January 3, 2008
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What do the news people know?
I know that this will shock at least a couple of people….I have a sort of political comment.
Tonight is the Iowa caucus. That’s where the different parties decide on which candidate they will support. Now, not surprising, I’m not real clear if that dictates the candidate for each party only in that state, or if the rest of the states just go along with the Iowans. They explained it fairly well on the Today Show, but I didn’t listen very closely, because, well, I really can’t muster that much interest. I’m not very confident that my vote for president counts, anyway. (that was the political comment.)
So, to the reason for this blog. I was watching our local news this afternoon. They do an hour long show from 12-1 and cover a variety of local & national news, as well as just local gossip type stuff. The host of this news show is the anchor for that channel and has been there since I was a teenager. So this means he’s been doing the news for at least 30 years, right? He asked, on the air, “what is a caucus?”
Ok, for me or you to not know is one thing. For a career news reporter to not know is almost inexcusable and baffling. (Unless he’s developing alzheimer’s, in which case I apologize.) How can you cover at least 7 presidential elections and not know this? I thought those folks knew everything. Sigh. Another illusion shattered.
Comments (5)
I missed out on a good explanation, too, on Air America. Maybe Joe is as burnt out as the rest of us.
Iowa, as I have recently learned, is 93% caucasian. Caucus, Caucasian, hmmmm. Caucus is defined as a closed meeting. Closed to whom, I wonder. I do remember that the caucus keeps voting, and re-voting, until no candidate has less than 15% of the vote. With a spoiler like Ron Paul in there, we might not learn until daylight who won. It will be daylight in 2017, before I give a glimmer of a darn, though.
I’m still completely unclear about (a) what a caucus actually is, (b) why the heck iowa is so important (there are 49 other states, guys!), and (c) when we actually determine the real candidates. i’ve decided that until we get to a point where i know exactly who i’ll be voting for (or against), i’ll just listen to leno rag on everyone. good fun!
The Iowa caucus is their equivalent to a primary. When all of the states have finished their primaries, the winners of each primary have delegates assigned to them; these delegates meet in the fall at conventions for their respective parties (Republican and Democrat), and the delegates cast their votes for the person their votes are committed to. The person with the most delegates’ votes in each convention becomes that partie’s candidate for president. So, states such as Florida, Michigan, Texas, and California are especially important because they each have a large number of delegates. (Delegates are assigned according to the population of each state.)
That is why it is supposed to be such a big punishment from the Democrat National Committe to Florida for moving its primary up to January 29th. It broke the rules of the DNC (rules which have been pandered to the likes of states such as Iowa and New Hampshire), and so allegedly, Florida will not be allowed to seat any of its delegates at the Democrat Convention- which means that the votes cast in the Democrat primary this fall will not mean anything in the national picture. (The republicans have said they will only seat half of the republican delegates.)
BTW…..New Hampshire has a state law that says it will always be among the first states to hold a primary!! If any state moves theirs ahead of NH, then NH will automatically move theirs up again, to be at the head of the line. Weird.
What this means is that, by the time Florida has ITS primary, there will be a few less candidates running, because there are always a couple who drop out right away. Therefore, Iowa and New Hampshire are, in effect, determining which candidates Florida will have.
And another BTW….. there is almost NO campaigning in Florida because of this ‘punishment’. The candidates have agreed not to campaign here, and they are spending their money elsewhere.That is why the airwaves are devoid of any campaign hot air, and, quite frankly, I LIKE it this way!!!!
Let me say this about all that….
If the dems and the reps want to have their members vote on certain days, and punish the voters of states that do not toe the line, that is fine, let them. And let them pay for the polling places, the voting machines, the security, and the staffing necessary for such an event. Why should our tax money pay for a primary for which a non-governmental agency sets the rules, and benefits from?
Good point, Dido, about the refreshing lack of political hot air on the Florida media. But don’t get too used to it. we are a pivotal state, and they will remember us once the front-runners are decided. Chad’s dimple will once again be in the news.
So, what is a caucus, and how does it work?
I like Obama, but I’m not real happy that he seems to be Oprah’s project of the year. Given the choice between Hilary and Edwards, I think I would go with Edwards. Of course I like Huckabee over the mormon guy, simply because I don’t want our prez to be a mormon.
Not that any of that matters. They taught us that a long time ago. It’s like our airport referendum….they are asking our opinions, but don’t really care what we said. I don’t even know why they waste all that money. Think of all the starving children they could feed with it……