Final Draft of Caucus Rules Released
Jun 15, 01:10 PM CST
Today—after much input, deliberation, and hard work—the NDP’s Rules Committee released their final proposal for our Presidential Caucuses to be held in February. You can download a copy of the proposal here.
The rules will be discussed, amended, and adopted at June 23rd’s State Central Committee meeting in Omaha.
Please feel free to use this post as an open thread.
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— Selma Mesner Jun 16, 02:05 PM CST #
The rules should be available by clicking on the link in the above post; just click the word “here.” If for some reason you can’t access the pdf file, please let me know.
— Eric Van Horn Jun 16, 05:06 PM CST #
If you have any questions regarding my opninions please feel free to contact. Thank you.
— Brent Hultine, LD 33 Jun 17, 12:45 AM CST #
2. We can and should have counties do what they can to increase participation. The more who participate, the better. What is important, at least to me, is having Rules which are flexible so that the most Nebraska democrats as possible get to vote for the next President.
3. Let’s not let striving to be perfect get in the way of accomplishment.
— vince powers Jun 17, 08:50 PM CST #
— Don Kuhns Jun 17, 09:16 PM CST #
1. The “Big Tent” NDP should certainly strive to include everyone possible in the caucus process, just as it should strive to include them in the electoral process. It will be interesting to see, this weekend, how moving the SCC meeting from North Platte to Omaha (smack dab in the middle of the College World Series) will affect the number of delegates from the 3rd CD that will be able to participate.
2. The NDP must survive as a dichotomy of rural and metropolitan interests. What will work in Omaha probably won’t work in Funk, and vice versa. Our own rules concerning the delegates to the State Convention heavily favor the metropolitan areas, Omaha in particular. Shouldn’t we work towards changing our Rules so that the most Nebraska democrats as possible get to vote for their NDP representation? You know, 93 County Strategy and all that.
3. Seeking accomplishments should not keep us from striving to be perfect.
— Brian T. Osborn Jun 17, 09:47 PM CST #
The advantage of allowing democrats who are unable to attend to participate outweighs the perceived harm to the caucus concept. We should not disallow anyone from participating. 99 percent of people will be able to attend the caucuses and I think they will be enthusiastic. The few who cannot should be allowed to an absentee voice.
As for the caucuses themselves, as Brian points out, different counties present different issues. The challenge is to have rules that make for a successful caucus, that will be a near perfect accomplishment. And one that I think we can do.
— vince powers Jun 18, 12:24 PM CST #
The advantage of allowing democrats who are unable to attend to participate outweighs the perceived harm to the caucus concept. We should not disallow anyone from participating. 99 percent of people will be able to attend the caucuses and I think they will be enthusiastic. The few who cannot should be allowed to an absentee voice.
As for the caucuses themselves, as Brian points out, different counties present different issues. The challenge is to have rules that make for a successful caucus, that will be a near perfect accomplishment. And one that I think we can do
— vince powers Jun 18, 01:33 PM CST #
I think this whole caucus system is flawed. If you wanted everyone to participate we should have left the primary system in place. We should have worked harder to get the Legislature to move our primary date.
I bet we only do this once and the primary will be reinstalled for 2012.
— Brent Hultine, LD 33 Jun 18, 02:17 PM CST #
The Legislature will not move the date. The state senators have said for the last 30 years or so that they themselves do not want ot be ivolved in their own primary while in session. Plus other candidates have over
the years indicated that they prefer a May date to determine who wins in a particular race. Finally the Nebraska GOP has no interest in moving the primary so without them, it will never happen. The caucus is the only method available to be relevant.
Whether the system has a flaw or not, you have to admit that by moving the date up to feb 9th, we have an opportunity to be relevant which we most certainly did not had we had remained in May.
As it is, I think there continues to be more and more interest in the caucus as the Presidential election gets more heated.
Ultimately the issue was how to come up with the best practical system we can. The Rules committee has done that and now it is up to us to try to get as many people out Feb 9th as possible. Nothing is perfect, but the idea of creating interest in the NDP is worth the effort.
Come 2012, I doubt if there will a contested race as I expect the President to go unchallenged in the democratic primaries and caucuses as she or he will have done a great job.
The caucus is the only chance you and I have to be involved in 08. There will not be another contest until 2016. So, with that in mind, I want as many dems as possible to know that they will have an opportunity to be involved in 08.
Brent, the caucus may have flaws, but I think it is far better than waiting until May to cast an irrelevant vote in a primary 2 months after the nominee has been decided.
— vince powers Jun 18, 03:45 PM CST #
If we approach the first Nebraska Democratic Caucus as a fun, inclusive, community-building project, our beloved Party will surely make great gains in Nebraska.
It’s simple this time….Three things…..1. Out of Iraq. 2. Pay as you go government, at all levels. 3. Universal, Single Payer Healthcare.
— Steve Hollister Jun 18, 04:51 PM CST #
— Luke Peterson Jun 19, 05:26 AM CST #
Given the uncertainty this time around with Florida moving up in defiance of the rules and Michigan threatening to do the same, I look for a new system being enacted.
— vince powers Jun 19, 07:42 AM CST #
You are backing a great candidate and the dems have other outstanding candidates,
I believe John Edwards has the best health care plan and as a resut he will win the nomination. Health insurance or the lack thereof will be an extremely important issue this cycle. Moore’s movie will highlight a problem which unfortunately affects millions and millions of people.
Senator Edwards is identified with this issue and as Americans start to focus on what matters to their families, dems will support Edwards since he has the best plan.
— vince powers Jun 19, 06:04 PM CST #