CAUCUS 2008!
I live in a caucus state. I am not, however, a group person and so have stayed clear of participation. I feared the pressures of public declaration of my political sentiments, some of which are gut feeling as much as rational intellectual thought. I feared the long night of arguing arcane resolutions and suffering the monologuists. And I didn't like the idea that, at a caucus, they don't serve cookies and cake.
This year the state Democratic party (okay, so I'm a Democrat) changed the way they organize caucuses and it became possible to simply show up, vote, and go home. I decided I could handle that, so last night--the night of our Super Tuesday presidential caucus--SJG and I headed to a nearby high school to be in line as they opened the doors at 6:30 pm.
I have to say it was fun. With triple the number of participants, the caucus was overflowing with people eager to cast their vote. I waved happily at all my neighbors, most of whom I know from walking Buddy every day and meeting their dogs. And since I live in a place where order is next to godliness, the entire caucus process went smoothly and efficiently. I wrote the name of my candidate on a little yellow post-it note (they'd run out of ballots) and pushed it into the slot of the Folger's coffee can the precinct volunteer held out to me. And then she pointed me to the table behind her, where cookies and cake awaited voters like the prize I had long imagined they should be.
I live in a caucus state. I am not, however, a group person and so have stayed clear of participation. I feared the pressures of public declaration of my political sentiments, some of which are gut feeling as much as rational intellectual thought. I feared the long night of arguing arcane resolutions and suffering the monologuists. And I didn't like the idea that, at a caucus, they don't serve cookies and cake.
This year the state Democratic party (okay, so I'm a Democrat) changed the way they organize caucuses and it became possible to simply show up, vote, and go home. I decided I could handle that, so last night--the night of our Super Tuesday presidential caucus--SJG and I headed to a nearby high school to be in line as they opened the doors at 6:30 pm.
I have to say it was fun. With triple the number of participants, the caucus was overflowing with people eager to cast their vote. I waved happily at all my neighbors, most of whom I know from walking Buddy every day and meeting their dogs. And since I live in a place where order is next to godliness, the entire caucus process went smoothly and efficiently. I wrote the name of my candidate on a little yellow post-it note (they'd run out of ballots) and pushed it into the slot of the Folger's coffee can the precinct volunteer held out to me. And then she pointed me to the table behind her, where cookies and cake awaited voters like the prize I had long imagined they should be.
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