Primary chatter: Iowa caucus week!

[pugz]

It is FINALLY here! 

Please let it not be a Bernie win. 

[eddy]

Your resident Iowan checking in. I am totally prepared for a Bernie win. I am hoping it isn't a huge difference and I am hoping Liz is in 2nd. Then I will be happy.

We had so many door knockers this weekend. It helped that the weather was beautiful. I FINALLY had someone looking for me specifically last night. I have escaped a lot of attention and I am unsure how I pulled it off.

Our caucus location is expected to hit over 1K. We are squeezing into a high school aud that sits 400 people. It is going to be a shit show. H and I are actually planning to walk because parking will be a premium and the least we can do is leave it to someone who needs the parking.

@@

I have a sick kid. He seems to be on the mend now, but if he is still sick tonight I will not be able to caucus. This is why the caucus is dumb. H and I are both caucusing for Warren. 

[pugz]

eddy I do not envy you. The one time I caucused it was such a shitshow, I swore never again. This year we get ranked choice voting for the first time, hallelujah!

hope you are able to go though and can report back about the experience!

[AAM2012]

people.com/politics/super-bowl-2020-trump-kansas-chiefs-tweet/

Super bowl related... The (IMPEACHED) president appeared to mistake the home state of the new Super Bowl champions.

[Velar Fricative]

I can't believe the day is here. On the one hand, I know this is going to be a pivotal day for the race overall so I know it's important. OTOH, I want to prepare myself to not put too much stock into today either (especially if Bernie wins lol). This is definitely going to be a marathon, not a sprint.

[pugz]

Feb 3, 2020 8:42:02 GMT -5 AAM2012 said:

people.com/politics/super-bowl-2020-trump-kansas-chiefs-tweet/

Super bowl related... The (IMPEACHED) president appeared to mistake the home state of the new Super Bowl champions.

I posted about this after we won last night and a friend made a comment that clearly outed her as a Trump supporter.  I didn't know she was until that moment.  Busted. 

[mrshandy]

Caucusing sounds awful. Being around so many people and having to spend hours of a Monday evening just to vote?!?! Why?!? I don't like people enough to cram into a high school with them. No thank you. LOL.

It seems a terrible way to disenfranchise people. Have they ever compared turnout with Iowa and other states that have open primaries and what not?

I'm in VA which is open primary. We just show up and pick a ballot (if there is a choice), and vote. Easy peasy.

[eddy]

Feb 3, 2020 9:37:42 GMT -5 mrshandy said:

Caucusing sounds awful. Being around so many people and having to spend hours of a Monday evening just to vote?!?! Why?!? I don't like people enough to cram into a high school with them. No thank you. LOL.

It seems a terrible way to disenfranchise people. Have they ever compared turnout with Iowa and other states that have open primaries and what not?

I'm in VA which is open primary. We just show up and pick a ballot (if there is a choice), and vote. Easy peasy.

It truly is terrible. And yes it disenfranchises a ton of people.

My very cynical take is the reason we still do it is it is quaint and confusing- thus holds our status as #1. Everyone talks about it and makes a big deal, which allows us to continue to be the first.  Of course this is not a good reason. I am supportive of changing over to rank voting and letting other states go first.

[centralsquare]

If they claim victory after the first round, setting the stage for playing victim again, I am going to RAGE.

www.politico.com/news/2020/02/02/berniesanders-campaigniowa-results-110318

My hope is they are putting this out there is bc their internals are bad.

[eddy]

I want to say something positive though about being the first state to vote.

I have been SO inspired by the volunteers, field organizers and people who are working their ass off to get people to caucus. I had a college aged woman knock on my door during the super bowl last night. I am sure she would have rather been elbow deep in a bowl of chips and guac. But she was out grinding instead. We are so lucky to get a front row seat to all of this passion and activism. 

[pitta12]

I thought this was a good piece about the ideological differences between Warren and Sanders. I agree she hasn’t been as clear about this as she could.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/02/differences-between-warren-and-sanders-matter/605971/

[SusanBAnthony]

I caucused in IA in college and it was so fun at age 20. Now I'm super happy not to have to do that!

My parents are both caucusing tonight! Both going for Klobuchar for their first choice, then to Yang and Warren.

[mbcdefg]

If anyone wants a better understanding:

How the Iowa caucuses work - explained with cats:


graphics.reuters.com/USA-ELECTION-IOWA/0100B5BX3CX/index.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social

[SusanBAnthony]

Feb 3, 2020 10:20:43 GMT -5 eddy said:

I want to say something positive though about being the first state to vote.

I have been SO inspired by the volunteers, field organizers and people who are working their ass off to get people to caucus. I had a college aged woman knock on my door during the super bowl last night. I am sure she would have rather been elbow deep in a bowl of chips and guac. But she was out grinding instead. We are so lucky to get a front row seat to all of this passion and activism. 

My dad was saying that Iowa is actually more representative of most national demographics than people give it credit for. Obviously not race!!!! Which is a huge problem. I'm not excusing that. But they should get some credit for income, political, rural/urban (urban lololol), etc diversity. NH is much much worse.

[smock]

If we're redesigning the primary system, can we PLEASE get a state with a large city in the first four? It's a little crazy that none of the first four states has a city in the top 25 by population. (Las Vegas is the biggest at #28 and the only city with more than 250,000 in the first four states.)

Or how about we make a list of the most important swing states and put them first? If they're going to decide the election anyway, give the candidates more time in those states and get people there fired up. (Don't get me started on the electoral college; in an ideal world we'd have left that idea back in the 18th century.)

[msmerymac]

Feb 3, 2020 11:12:01 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

I caucused in IA in college and it was so fun at age 20. Now I'm super happy not to have to do that!

My parents are both caucusing tonight! Both going for Klobuchar for their first choice, then to Yang and Warren.

I think Warren is the second choice for a lot of people. I hope she surprises everyone!

[elleblue]

Feb 3, 2020 9:51:20 GMT -5 eddy said:

Feb 3, 2020 9:37:42 GMT -5 mrshandy said:

Caucusing sounds awful. Being around so many people and having to spend hours of a Monday evening just to vote?!?! Why?!? I don't like people enough to cram into a high school with them. No thank you. LOL.

It seems a terrible way to disenfranchise people. Have they ever compared turnout with Iowa and other states that have open primaries and what not?

I'm in VA which is open primary. We just show up and pick a ballot (if there is a choice), and vote. Easy peasy.

It truly is terrible. And yes it disenfranchises a ton of people.

My very cynical take is the reason we still do it is it is quaint and confusing- thus holds our status as #1. Everyone talks about it and makes a big deal, which allows us to continue to be the first.  Of course this is not a good reason. I am supportive of changing over to rank voting and letting other states go first.

Sam Bee had an interview with the guy who designed the rules for the Iowa Caucus on her show last week, he was as irritating/infuriating as you'd imagine. Let me see if I can find a clip.

youtu.be/JBPjMxR-FwM

[elleblue]

Feb 3, 2020 10:18:30 GMT -5 centralsquare said:

If they claim victory after the first round, setting the stage for playing victim again, I am going to RAGE.

www.politico.com/news/2020/02/02/berniesanders-campaigniowa-results-110318

My hope is they are putting this out there is bc their internals are bad.

Oh they will. It's either crowing about how he won or screaming about the unfairness when he didn't.

[heyjude]

Feb 3, 2020 11:20:59 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

I think Bernie is going to win it, mostly because the caucus style allows for younger people who heavily skew Bernout to be the main participants

Really? Younger people don’t vote and certainly don’t want to have to work to vote. Younger people also have school/kids/hourly type jobs and whatnot. I always thought the caucus favored the olds: people who consistently vote and have the time to do so?

Who won Iowa in 2016 (I honestly remember 😬)

[Saudade]

Feb 3, 2020 12:51:14 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Feb 3, 2020 11:20:59 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

I think Bernie is going to win it, mostly because the caucus style allows for younger people who heavily skew Bernout to be the main participants

Really? Younger people don’t vote and certainly don’t want to have to work to vote. Younger people also have school/kids/hourly type jobs and whatnot. I always thought the caucus favored the olds: people who consistently vote and have the time to do so?

Who won Iowa in 2016 (I honestly remember 😬)

For Dems: Hilary over Bernie, by a very small margin.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Feb 3, 2020 11:20:59 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

I think Bernie is going to win it, mostly because the caucus style allows for younger people who heavily skew Bernout to be the main participants

Caucuses also can skew elderly too... Advantage - Biden/Buttigeig.

[nomad]

Feb 3, 2020 12:51:14 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Feb 3, 2020 11:20:59 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

I think Bernie is going to win it, mostly because the caucus style allows for younger people who heavily skew Bernout to be the main participants

Really? Younger people don’t vote and certainly don’t want to have to work to vote. Younger people also have school/kids/hourly type jobs and whatnot. I always thought the caucus favored the olds: people who consistently vote and have the time to do so?

Who won Iowa in 2016 (I honestly remember 😬)

I don't come here often but I'm in Iowa. 2016 was basically a tie with Hillary barely winning. Bernie has been working hard to get the college kid vote. He's brought in bands and spent lots of time around college towns. He had a concert/rally in Cedar Rapids Saturday with Vampire Weekend. I think I read 3000 people were there. The younger vote will absolutely be out for him. I went to a Warren event a week ago and it was packed with all ages but many said they were choosing between Bernie and Warren.

[heyjude]

Feb 3, 2020 13:50:11 GMT -5 nomad said:

Feb 3, 2020 12:51:14 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Really? Younger people don’t vote and certainly don’t want to have to work to vote. Younger people also have school/kids/hourly type jobs and whatnot. I always thought the caucus favored the olds: people who consistently vote and have the time to do so?

Who won Iowa in 2016 (I honestly remember 😬)

I don't come here often but I'm in Iowa. 2016 was basically a tie with Hillary barely winning. Bernie has been working hard to get the college kid vote. He's brought in bands and spent lots of time around college towns. He had a concert/rally in Cedar Rapids Saturday with Vampire Weekend. I think I read 3000 people were there. The younger vote will absolutely be out for him. I went to a Warren event a week ago and it was packed with all ages but many said they were choosing between Bernie and Warren.

I mean I understand he is energizing the youth vote. But does an energized youth vote actually = substantial turn out at a caucus vote?

[PinkSquirrel]

Feb 3, 2020 12:51:14 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Feb 3, 2020 11:20:59 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

I think Bernie is going to win it, mostly because the caucus style allows for younger people who heavily skew Bernout to be the main participants

Really? Younger people don’t vote and certainly don’t want to have to work to vote. Younger people also have school/kids/hourly type jobs and whatnot. I always thought the caucus favored the olds: people who consistently vote and have the time to do so?

Who won Iowa in 2016 (I honestly remember 😬)

As was mentioned, Hillary won by a slim margin in Iowa, but when you look at all the caucuses nationally, Bernie won more caucus states than Hillary.    I remember being frustrated by his supporters touting his caucus wins in 2016 because they conveniently ignored how undemocratic the process is


www.npr.org/2016/01/26/464430411/election-2016-calendar-primaries-and-caucuses

[karinothing]

When we will hear the results? I assume sometime tonight. Hopefully before I go to bed.

[anonymous]

REALLY dumb Q. Can folks from other states caucus? I als bc I saw Bernie campaign folks trying to recruit folks from other states into IA?

[noodleoo]

Feb 3, 2020 11:15:53 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

If anyone wants a better understanding:

How the Iowa caucuses work - explained with cats:


graphics.reuters.com/USA-ELECTION-IOWA/0100B5BX3CX/index.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social

This is awesome! Thank you for posting it! 

but also, how is this fair? If my state did this, my H and I couldn’t both vote because someone has to be home with the kids. 

[eddy]

Feb 3, 2020 15:00:58 GMT -5 anonymous said:

REALLY dumb Q. Can folks from other states caucus? I als bc I saw Bernie campaign folks trying to recruit folks from other states into IA?

They cannot caucus. But they can volunteer. We have a lot of out of state people here right now working for campaigns. My guess is that was what you witnessed.

[msmerymac]

Feb 3, 2020 14:47:10 GMT -5 karinothing said:

When we will hear the results? I assume sometime tonight. Hopefully before I go to bed.

I'm not planning to stay up. They're an hour behind us, and who even knows how long this takes. 

[msmerymac]

@@@

Warren is offering free childcare for people who want to caucus but can't due to family obligations.