The next West Seattle caucus: Less than 1 week away

obamabarack.jpgclintoncolormug.jpgWith the Democratic presidential-nomination race not quite over yet, there’s still some potential for drama next Saturday, when more than 1,000 delegates chosen at 34th Legislative District precinct caucuses February 9 (WSB coverage with reader reports/photos here) will gather at 10 am at West Seattle High School for the districtwide Democratic caucus. If you’re one of those delegates, your phone’s likely been ringing off the hook with campaign calls making sure you’ll be there. The 34th District Democrats have tons of info on a special section of their website, as always, including the fact that those 1,000-plus delegates will elect 51 people (and 26 alternates) to move on to the King County Democratic Convention, which is also at WSHS, 2 pm April 13. As for the Republicans — no suspense there any more, but half their delegates are still coming from the caucus process; the 34th District meeting was yesterday. The next big GOP meeting is the King County Republican Convention in Auburn on April 12.

21 Replies to "The next West Seattle caucus: Less than 1 week away"

  • JanS March 30, 2008 (10:13 pm)

    wow…the hood’s gonna be a bit busy for the next couple of weeks…(WSHS is a block away from me) :)

  • TheHouse March 30, 2008 (10:32 pm)

    Or you could not waste your time and simply visit your next Presidents Website:

    http://www.johnmccain.com/landing/?sid=gorganic

  • forrest March 30, 2008 (11:06 pm)

    I’m an Obama alternate delegate… maybe they are contacting the non-alternates more, but all I’ve gotten is an email from the Obama campaign something in my mailbox from the 34th Dems.

    As far as McCain being the next president… I can barely contain myself. Not. Gonna. Happen. He’s this election’s version of Bob Dole.

  • theyellowdart March 31, 2008 (7:53 am)

    The 17 delegates and 17 alternates that were elected at the 34th District Republican Legislative Caucus on Saturday will advance to the Washington State Republican State Convention not the King County Convention. The King County Convention is for all elected delegates (and alternates) from the Feb. 9 Precinct Caucuses and is held for the purposes of ratifying the King County Republican Platform.

  • WSB March 31, 2008 (8:49 am)

    Thanks, the info on the KCGOP site is a little bare-bones, I’ll amend the wording here.

  • flowerpetal March 31, 2008 (9:57 am)

    And I’m a Clinton alternate delegate. I thought alternates only needed to show up (and would be called) if one of the delegates could not make it. Thats how things were presented to me at the caucus. Anyone know differently?

  • WSB March 31, 2008 (10:08 am)

    The 34 Dems’ page says “delegates and alternates … will gather”:
    http://www.34dems.org/news_caucus.htm
    The “official call” also says “delegates and alternates”
    http://www.34dems.org/Docs2008/LD-Caucus-2008-Official-Call.pdf
    (And it says bring a donation for the food bank!)

  • flowerpetal March 31, 2008 (10:30 am)

    Thanks WSB; I read that too. But it is different than what I “knew” at the end of the caucus. I will not be happy to have gone to this caucus and then not be able to vote if both delegates are present. If we have been asked to come to be there only if needed; well then that is different from what I signed up for.

  • WSB March 31, 2008 (10:56 am)

    I wish I could point you to a specific Clinton/Seattle site but I tried to find a link like that while working on this post last night and could not find anything beyond a list of district caucus dates/times (which didn’t seem to be accurate, to boot … said 9 am for this one but I trust the 34th Ds’ 10 am) … the Obama side, meantime, has hyperlocal web presence galore.

  • forrest March 31, 2008 (11:37 am)

    WSB, I think the 9am time the Clinton campaign may be giving here is for registration.

    In the pamphlet the 34th Dems sent me, it says that registration begins at 9am and the call to order is 10am.

  • forrest March 31, 2008 (12:46 pm)

    flowerpetal, I’d recommend showing up anyway.

    It could be possible that some of your Clinton precinct delegates won’t show up and won’t give advance notice… if you’re there, you can make sure your candidate won’t lose as many delegates from your precinct as would happen if you weren’t there…

  • Forest March 31, 2008 (3:39 pm)

    forrest –

    This is my second request that you come up with a different user name. Fine, you don’t see it as a problem, but I definitely have a problem with the increasing number of posts–whether political or apolitical–you’re making under a name virtually identical to mine. This is a reasonable request. Please honor it and choose another name when you make comments or conversation.

    Thanks.

    – Forest

  • forrest (with 2 Rs) March 31, 2008 (3:52 pm)

    Forest, welcome to the internet. I don’t really care what my screen name is, but this type of thing happens. Its pretty pointless to shed tears over it because there is nothing much you can do to prevent it.

    I’ll try to remember to put something in distinguish myself (more) from now on, but if I forget, I’m not going to worry about it that much.

    Like I said, its the internet, this type of thing happens. If its “definitely … a problem” (from what I can only assume are concerns you hold about your own reputation), then I’d really recommend not putting so much stock into your reputation as a commenter on a public website.

  • Alvis March 31, 2008 (6:54 pm)

    Patronizing much, forrest? This is a neighborhood website, not the whole internet. There are hundreds of millions, if not billions, of unique names you might use for posting on WSB and you can only come up with one that is pronounced (and except for one letter, spelled) exactly like the name that another WSB reader has been using for a few years already?

    That’s really pathetic and sad. Then, I guess you really have do no choice but to stay the course. If you don’t, then the terrorists will have won. (:

  • WSB March 31, 2008 (7:19 pm)

    To the question on alternates’ obligations (this also is posted in a similar forum thread):

    Here’s the official reply I just received from Ivan Weiss, chair of the 34th District Democrats:
    “Alternates should all attend, because delegates might be called away suddenly, and if there are no alternates, that seat would go unfilled. In addition, alternates might be needed for various volunteer tasks. Thanks so much.”

  • forrest (with 2 Rs) March 31, 2008 (9:40 pm)

    Alvis… I didn’t really “choose” my name. It IS the name that my parents gave to me. I didn’t start using it here because I liked it more than others, its what I go by day to day, at work, with friends, on other sites, so I just used it. I use it wherever I comment on blogs, so it gets autofilled in.

    I’m not really thrilled about the idea of having to enter/change it each time I comment here as opposed to other blogs, but if some people are going to complain endlessly about me using my true birth name here, I’ll see what I can do.

    My point is that this just happens. It happens on line, it happens offline. People have the similar names. Its best to just deal with it. What makes this situation even more ridiculous and overblown is that the only times that “Forest” and I have actually ever commented on the same posts are when he/she has complained about my choice of name. It doesn’t happen often, and to treat like such a big deal is just silly.

  • flowerpetal March 31, 2008 (10:12 pm)

    Me? I’m quite literate enough to know the difference between Forrest and Forest; others too I would imagine. Soon enough I will cross paths with someone with a similar name who is a florist with a cart whose name will be Flowerpedal.

    If it is a “reasonable request” then so would it be reasonable for you Forest to consider changing your name on this forum. Or leave your name as it is. I like having more than one Forest/
    Forrest to listen to.

  • m April 1, 2008 (10:53 am)

    It is annoying when someone else uses a similar or the same log-in name.

    Back to the original post, I had no idea the caucus this Saturday would require six hours of our time. Does anyone know why it takes so long? We were originally told that alternates would not have to show up at this caucus unless they were called too flowerpetal. I’m a delegate, but was surprised to see in the flyer I received that alternates have to show up on Saturday as well (and I was clearly surprised to see the 6 hour timeline too!).

  • Mickymse April 1, 2008 (4:11 pm)

    Alternates are asked to show up to the caucuses because elected delegates do not always take their role as seriously as many of us would like them to.

    While it would be nice if folks called their absence in ahead of time, many simply won’t. Other could have a sick child, family emergency, or simply forget on the morning of.

    You’re attendance in the morning ensures that your candidate gets a vote that was earned on February 9th.

    As for the lengthy time… Well, things won’t start right at 9am. We have close to 2,000 delegates and alternates to get signed in that morning. Then electing those 51+26 to the next level will take some time, especially if you’d like to give people just 30-60 minutes to make a quick speech as to why they’d like to run.

    Democracy may not be pretty, but this is grassroots involvement at its best!

  • Mickymse April 1, 2008 (4:12 pm)

    Errr… 30-60 SECONDS. And, please ignore my other typos. Thanks! ;-)

  • WSB April 1, 2008 (4:23 pm)

    Whew, I was going to say, I hope you mean 30-60 mins for all of them TOTAL :)

Sorry, comment time is over.