I stopped by my house for lunch today and switched on the fat maker (TV) to see what the various news outlets were saying about the election. Each and every propaganda machine was talking about the very same thing - the Texas primary and the "after primary caucuses." Believe it or not, the pretty people with too much makeup on were perplexed by the whole process. I forgive them for their ignorance - the fumes from the makeup baking on their face tend to kill a lot of brain cells.
Any good democrat will tell you that redundancy is the key to good government. Why pay one guy to do a job when you could pay five is their motto. Their extra little caucus is the same, but a little different in concept.
Any good democrat will tell you that you always need a little loophole in case things don't go your way. The financial backing and legislative brain power of the democratic party is the trial lawyer's lobby. They like loopholes. It allows them to do what they do best - screw America. Why should the way democrats are picked to run for office be any different?
The caucus part of the democratic party system in Texas is just another way to make sure that at least one candidate has a way to manipulate the outcome of the election. The very idea of having folks vote twice is idiotic. If party leaders wanted to know which democrat primary voters preferred, they only need to look at the results from each precinct. Sounds pretty simple, right?
If you're smart you'll notice what's happening here.
One could take a positive outlook on the caucus process and think that the second chance to vote is just another way to show just how much you love your candidate. A conservative, like myself, sees it as a way to cut out certain undesirable voters from the process. You have to think about who might not be able to make it back to the polls after they close. I see lots of working class folks with kids, jobs and other responsibilities not being able to make it. Why would they want to do it that way? The delegates aren't going to be given to either candidate that night, so why would they put it at a time where few can participate? Why not Saturday?
Well, you couldn't have it on Saturday - too many people may participate and throw off whatever plans the party may have for the election. Remember, this is about local party insiders, not the average voter. By having it at 7:00 in the evening after the polls close, you insure that precinct workers, captains, judges and chairs are the only ones around. Those people are under the control of the local and state party - they march to the beat of their hierarchy's drum. The caucus is a sham all the way down to the little old ladies who look up your name on the roster.
All of a sudden you're realizing why they make these things do damn complicated. It keeps the casual passerby from getting in there a screwing up their plan. That casual passerby is YOU. Unfortunately we are scared off by complicated matters and do not desire to see these types of things through - the party leadership is preying on that laziness with this caucus system.
I don't know which candidate is taking advantage of this delegate process, but I'm sure it will be obvious when the results are finalized weeks, if not months, from now. Either candidate could use these delegates as their loophole come time to count them in Denver.
I can't believe this party cries about alleged disenfranchisement after each election when their system's rules call for the disenfranchisement of their very own voters.
You'll find that democrats do very similar things to our government when they are in charge. Just look at the DMV, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Postal Service and a whole host of other bureaucracies that they created to make it harder for you to get shit done.
Remember, when you vote for a democrat you are voting for the very people who think this caucus process and the IRS are useful to Americans.
You might take a look at the other side of the aisle in Texas. The republicans still believe in one (living) man, one vote.
I am all excited about the caucus and my opportunity to push and shove and yell the choice of my candidate to the point that I knock down the old rooster poll lady next to me.
THEN I remembered tonight is American Idol and they need my vote because their life and opportunity is dependent on me. The other guys in the presidential race already have enough fame and fortune.
Posted by: manny | March 04, 2008 at 04:35 PM
Now that's a funny comment!
Good job Manny.
Posted by: Brad Kanus | March 04, 2008 at 07:20 PM