Huge turnout as WA caucuses get underway

[brooklynite]

Source: King 5 News

SEATTLE - Sites for today's Washington caucuses are overflowing with people wanting to choose which candidates should run for President. At locations across Puget Sound, people are reporting that gyms, community centers and others are filled to capacity, there's not enough seats and many who have showed up are caucusing for the very first time.

The Washington state Democrat and Republican chairmen expected this, saying visits to Washington yesterday by the top three presidential hopefuls would send caucus attendance soaring.

The buzz was seen early online. The Washington State Democratic Web site is getting flooded with hits. Many people are getting a message that the caucus lookup tool is moving very slowly.

Democrats will allocate all 78 of their elected national delegates through the process. Republicans will use results to allot about half of their 37 elected delegates.

Read more: http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_020908POB_washington_caucus_TP.a6546093.html

[gateley]

1. Woo Hoo!

Washingtonians ROCK! :headbang:

[Matariki]

2. Yeah, just got back from mine. It was PACKED!

[fenriswolf]

3. wonder if its gonna be anything like this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4502407

[brooklynite]

4. UPDATE - Heavy turnout seen at Democratic and GOP caucuses

Signs of what is expected to be unprecedented turnout for Saturday's caucuses were found throughout the Puget Sound, with reports of overflow crowds and shortages of sign-in sheets.

With the Democratic nomination still up for grabs, party leaders predicted a record turnout of up to 175,000, compared to about 100,000 voters at the 2004 presidential caucuses.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004173893_webcaucusfind09m.html

[thunder rising]

6. Boeing territory. Boeing is designing thumb screws for tots now. Pug-et Sound takes a new meaning

[Diane R]

5. I just got home....it's heavily for Obama.

[thunder rising]

7. Great!! Thanks!

[Kermit77]

9. It will be a good day for Obama in Washington state

In my precinct he won 5 to 1. Our caucus was at a school and there were Obama signs everywhere and no Hillary signs. The Obama people had stickers and buttons at the front table but I didn't see any Hillary organization. About 60-70% of the people were wearing Obama stickers/buttons. I knew then it would be a good day for Obama in Washington State.

[Bumblebee]

10. Mine was 6-2 but it's in a very liberal North Seattle. I am still sure he

will win big (and I am an outnumbered Hillary supporter :-)

[FVZA_Colonel]

14. That was pretty much the same at my caucus site.

And I hope you'll believe me when I say that people were entirely civil throughout the whole event, and no one from the Obama camp made any public attempt to rub it in the faces of the Clinton supporters when it was clear he had more delegates.

[Doctor_J]

8. This bodes well for Obama, IMO

for the nomination and for the GE, if he's the nominee.

[flamingyouth]

11. Ours was a MADHOUSE (in a good way)!

First we went to the elementary school where we were supposed to go and found out that our precinct, along with five others, were being sent over to the neighborhood community center because of the huge turnout. When we got there, we couldn't all fit into the room there, so our precinct went into our own building, one had to meet on the tennis court (!) and people were all over the place.

We had to leave a little early, but our precinct was 90% for Obama. I've never seen turnout like this; it just blew me away.

[Yael]

16. The tennis courts?

Ouchie mamma -- I LOVE that!!

Now THATS democracy in action. :woohoo:

[flamingyouth]

17. Yeah, luckily it wasn't pouring down rain!

But it wouldn't have stopped people in Seattle, anyway. Seriously, it was amazing. I'll never forget it! :woohoo:

[Yael]

18. I look at these numbers and can't even imagine what November will be like

We have a 20 year (R) Representative we are looking to oust with a relatively unknown Dem.

Numbers like these keep coming in and it gives me goose bumps that we actually may do it!!

:woohoo:

[The Roux Comes First]

12. My first caucus ever involved a gym jam-packed with three competing precincts

I was only able to ascertain outcome of two of the three (and there were apparently other precincts meeting elsewhere at this small grade school). But my precinct went Obama-4, Clinton-3, the other was 3 each plus one Uncommitted.

As for me, I ended up in the "cheese stands alone" role, stating my presidential preference from the start as Edwards (and stickin' to it). To my consternation I found I was the only one to do so, and thus felt compelled to give what I hope was an impassioned mini-speech on the score of turning around the corporatization of our goverment that has been going on since well before Bush. He and his pals KKKarl and Dick just seem to have turned it into a freakin' obsession.

And John, of course is the only one of the three that has been serious in pointing out that particularly venal aspect of governance these days. He needs some votes and leverage to shame the others into at least some balancing of human voters again their corporate pay-masters

[RuleOfNah]

20. Cheese sticks together.

felt compelled to give what I hope was an impassioned mini-speech on the score of turning around the corporatization of our goverment that has been going on since well before Bush

Thank you for giving your mini-speech.

[FVZA_Colonel]

13. In 2004, my precinct had 18 people show up.

Today, there were 80 (to say nothing of all of the other precincts caucusing at Seattle Central Community College). God damn, this is making me feel great, no matter who wins today (though, to be perfectly honest, I am hoping for Barack Obama).

[TheDoorbellRang]

15. It's great reading all these reports from attending DUers

K&R

[JerseygirlCT]

19. I heard about the really crummy weather and was concerned that

would negatively impact turnout. Good to see it didn't!

[The Roux Comes First]

21. Actually the weather-gods smiled on us

It was almost balmy in Seattle today, 50F at least, and only the occasional fleeting shower.

This despite ongoing blizzards in the mountains - my sister and sister-in-law finally drove down to Vancouver to take the Gorge route on the way to the Methow Valley for some x-country skiing!

And son had to bail out on a weekend snowcamping project when Snoqualmie Pass had to again be closed more or less all night.

But there was no weather effect on the gangbuster caucus activity here. I was flabbergasted that there were representatives from something like 80% of the houses on our cul-de-sac. Down Home Week!

[JerseygirlCT]

24. Great to hear!

All I saw was footage of feet and feet of snow. Glad it wasn't the case all over!

[WA98070]

22. In my district we filled a jr high cafeteria and overflowed into the gym: Obama 3 to 1

In my precinct we had over twice the 2004 turnout

[Tripper11]

23. At ours in Renton

4 years ago they had 12 people. This year there were over 150 easily!!!! For our district(or precinct, can't remeber which) we went 5-4 for Obama.
I don't get to choose because I am a Canadian, but my wife after being on the fence, chose Obama in the end.