TPM Reader MK checks in from Tacoma …
I can vouch somewhat for your reader’s experience in Minnesota, and I have three related questions I hope you or your readers can answer. In Washington, where I caucused, the pattern was similar. Obama cleaned house, but many of his voters left before the delegates were chosen. Probably 90% of the people there were caucusing for the first time. Even many of the people in charge seemed like newcomers, and often the rules were not spelled out clearly. The old hands, by in large, were Hillary supporters. My precinct went 11-6 in delegates for Obama (100+ votes over all). After the vote and as people gathered to decide on delegates, I looked over at the Hillary side and realized they had more people than we did, even though we’d outvoted them. Most of the Obama voters simply got up and left after they knew it was in the bag. Without intending to, I ended up as a alternate, simply because the Obama group didn’t have enough bodies left for any of us not to get involved.
My questions, which weren’t answered fully at the caucus:
1. As we move on in Washington to the Legislative District Caucuses (April 5), the County Conventions (April 19), the Congressional District Caucuses (May 17), and then the State Convention (June 14), can Hillary supporters try to twist a few arms and swing one delegate here, two delegates there, etc. to Hillary?
2. In the case of your reader’s example from Minnesota, if a Hillary backer was given the responsibility to represent Obama voters at the next level, can he/she simply switch sides without anyone noticing?
3. Generally speaking, is a delegate duty-bound to vote the way he/she pledged at the caucus, or can he/she change his mind later? Are there any ramifications if someone changes their vote?
Such scenarios, intriguing as they are underhanded, make me hope this election is over before the next stage of caucusing…
I’m not in a position to vouch for what MK is saying. But we’ve gotten similar emails from a number of readers in different states with similar stories. If you can add anything to the mix — your experience or why MK’s missing something — let us know.
Late Update: CR from Minnesota says that RM and MK have it wrong. And it’s worth noting that he says that he’s been caucusing for many years and RM and MK are first timers …
I’ve already e-mailed twice to correct the take on the Minnesota caucus from reader RM. I don’t know what more I can do.
Reader RM’s concern is unfounded.
I’ve been through the Minnesota convention process many times. I have been a state delegate, as has my wife on a different occasion. I know how this works.
It does not matter how many Clinton and Obama supporters make it to the congressional district and state conventions. The number of Obama and Clinton national delegates has already been determined by the precinct caucus vote. If Obama got two-thirds of the vote in a six-delegate congressional district, he gets four of the six delegates, period.
At both the congressional district and state convention, a subcaucus of just the Clinton supporters will choose the Clinton delegates, and a subcaucus of just the Obama supporters will choose the Obama delegates. If there are a hundred Clinton supporters and twenty Obama supporters, that doesn’t affect the number of delegates. It just means there will be a meeting of a hundered Clinton supporters to choose their designated number of national delgates, and another meeting of twenty Obama supporters to choose their (larger) designated number of national delegates.
I have no doubt that other states with a ballot process at the precinct level — that is to say, other states where a vote-and-leave process is possible — have a similar rule.
There’s really nothing here. Obama isn’t going to lose any delegates from the caucus process.
