Boo led me to a charming example of how the SCLM
keeps the public ignorant and in the dark about how their Leaderz are chosen (for them).
I suppose it’s the case that most writers, and readers, in and about Iowa are sick of policital horserace talk. I am too, and I’ve tried not to pay that much attention to who endorses whom, or who says what nasty thing about whom, or any of the rest of the he-haw that constitutes “important developments on the campaign trail.” But Strickland makes an actually meaningful point:
In an interview with the Columbus Dispatch, the governor said the caucuses “make no sense” and were “hugely undemocratic” because they “exclude too many people” who can’t attend a caucus meeting.“I’d like to see both parties say “We’re going to bring this to an end.” He told the paper he’s comfortable with the New Hampshire primary because “at least it’s an election.”
“Hugely undemocratic?” That from a sitting gov? One with a little experience in state voting matters that are questionable? You’d think this kind of statement would be worth some notice. But no- the rest of the column tells us about the weather and Stickland’s flight experience during holiday travel season. Thanks, SCLM! You’re so helpful! Not.
This may seem like a small bit to be excited about, but I have a reason. I’ve read not a few comments lately about Iowa here in the blogosphere, and I’m sad to know that there are lots and lots of people here who don’t know the difference between a caucus and a primary. I’m talking about political junkies, people who read and comment at political blogs regularly. Why should that be? Not for lack of interest in the primary process, obviously.
No, the SCLM gets credit for that ignorance. Because of treatment like found in this DR piece. All fluff and no analysis, and skimming right over an important comment by a major national political figure. Ach, and people wonder why I’m so militant about not feeding the beast.
Holding a sheepskin from a Big Ten school in another state, it’s OK for me to say “Iowa sux!” And I’m glad to know that the people in Iowa don’t get any better treatment from their media gatekeepers than I do. I’m fairly sure to them, Strickland’s comments mean less than nothing. But it would be nice, just once in a while, to know what Iowans think about their caucus, and how it compares to the rest of the nation. What other voters in primary states think is also relevant- esp those in late primary states. The caucus process really is “undemocratic” for exactly the reason Strickland mentions. But I guess it’s ridiculous to expect the SCLM to do anything other than gloss over that fact.
Feh, I suppose I’m wasting my outrage; no Iowa political writer would be published if he treated this statement any other way. I know that much by now.
Front page
Strickland is right, but stupid.
He is absolutely right that caucuses are “undemocratic” and for more reasons than he spells out in the piece. But he is incredibly stupid to say these things about Iowa before they actually conduct their caucuses. You’d think he would have the sense to just not comment on any of it until it’s over.
I live in Nevada and we have to do caucuses too, instead of real primaries. I am sort of excited that we will be really early in the process this year but I really strongly disagree with how caucuses are conducted. There is nothing anonymous about it like you would have with a (secret ballot) primary. Even if you are available and willing to go to the local elementary school at the given time to participate in the caucus process, you are still subject to the peer pressure from your friends and neighbors who are lobbying for various candidates and they will all notice who and what you support. Especially if your candidate of choice is found “not viable” by having less than 15% support from the room of people.
The whole concept of caucuses sucks. No wonder hardly anyone wants to participate. I’m still debating whether I want to do it at all later this month.
randy, please do! please!
i don’t even care who gets your support. the very idea of a corrente reader having that kind of influence is exciting enough. go!
and why, exactly, is strickland being “stupid?” in what way is that relevant? i’m not being saucy, but i’d like you to lay out an argument.
what i’m saying is that it’s a discussion we really need to have, including right now. no iowa or NV voter is going to caucus differently “because of what strickland said.” that’s just not reality. it’s only a “concern” in punditworld. it shouldn’t be for us.
caucusing is profoundly undemocratic, and what we’re seeing in this piece is how whenever someone mentions the emperor has no clothes, the people in the village all grasp their pearls and proclaim the beauty of his latest dress.
Thanks Chicago Dyke
I say Strickland is stupid because he was brought to Iowa to campaign for someone (was it Hillary? - not important who,) and he goes home to Ohio and immediately insults the people he’s just gone to lobby. That is just idiotic politics and really bad for his future prospects. He raised legitimate concerns that I agree with, but he did it in a way that offends the very people he was sent in to wow. Not only did he complain about the caucus system but he also complained about the weather and the way of life in Iowa. What an idiot. Maybe he should have also stated the fact that most of the women are obese albinos while he’s at it. He wouldn’t be lying but you just don’t offend the people you’re trying to impress. That’s Politics 101.
And by the way, I’ve just recently become an Edwards supporter. His “closing arguments” speech this weekend on C-Span sold me. I was supporting Obama but he’s really startin’ to piss me off.
"obese albinos" heh
now, now randy. we feminists don’t have any humor, and certainly not about unfortunate scandinavian-americans who are surrounded by endless fields of the things that make burgers, beer and corn syrup. ;-)
he put his foot in his mouth, no doubt. any pol should know not to say things like this in earshot of the sclm. i’m just bitching that they caught it, and focused upon it. yes, he made a mistake. but what is more important? that he did so, or that he brought up the nature of the caucus process?
it’s not like we’ve had any discussion of that. horserace talk? plenty. but the process of “democracy” not so much.
Caucuses vs Primaries is a state party issue
Chicago Dyke-
I have only recently discovered Corrente but I have been reading your stuff elsewhere and I am a fan of yours. Trust me . I didn’t mean to offend with the “obese albinos” bit… but it sure punched up the argument, didn’t it?
I am new to Nevada. I came from Minnesota (land of Scandinavian albinos) and I grew up in California. I intend to get involved in local Democratic Party business and push people to move away from this stupid system of caucuses. I think they are most unfair to female spouses of obstinate men. Because there is no anonymity in who or what you’re supporting, women would feel compelled to support whoever their jackass husband supports. That’s just so wrong and outdated. At least with primaries, she could anonymously vote her conscience for Hillary or Obama or whatever and come out telling her asshole redneck husband that she actually supported Giuliani or Romney or whatever.
a secret ballot is essential to real democracy
thinking people know this. for the reason you just outlined, the caucus process is a poor one. and more! and as far as it being a “state” process- fuck that noise. states have and will come up with all kinds of ways of keeping “their” nigger/wimmin/injuns down, ways that are unfair and unconstitutional. there is no ’state’s right’ to have a fundamentally undemocratic process like this.
gosh, “our” party leaders support and affirm it by making it the early “primary” races “that matter.” do you wonder why? i don’t.
thank you for your kind words. MI, IL, OH and WI here, time served in VA and CA. your understanding of the culture here is spot on. too many women, esp in rural areas here, lack agency.
Good Point...
The National party leadership really should lay down the law and prohibit caucuses altogether. And if states still want to do it, make them the last states to participate so they don’t even matter. That would teach them. I’d like to see Howard Dean talk about this after the process finishes up this year. I think he’d be with us on this.
I should say that I also have a problem with the state of Iowa being the first because they are not in any way representative of the country. I would much rather see a small western state be first. Oregon would be ideal because it is relatively small and retail door-to-door politics could be done relatively cheaply there, yet their population is more diverse and less influenced by religion than is Iowa. New Hampshire is fine as a second state though. They do a good job of interviewing the politicians for the rest of us.
"our" leaders
including the party heavies, want it that way. that is, the whole states rights BS goes out the window, when a state decides to take its own course. witness what happened in MI and FL when those folks decided to have their own primary date.
i have my own issues with what happened to those states and why they chose to go against the national party process, but it is telling the way the candidates responded. it told me all i need to know about the ’sanctity’ of voters rights and the leadership of the dem party.
although some disagree, i still think national primary day and limited campaign seasons are the way to go.
pay for play
in exchange for insane corn subsidies and ethanol crap, Iowa has to bend over and be the first wave in the sham that “selects” the national choice of (McD or B.K.) (Coke or Pepsi) (Walmart or Target)
Strickland is probably mad that Ohio had to switch over to the wintertime “additives” that jack up the gas prices by $0.15 or something. Maybe Strickland is annoyed with alternative election styles that don’t adhere to Ohio’s brilliant and chocked-full of integrity “bipartisan” election system. In Ohio, the theory goes that the elections are totally safeguarded by having crooks, hacks, and nutty partisans watching over the elections, as long as there are two of them. Some how the greed balances out or something like that. It’s not like the people who get appointed by the ODP are not the laziest career hacks ever. (We already know the OHGOP is corrupt as hell).
So by seeing other states not using the “bipartisan” election safeguarding system, it might draw attention to his own naked emperor-dom.
interesting point, intra
certainly, and oh my goodness look at the irony splattered all over my face, for not stressing that a guy like strickland is in no position to call on pots. i guess i should’ve worded the original post differently, my bad. there is certainly enough comedy material to go around.
but indeed, who else but nixon in china. what does it say about the process in iowa, for it to shock the guy who is the result of a different one is ohio? the ohio of such repute, as you note? that should be the shocking part. it’s so bad and undemocratic, strickland temorarily forgot his political acumen, as well as potential to become fodder for angry voting rights partisans, and still made these comments.
it’s always fascinating to me when the illusion of democracy is pulled aside for a moment, and people speak plainly about how things really work.
It is what it is
I’ve had a sign on my lawn for my local Dem congressional candidate Scott Harper who is trying to unseat Judy Biggert for a month now here in DuPage County. Repubs like to brag we’re the reddest county in the country. They have a point, they’ve won every elected office around here since Abe Lincoln’s time. My Obama sign has been in my window since last summer. I wear my “I think therefore I’m a Democrat” hat proudly wherever I go.
I find it kind of funny that bloggers on this site who say we have to fight with everything we’ve got, partisanship is all, I wanna see Republican blood and gore and guts and veins in my teeth!, scorch that earth, rah! rah! rah! think standing up in a caucus for your candidate and (gasp!) letting fellow DEMOCRATs know who you support is just teh scariest thing in the world. Sheesh.