Washblog

Well nothing is ever convenient, and everything has traditionally been pushed back to the last minute as part of gaming the system... like people filing for office (unlike the prez race, but I digress). (Oh wait, I think this is deja vu all over again....)

So people didn't spend YEARs contemplating their run for public office, sell some cookies, become the Master Librarian or Top Union Wharf Rat Dog or somesuch... they just talked to their therapist and now KABOOM! It's time!

aH So, we're supposed to have some wrassling MATCH OF THE AGES, with TONS of CONTENDERS contending FOR SPOILS AND WHATNOT... but DONT BE LATE because it ALL HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE THE END OF THE FILING PERIOD! That's right folks...

Ahhh errrr... what? I could just stop here, couldn't I?

But it's true: the Parties have played the current system until it don't work no more.

People... people would rather look at porn.

Did I miss anything?

Bad. Bad Fred. Brutal. Too brutal. Funny, but nobody is laughing. Ha ha ha! Funny! Oh. Errrm. BAD!

Wait! No people who were running for office were named! Sheeeite, what a relief! Ok, we'll have to wait and see what develops.

So nobody knows what's going to happen, really....

by m3047 on Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 02:35:17 AM PST

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I'll cry if I want to.

Had to make a joke, haha.

What's the norm, nationally?

Shouldn't the political parties be in charge of choosing their representatives?

My first few months attending the 46 LD, there was a bunch of the pseudo-Libertarian cultist Larouchians haunting the proceedings. A number of Democratic members were uncomfortable and were motivated to ask if Larouchians could be legitimate members, or hold positions in the party. The answer, as I understood it, is there was no criteria other than self-declaration.

Thinking about it, nearly the same thing happened at a 32 LD endorsement meeting I attended. Fascinating stuff, I was riveted.

Any way, some of the candidates stood in front and said "I'm a Democrat." Then members of the LD challenged them, with citations. It was awesome to watch. (I was really proud of the 32 LD.)

(I'm sorry if I'm rehashing old debates. I did scan read the previous message threads.)

by zappini on Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 08:40:38 AM PST

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Normal people aren't going to attend separate nominating conventions in addition to the series of presidential caucus conventions.  At this rate, an involved person (short of going to the national convention) will have to attend:

1. The neighborhood precinct caucus
   
2. The legislative district caucus
   
3. The county convention - $10 fee
   
4. The congressional district caucus
   
5. The state convention - $50 fee + travel costs
   
6. Nominating convention for county races
   
7. Nominating convention for legislative races
   
8. Nominating convention for congressional races

I'm not even including the myriad of "organizing meetings" set up in preparation for those caucuses and conventions.  

This is silly. And the partisan endorsement won't appear on the ballot anyway.  This is not the 19th century where we're all absentee landlords with tons of time and money on our hands to attend all of these meetings.  Ok, the Federalist Party had time, but regular folks do not, and look where the Federalist Party is.  That's right, gone.

by Aneurin on Mon Apr 07, 2008 at 12:00:06 PM PST

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... which goes to every doorstep in my precinct 4 times a year:

It didn't happen at our precinct caucus (Democratic Party), but it did happen at other precinct caucuses in the 36th District: people submitted resolutions calling for the elimination of caucuses. We had over 80 people turn out for our caucus, with five of our six delegates going to Obama (and one for Clinton); I believe that this was over double the attendance at the 2004 caucus, mirroring turnout District-wide. A few weeks ago the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Initiative instituting a Louisiana-style primary here (and which was the target of a lawsuit by the Democratic and Republican Parties jointly, and based upon a favorable ruling at the appeals level the State Legislature then instituted the "pick a party" primary much to the Parties' delight) is not unconstitutional on its face: the Parties cannot make up a bunch of speculative claims about what might happen, a good faith attempt has to be made to implement it first.

These things are related in a convoluted way: it has to do with understanding and not understanding the role of elections and political parties in the politics which shapes our democracy and our government.

Parties are special political clubs, with a special place (like corporations) under the law. Unlike corporations and political action committees, it doesn't take money to join or form a political party: what happens is that you get elected from the lowest level (the precinct) on up. Actually, from the standpoint of a party's real place in the political ecosystem, the process which they set up so that you can participate in presidential candidate selection is a sideshow. They do it because they really do want your participation: and you showed up in droves. But this has not translated in the past into continuing participation in the day-to-day business of the Party; and if you don't participate, then why is the Party pandering to your mistaken impression that you have a "right" to pick the Party's candidates?

So in a nutshell, the huge showing of Obama supporters and people wanting real change has raised hopes. But at the same time cries to abolish caucuses and fears that the Parties will be erased from the ballot entirely has the Party feeling a lot like a "Christian Scientist with appendicitis", to quote Tom Lehrer. Important as it is, the presidential convention cycle is a sideshow, folks! As many of you no doubt discovered when you had to select delegates, there's more to it than voting. Hopefully some of you will be motivated to participate on an on-going basis (campaigns don't count).

by m3047 on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 12:16:02 PM PST

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Dear Dwight:

This is to inform you that the Executive Board of the 36th District Democrats has declined to participate in a Nominating Convention for purposes of identifying a nominee for the two state representative positions representing the 36th Legislative District.

Please call me if you have questions.

Sincerely,

Peter House, Chair

by DWE on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 08:30:54 AM PST

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