Caucus countdown: Three weeks till ours

We’ve mentioned it before and it’s time to mention it again: Our state’s caucuses are on Feb. 9, exactly three weeks away. The 34th District Democrats are doing their level best to make sure everyone in the area knows about it — someone was out doorbelling in our neighborhood today (we didn’t get to the door in time but he left a doorhanger with info, including our precinct number and caucus site), and the 34th DD Caucus Outreach Committee had a meeting today. (Also meeting today, according to Slog — area Clinton supporters including County Executive Ron Sims gathered in South Park.) The 34th DD’s website has a caucus info page including a list of locations, by precinct; you can find your precinct number on this county page (but beware, the “polling place” that comes up after the precinct # is NOT your caucus place) — or for a one-step process, try this statewide page (type your address below the map, it’ll find your precinct and caucus site). The 34th District Republicans‘ website still isn’t as info-rich as the D page, but the King County Republicans’ site has its own caucus locator; you may not need it, as it appears all West Seattle Republicans are caucusing at Southwest Community Center. The GOP is choosing half its WA delegates through the caucuses and half through the Feb. 19 primary, but the Democrats are choosing all their delegates through the caucus process.

Sue January 20, 2008 (10:31 am)

It really annoys me that the Democrats are only using the caucus results and not the primary. I’ll be out of town for a class that I cannot change, so can’t be there … so my vote doesn’t count? At least with the primary I can do an absentee vote. And then why are we wasting all the money on the primary vote if it isn’t even going to count?

WSB January 20, 2008 (10:52 am)

Sue, that would be a valid opinion to voice to party leaders. (The 34th DDs might be the place to start.) According to an old article we just dug up, the presidential primary was created by initiative in 1992; the D’s have continued to stick to caucuses, the R’s have used the primary “to varying degrees” over the years. Maybe an initiative to cancel the primary because it costs $? Hello, Tim Eyman?

Ken January 20, 2008 (7:24 pm)

Note the primary was canceled in 04 if I remember correctly, since neither party used it to choose Delegates. The republican could save the money any time they drop their use of it for delegates.

The State Dem party leaders I believe, voted overwhelmingly last year to use the caucus system for 08.

—Found the vote totals (119-42) on the 34th district caucus info page.

The way to change that is to join the party and encourage all your friends to do the same and make sure you present arguments that are convincing to not only your friends but also the several thousand other Democrats.

It might take a while, but that is how parties are changed and that is why many of the King County districts are some of the most progressive in the nation. The progressives showed up, stood up, and kept coming back after losing votes for years. Until they started winning them.

If you care enough about the direction of the party, the district, the state or the nation, then come on down to the meeting and stand and deliver your opinion. If it is not a popular one it will be shot down but if you can state your reasons, and defend your ideas, there is no limit to what can eventually be accomplished.

However changing the date or format of a grassroots activist friendly, nearly unanimously supported party caucus that is the focus of two, two year terms for the elected party leadership and its single biggest expense of that four years,
might not be the best choice of battles to start the takeover with.

But the best of luck to ya.

Join the party and nudge it in the direction you believe it should be. Who knows, in a few years you might be able to vote for the process that you would prefer.

Politics is supposed to be somewhat slow and deliberative. Only a few of us and H.L Mencken imagined the amount of damage one man could do in a mere 8 years.

———-

The larger the mob, the harder the test. In small areas, before small electorates, a first-rate man occasionally fights his way through, carrying even the mob with him by force of his personality. But when the field is nationwide, and the fight must be waged chiefly at second and third hand, and the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre â€” the man who can most easily adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum.

The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.
July 26, 1920, HL Mencken, The Evening Sun

———-

Mickymse January 29, 2008 (5:41 pm)

The Democratic Party has never used the primary to choose delegates to the State Party convention.

It was the Legislature that decided to pass a law (in 88?) to institute a primary, and they are the ones responsible for wasting around $10 million of our tax money on it.

As for feeling disenfranchised, join the Party if you want to influence issues and vote for the presidential nominee.

Sorry, comment time is over.