Iowa caucus 101-makes me dizzy

[unapatriciated]

saw this on buzzflash sounds like the process actually prevents many from voting in primaries.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2007/12/24/toobin.caucus.cnn

[youthere]

1. because it is not a primary, and there aren't ballots.

It's a unique process we Iowans love and fight to the death to defend. We actually switched to a regular primary at one time and promptly switched back because Iowans hated the primary process.

[wellstone dem]

2. We caucus in Minnesota as well

and it is a great process which, in effect, allows those who would vote for losing candidates to immediately support their second choice candidate.

[IndyOp]

3. Instant run-off voting allows voters to mark their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices -

so a primary could allow that positive aspect of caucusing.

My concern about caucusing is that, because it requires more effort than casting a paper ballot, fewer people will participate. It particularly reduce participation of people who already feel they are not readily accepted in society -- some elderly, poor, and members of minority groups who would feel social pressure to not participate.

Thom Hartmann has said that the Republican party has discussed using caucuses nationwide because it will put more power into the hands of fewer and fewer people -- just those people who have jobs and lives and personalities that tend to make them already dominant members of society.

What do you think are pros & cons of having caucuses instead of a primary?

[youthere]

5. I think I like it better because we actually discuss the candidates

rather than just cast our lot. I sit with my friends and neighbors and listen to what's important to them when considering the candidates.

[IndyOp]

6. I like the fact that caucuses allow for real participatory democracy -

talking with friends and neighbors about the candidates and issues. Do you vote in your caucus by going to a particular location in a room so everyone can see how you voted or do you vote by casting a paper ballot? I would think that allowing anonymous ballots would be helpful for people who feel marginalized and are intimidated by the social aspect of caucusing -- they could attend and listen and cast their ballot without feeling pressure to interact.

:shrug:

[youthere]

7. No ballots. We stand together for our candidates.

[youthere]

4. and even occasionally change some minds and get support for those second tier candidates.

[TN al]

8. I have voted in both the republican and democratic caucusses in Iowa in the past

I am ashamed to admit the former but the two are held differently. I might add that I was only 17 when I voted in the gop caucus in 1980 and went their with a friend who was also only 17. While the law allows you to vote as long as you are 18 before the general election, both of us missed it by about 6 weeks. Somebody pointed out that we were young and we were asked if we would be 18 that year and we both truthfully said that we would so they allowed us to vote. We were both born in December. Anyway in the GOP they just vote as if it were a primary, secret ballot and all. They do ask if anyone wants to say a few words for a candidate first and there are some amateurish attempts to do so but it is basically a primary