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An American Cyber-Column

Primaries and Caucuses

Rich Galen

Friday December 30, 2011

• We      know the Iowa Caucuses will be held next Tuesday. A week after that, New      Hampshire will hold its primary. What’s the difference?
• One      week.
• Very      funny. Not counting that.
• A      caucus …

SIDEBAR

The plural of “Caucus” is not “Caucii,” as someone – probably someone who OD’d on cable news programs over the New Year weekend – will likely say at the Keurig machine with great authority on Tuesday.

Caucus is not a Latin word. According to the Merriam-Webster 3rd Unabridged, the etymology of “caucus” is:

probably of Algonquian origin; akin to caucauasu elder, counselor; and was first used in 1760.

END SIDEBAR

• …      is a meeting of people from the same precinct held at a specific time in a      specific place.
• Under      the GOP rules in Iowa people will go to a site representing one of 1,774      precincts; will check in to ensure they are really registered Republicans      in that precinct and not members of the “Occupy the Caucuses”      thugs, will listen to people speak on behalf of one candidate or another,      and will write the name of the candidate they are supporting on a piece of      paper which will be collected in some approved manner.
• The      precinct chairman will count the slips of paper, announce the results and      through electronic means transmit same to the GOP State Party counting      location in Des Moines.
• The      State Party will, at some point in the evening, announce the results and      people like me will get black and blue elbowing each other out of the way      to get in front of cameras pretending to know what it all means – with      great authority.
• The      Iowa Democrats’ system is much more complicated but only President Obama      is on the ballot so we may cover their system in more detail in 2013.
• Other      states’ caucuses have slightly different rules but the main point is you      have to get a supporter to that place at that time to have his or her vote      count.
• A      huge premium is placed on “organization” in caucus states. Four      years ago, the Obama campaign understood the need to have organizations in      each caucus state including Texas which has a combination of a primary and      caucuses.
• The      Clinton campaign didn’t understand this difference and had a battle plan      for each state which was about the same, whether it was a primary or a      caucus.
• The      result was Obama – I believe this is correct – won every caucus state; a      result which provided his margin of victory for the nomination.
• A      primary is a whole different kettle of chad. In many states voting begins      a week or more before the actual election day in a process known as      “early voting.” There will also likely be a huge effort to get      people to request and return “absentee ballots.”
• Early      and absentee voters cannot ask for a do-over, once they have voted that’s      it, so last-minute attacks are of somewhat less value in primary states      where the campaigns have mounted large-scale advance voting operations.
• You      can’t vote in advance in a caucus state. If you have to be out of town,      you don’t get to play.
• Election      day – depending upon where you live – might allow someone to vote any time      between six AM an nine PM – a fifteen hour window. That gives campaign      workers ample time to get reports from polling locations updating their      lists of which of their supporters have actually shown up and which have      not; plenty of time to send drivers to pick up tardy supporters and haul      them to the polls.
• In      a caucus state it is very difficult to send people out to pick up people      who said they were going to support your campaign, but didn’t show up      because the caucus may only last an hour.
• The      best thing about caucuses is they don’t cost the taxpayers anything – or      at least not much.
• A      primary requires the expenditure of non-existent state funds to run a real      election: Machines have to be transported, poll workers have to be hired,      trained, and paid; official state election officials have to make      decisions, and state facilities are required to pronounce a winner.
• All      that to choose the nominee of a political party. If I were an independent      I might file a suit to forbid my tax dollars to be spent on a partisan –      essentially a private – activity in which I am, by law in most states,      forbidden to participate.
• We      should revolt and insist the parties either pay the cost of running their      partisan activity or go to a caucus system which requires nothing more      than keeping the lights on at Hillside Grade School for an extra three      hours one night every four years.
• Enough      preaching.
• See      you in Iowa.
• On      the Secret Decoder      Ring today: A link to the list of caucus and primary states. Also      an excellent Mullfoto of an outdoor advertising sign and a Catchy Caption      of the Day.

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