Reply #17: And we have more, similar complaints from Seattle [View All]

[redsoxliberal]

Complaint from the 36th, Seattle: the PCO recorded the vote as Dean 3, Kerry 1, Uncommitted 1 (with a challenge by Kerry per instructions from the convenor).

The delegate chosen as Uncommitted left the building, as did most of the 199 people who attended.

Then, when the convenor was recording the votes, the Kerry person leaned over the table and told him that he had written it wrong and should be 3-2-0 and the convenor scratched out the old numbers (3-1-1) and changed it!

I protested that I (as Dean Location Coordinator) had been informed the vote was 3-1-1, with the Uncommitted to be appealed later, but that the Uncommitted delegate had left the room and that the caucus was over and it wasn’t fair
to change a vote after everyone was gone.

I went back and forth with the Kerry guy, then called Dean HQ and was told to ask that my complaint and the
controversy be recorded in the minutes. I relayed this information to the PCO who refused to add to the minutes.
I appealed to the Convenor who said that he had the name of the Uncommitted delegate so it was alright.

I felt that that was unresponsive so I pressed my case for the 8 people who had left the building thinking they had a delegate to Uncommitted, (yes, under challenge and appeal by the Kerry people, but still a delegate they elected) and now did not.

The Kerry guy was bullying and obnoxious and in caucus was unable to answer the Clark’s question about Kerry’s most admired accomplishments but could not answer, instead brought up the fear factor.

I asked everyone to vote for hope not fear – after all, we’re the party of hope that brought America the weekend – and everyone laughed happily at that after the diatribe on the evil that awaits us unless we vote for the electable, inevitable Kerry.

We were 47 in caucus 1704 & 199 in the building, a record turnout. 18 for Dean, 8 for Kerry.

Lovely speeches from the young about democracy.

All in all – it was a divisive experience for me. I’ll join with anyone who wants to defeat the caucus system – and take back the Democratic Party in Washington state.

I was particularly stung by the AFSCME betrayal. Unions are supposed to go to the wall with their friends and that's what they preach to get people to join the union. I know. I was a AFSCME union organizer (temporary for a special project) and admired their message. AFSCME just gave their opponents ammunition: "Don't join AFSCME - they don't stick with their friends when times get tough."

Posted by maryinseattle at February 8, 2004 02:03 PM

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In the official results thread, I think it's now the third one down, very near the bottom.