Caucus report
What caucuses have over primaries besides someone in the party establishment a year ago thinking they could deliver for Hillary is beyond me. We had two large precincts on two sides of an elementary school cafeteria, at times talking over one another. I got there at about 12:45 and they were checking people in past 1:30. Of course it did not occur to me to bring my Kindle, so I chatted with a few people. One guy, undecided on Thursday, had gone to both candidates' rallies and was now very much in the Obama camp. An older guy, Clinton supporter, explained how Hillary had been sandbagged (my shorthand) on her 1993 health reform plan, with different constituencies indicating they were on board and then bailing, running "Harry and Louise" ads, voting against it in the Senate, etc. Not sure how many historians would remember it that way. I told him it had certainly been a credit to Bill's political skills that the failure got laid at Hillary's doorstep
On signing in, everyone indicated a candidate preference. It was announced that we had 150 exactly and there were 114 for Obama, 31 for Hillary, 1 for Dennis the Elf Boy (who has dropped out) and four undecided, representing six delegates for Obama and two for Hillary. Then it was time for speeches. For Hillary, a thirty-something guy in a Hillary T-shirt. Announces that he's *with the campaign* (hello, neighbor) and had been at the Nevada caucuses as well. Stressed the "ready on day one" angle. As his example of what drew him to Hillary, cited the fact that she had spearheaded a movement to build Arkansas's first children's hospital right after becoming First Lady of Arkansas (which would have been more than 20 years ago). Pretty weak, I thought. For Obama, I thought the mild mannered guy checking people in was going to call for volunteers, but he nominated himself. Mild-mannered guy, mid to late 60s. Says that 40 years ago in May 1968 he went to a packed Hec Ed [Hec Edmundson Pavilion, the University of Washington basketball arena] and heard the best political speech he'd ever heard (producing a paper grocery bag and, from it, an iconic RFK photo/flyer in clear plastic—which told us he got that day almost 40 years ago) . . . the best speech, he means, until yesterday at Key Arena. And he can see why Ted and Caroline are for Obama, because "he's got it." Says RFK would easily have defeated Nixon, and then ended the war. Refutes the ready on day one thing with, I think, a war vote reference. Refutes the experience thing with a Lincoln parallel. Much better presentation. Also, he noted that his first caucus in this precinct was in 1980 when a total of 20 or 50 (I forget which) showed up to choose between Carter and Ted Kennedy (hello neighbor).
That was the most interesting part. I think three of the uncommitteds went over to Obama, which didn't change the proportional split. Then there was a chaotic process to elect eight delegates and eight alternates for the next stage in the nominating process, at the congressional district level, I think. It was very hard to figure out what kind of paper ballot process they were aiming to run for that, but then the willing participants culled and sorted themselves into six and six so no balloting was required. Elapsed time for me start to finish was just under two hours.
Labels: 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama, composition fatigue, Hillary Clinton, scenes from my outbox
posted at 4:04 PM
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