Delegate question. . .somebody 'splain this to me. . .

[eileen from OH]

Virtually all the delegates for Dean in my Ohio district are AFSCME (or whatever the hell the acronym is) members. Who now back Kerry. So is a vote for Dean more directly a vote for Kerry than I'd thought? I've heard the argument in terms of a vote for Dean is one less for Edwards, thereby making it a quasi-vote for Kerry. But is it less "quasi" than that? If I vote for Dean in my district, am I actually electing what is now a Kerry delegate? (Assuming that Dean gets 15% of the vote, etc.)

If any of that makes sense.

eileen from OH

[eyesroll]

1. No.

Dean hasn't released his delegates, so a pledged delegate for Dean is still a delegate for Dean. It doesn't matter if they're AFSCME. Union members can back whoever they want, personally, and even if they prefer Kerry, if they've pledged to be Dean delegates, they're Dean delegates.

If he did release his delegates, they'd be free to back whoever they wanted. (I believe.) If Dean released his delegates and endorsed Edwards (for example), he could encourage his delegates to vote Edwards at the Boston convention but he couldn't force them to do so.

None of this will matter, though, unless we end up with a brokered convention, which is unlikely.

[Toucano]

2. Funny thing

eyesroll is right about your vote. Your vote for Dean is a vote for a person who stood for Dean at the caucus.

The funny thing is that Kerry didn't have enough people stand for him as delegate in Ohio, so there will probably be post-primary caucus to select delegates.

Kerry has 41 people statewide, Edwards had 25. Neither one had people stand for delegate in all 18 congressional districts.

People who win at a post-primary caucus will be bigwigs and party insiders. Buh bye, grassroots!

[jansu]

3. Dean sent us an e-mail asking all to still cast our votes for him,

because the delegates at the convention will give him some say at that convention! So, even though he has stopped campaigning, he is NOT out of the process. If you were going to vote for him, do so now! It also will show those in power of this party, and the media, that they don't control all of us!