 PM
13

Will the stranger PLEASE promote this much better caucus location finder?

http://41dems.org/gmap/caucus.html

Posted by bellevue & belmont | February 8, 2008 6:14 PM
14

@12: No, because McCain/Crist will be busy trouncing Billary.

Posted by McCain FTW | February 8, 2008 6:28 PM
15

@12: how does that apply to obama but not clinton? i call bullshit.

Posted by skye | February 8, 2008 6:46 PM
16

Annie Wagner will secretly vote for McCain in November.

Posted by Fact. | February 8, 2008 6:46 PM
17

@16: Never.

Posted by annie | February 8, 2008 6:49 PM
18

@17 - McCain - Feingold, right?

Posted by Kent Cudgel | February 8, 2008 9:26 PM
19

I don't know why people are so down on the caucus process. I've gone to several back in Iowa, and they are great fun.

Of course, a Seattle caucus does have much more potential for dreariness, misplaced anger, weeping, and poetry.

Posted by catalina vel-duray | February 8, 2008 9:28 PM
20

Fun? Yes.

Democracy? Sorry. No.

If you want real democracy, the ballot must be secret.

Posted by elenchos | February 8, 2008 10:40 PM
21

How is it not Democracy, elenchos? Why is a secret ballot required for Democracy, at least on the caucus level?

Posted by catalina vel-duray | February 8, 2008 11:09 PM
22

Caucusing is like a town meeting: great for the 19th century village elders and non-drunkards to make decisions but pretty antiquated today.

Is the point of democracy to have fun? If so, caucusing does kinda accomplish that. But why else do it? 'Normal voting' entails privately marking ballot choices. Caucusing requires you have the fortitude to endure the opinions of your neighbors (however many choose to participate). sure, it's participatory in that undecideds and non-viable supporters get to be harangued/persuaded. I think the washington dem party continues to use the caucus (as do some 18 other rural/small states/protectorates) because it ensures that only the most dedicated democrats take the time to participate instead of the mass of rabble, and because it appeals to the independent/frontier streak in washingtonians.

We should have a national nominee voting (primary) day just like election day, so 70% of the country doesn't make up their minds based on the results of other states' votes.

Posted by hairyson | February 8, 2008 11:36 PM

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