Nebraska Democratic Party: Nebraska Democratic Caucus Results

Nebraska Democratic Caucus Results

Feb 08, 05:43 PM CST

Starting at 7:15 p.m., we will begin posting real-time results at www.nebraskademocrats.org/results2008.

Though we are getting results at HQ as I type this, we feel it is extremely important that all Nebraska Democrats have the chance to attend a caucus before any results are posted. Due to this, we will not be publicly releasing results until all caucuses have convened –– shortly after 7:00 p.m. CST.

I know we’re all excited, but we appreciate your understanding and your patience.

Please visit www.nebraskademocrats.org/results2008 for results, as well as more information about the Nebraska delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

– by Eric Van Horn | Send this to a friend

washington county goes to obama!
— tim Feb 08, 06:02 PM CST #
Why in the heck is it necessary to to sell beer at a Caucus…I found this absolutely appaling!
— John Feb 08, 06:04 PM CST #
There wasn’t any beer at the one I went to (Sarpy), then again it was in a school.

I can’t wait for the results, our district (14) and the two others in the gym with us (3 & 45) seemed to be pretty evenly split between both Obama and Hillary with not really any Undecided.
— Jason Feb 08, 06:12 PM CST #
Randy’s Grill and Chill in Lincoln. Beer and great food available in a neat neighborhood business. Most folks had soft drinks or coffee. We registered 2 dozen new Democrats, most from Republican ranks. Six delegates for Barack Obama from 100 some enthusiastic participants. A great time was had by all.
— Steve Hollister Feb 08, 07:08 PM CST #
At the student union, it was obama 4 to 1, as well as in my precinct, and at least one other precinct there, all representing neigborhoods around UNL. There were lots of new student voters (lots of those registering for the first time) and there was lots of excitement. Go Obama!!!!
— Trish Feb 08, 07:17 PM CST #
I’m glad to see such enthusiasm today at the caucus, but I think voting was very poorly executed. There was not enough room for everyone to stand in the same building, and voting took place outside by placing ballots in an open card board box. Someone picked up several cards in error and then we all had to wait for an hour while they were redistributed. It is ridiculous to think that there is any advantage here over a simple primary. For those that cite greater participation, I believe the same would have been true (if not more so) in a primary election because it is enthusiasm to put the crook from Texas out of a job that fueled participation.
— Mark Feb 08, 07:21 PM CST #
Clay County goes to OBAMA! We had excellent turn out and the enthusiasm was truly something else. Yes, it wasn’t the smoothest operation, but you can’t expect something new like this to go without a hitch or two. Once we get through this experience a time or two, we’ll be well-seasoned pros. We definitely need to keep the caucus system, the old apathetic primary system of old needs to be left in the dustbin of history. We saw quite a fe people switch parties, not to mention a new level of excitement that hasn’t been there in the past as we were a state taken for granted and wasn’t visited.
— Scott Gregory Feb 08, 07:44 PM CST #
I went to the caucus at 1st and Cornhusker. As I sat at a table, I was told that I could not drink the soda that I had in my purse. I looked around the room and saw several people drinking liquior. I was not comfortable discussing politics with people who are drinking liquior. After observing this, I felt I could not be a part of what was going on. It has been my experience that when people are drinking liquior they do not come up with good solutions. I left and went home.
Kathryn
— Kathryn Feb 08, 08:15 PM CST #
Pics from the Lancaster County 9c2 (Milder Manor) group.
— pat Feb 08, 08:38 PM CST #
Platte County went for Obama 63.25 to 36.75.
A good time was had by one and all.
— Tom Havelka Feb 08, 08:42 PM CST #
I’d like to see detailed results by county and precinct. Will that be available?
— Marian Ingwersen Feb 08, 08:54 PM CST #
Our precinct convened at Milder Manor. They were expecting 20-25 people and we had over a 100 people participate. It was very informative, lots of fun and a great way to meet your neighbors and share your ideas for a better tomorrow. Obama was the majority at our location as well. I linked to some pics of the Milder Manor event in a previous post. Just click on “Pat” and you can browse them. Go DEMS!!
— Pat Feb 08, 09:09 PM CST #
Box Butte County went for Obama as well! It was close, but he prevailed. It was only our first caucus ever, and there were some logistical problems across the state, but those should be able to be ironed out before next time.
— Doug Feb 08, 09:11 PM CST #
I was very disappointed that the Nebraska Democrat Party went to a caucus. This is not the way that every person has a vote. I was unable to attend so therefore I was not able to vote for the person that I wanted. If there was a Primary election I would have been able to use an absentee ballot. This is letting just a few people say who is going to be running for President.
— Adele Feb 08, 09:18 PM CST #
Phelps County continued the Obama trend with 57%. Waaaaay more people showed than expected. This is truly the beginning of the rebirth of the Nebraska Democratic Party. We decided to institute a monthly coffee get-together and will start up a “Drinking Liberally” chapter known as Thirsty Thursdays.
Kudos to the always awesome Phelps County Democratic Women.
— Brian T. Osborn Feb 08, 09:21 PM CST #
I attended a Lincoln caucus at St. Mark’s Church. Rather disappointing experience. Each side selected a spokesperson who was allowed to give a TIMED 2-minute speech. No one else was allowed to discuss or debate. All delegates went to Obama, even though we exceeded the 15% viability threshold for Clinton. In talking to others, it sounds like there was little consistency in how these caucuses were run.
— Shelley Feb 08, 09:30 PM CST #
According to the World Herald most of the caucus locations were poorly organized. I was pleased with the outcome… OBAMAHA! Still, I was very angry that DEMS appeared (and were) disorganized. I jumped in and started yelling directions to people because there weren’t enough volunteers. I’d attempted to volunteer and was not called. Next time, I am going to push the issue and make sure that I am allowed to help better organize the Sarpy County caucus.
— Stephanie Feb 08, 09:31 PM CST #
The Cass County Caucus at the County Expo Building was nothing more than a total Caos. Most of us were impressed with the turnout of all the Democrats in a County that didn’t think they had that many. The Democratic leaders lost control of the Caucus and feel if anything that it split the party. If Obama goes on to run as the Democratic representative he will need all of Hilrary’s voters to win, but he will not get them after what i witnessed today. People were peeved at the Obama crowd and their scare tactics. Why bad mouth anyone to win something? My first Caucus experience and hopefully my last. This thing today proved nothing, and the people for Obama should be ashamed of the way they behaved today in Cass County!
— Randy Feb 08, 09:38 PM CST #
Thanks to the gang at the NDP Lincoln office for finally taking the gloves off on this blog. This is what Democracy is really all about, people arguing, gnashing teeth, and having hissy fits.
For too long the NDP blog hasn’t seen this kind of participation in our dialogue. Let’s keep it this way.
WOW! Over 200 comments in only one day!!
— Brian T. Osborn Feb 08, 09:41 PM CST #
Are we serious?! Alcohol during a caucus? At the Sarpy caucus there were young children and new voters present. I would hate to think that DEMS in Lincoln were drinking during the vote. I’m happy that people are coming out to participate, whether for Hillary or Obama, but drinking while voting? Not a good idea.
— Stephanie Feb 08, 09:43 PM CST #
Randy in Cass County:
It is unfortunate that you felt Obama supporters were intimidating Hillary supporters. At Sarpy County’s caucus some Hillary supporters were vocal in their own right. People are finally feeling passionate about their candidates and that is a good thing. In the final analysis, we are all on the same team. Whether Hillary or Obama, America will be better off.
— Stephanie Feb 08, 09:50 PM CST #
Beyond description!! We had over 9% of the Dems in Sarpy County turn out—unheard of in this Red county. Thanks to volunteers and those who voluntered on site we managed through, in spite of the county sheriff closing down the highway and police closing down the school. We had a turn out of over 5.5 times our expectation!!
— Peg O'Dea Lippert Feb 08, 09:52 PM CST #
I am so emabarressed to be a Democrat today. No one knew how to run a Caucus. The volunteers doing registration at my site were clueless and rude. An NO ONE knows where and when the so-called elected Delegates are supposed to be Delegates. Why hasn’t the Party informed us on how this is supposed to work. What if the clueless child that got the delegate position for my precinct doesn’t show up?? Will my effort count?
— Jemma Feb 08, 09:58 PM CST #
I attended a Lincoln caucus at Cornhusker Hall disappointing experience. Each side selected a spokesperson who was allowed to give a two minute speech. All delegates went to Obama, even though we exceeded the 15% viability threshold for Clinton. In talking to others, it sounds like there was little consistency in how these caucuses were run. If my vote counts, which after this I don’t think it does, go back to the primary way of voting. This was a joke!!!
— Scott Feb 08, 10:04 PM CST #
Well, I agree with Brian. I think this site is a lot better when it’s more open to everyone.
— Dave Sund Feb 08, 10:11 PM CST #
All in all a very good turn out across Nebraska. Lancaster County and other counties planned well and handled the Caucus well.

With the exception of Douglas and Sarpy county where there were many problems , mostly due to the massive turnout.

Sarpy county was pretty disfunctional trying to hold the caucus in a single site? in a county that big?

Well at least now they should know what NOT to do for next time.
— Paul McFarland Feb 08, 10:18 PM CST #
The Washington County caucus went just fine and orderly. For the first time I realized there was quite a few dems in the area. I really liked the atmosphere. It was a lot of fun. Very well organized, all went well.
— tim Feb 09, 12:06 AM CST #
Also, to any Hillary supporters in Washington County, sorry if we made you feel intimidated, it was really all in good fun! We respect your decision. (:
— tim Feb 09, 12:08 AM CST #
I was really excited to be apart of history and the great turnout. In the Cacaus I attended we had to stand outside and could hear nothing. If we can be better organized in Douglas County then we need to go back to the primary.
— Michael Richards Feb 09, 12:48 AM CST #
These caucuses are a joke!

Many of the elderly and disabled citizens of Nebraska were unable to stand in these long lines or put up with the loud crowds. Their voices were not heard.

The Obama supports were saying things like “I don’t care if he’s black, I’m voting for him”, implying that anyone supporting Hillary is doing it because their racist. How many people realigned to the Obama side so their neighbors wouldn’t think they were racists?

Employees called in to work at the last minute so the employers could participate in the caucus.

Republicans changing their affiliation in droves to guarantee that McCain wins in November.

This Obama victory was brought to you by the young and influential wine sipping Democratic elite and the McCain Republicans disguised as Democrats.
— Blu Feb 09, 06:57 AM CST #
As a 15 year Husker.. GO Jays! and living in Chicago I must say that Nebraska made me proud. I sat here from 3pm til 9pm yesterday watching returns come in. Even though the Caucus was a raucous mess you all should be proud. Sen Obama continues to be amazed at Midwest States like NE. YWC!!
— Jeff Jenkins Feb 09, 07:05 AM CST #
I went to the Sarpy Dem Caucus. Yes it was chaotic. Yes it could have been better organized. Yes, I understand that there are people who may have had to work and couldn’t attend. Until this year, I had not ever been in a position to attend. Yep, I had to allow those who were able to attend select my presidential Democratic Candidates for General Election without my input. The vote that I cast yesterday I feel that I cast both on my behalf and the behalf of those who would have chosen the same candidate that I chose but who were unable to attend for whatever reason.
— Elizabeth Franks Feb 09, 07:38 AM CST #
Having participated in the Cass County Caucus yesterday I am both excited and discouraged. I am wonderfully excited about the turn out. We had nearly 400 participants! There was enormous energy! At the same time I am very discouraged! The lack of organization was horrendous. We as a party have the opportunity of a lifetime and it appears as though it is being squandered by lack of preparation and the resulting chaos. Both the Obama and Clinton camps were treated poorly. Both sides left feeling bullied. Both sides should feel ashamed, but not because of the passion they expressed. They should feel ashamed because they both allowed this lack of preparation to turn their respective messages to chaos. We are the party of the people. We should be prepared to let the people be heard. We should be the party that allows reason to prevail instead of surrendering to the chaos of disorganization.
— Thomas Burtch Feb 09, 07:47 AM CST #
I can tell you all without a doubt there was significant planning on behalf of the Sarpy County Democrats. We worked for months to be ready for Caucus day. However, others made the decision to hold it in a single building and NO ONE expected the significant turnout. Concerning the High School itself, the Administrators needed to get the ok to use more facilities before we could move people. If we could have anticipated the large crowds, I am sure we would have held it in the gym from the beginning. All votes were counted and privacy and objectivity were ensured throughout the process to the best of our ability. In the future, I know we will hold the caucus at more sites in Sarpy County and will be able to caucus like we’re supposed to. I want to say thank you to Peg Lippert, Burke Summers, and all the other organizers and volunteers that helped yesterday. It was a remarkable sight. In addition, thanks to all those who followed the directions of “this tall guy in the red Nebraska hat and sweatshirt.” I was very proud to be a Democrat and part of history! Go Dems!
— Ian Hartfield Feb 09, 08:16 AM CST #
The Sarpy County caucus was amazing. Who would have thought that there were so many Democrats here! Even though it was a bit chaotic because no one dreamed that so many would come, I felt thrilled to be surrounded by others who think like me!
Thanks to all the volunteers who helped out. It felt good to be part of something that will get the Democrats back in the White House!
— Chris Gill Feb 09, 08:28 AM CST #
I very much enjoyed the process. It was a great way to help inform people of the issues so they were not just picking a candidate based on race or sex. I hope that this process brought democrats together and that we are able to come together to support either candidate that the democratic party selects as the presidential candidate. My only complaint was my caucus location – a smoke filled bar.
— Katherine Wirth Feb 09, 09:55 AM CST #
Hitchcock County Caucus was a pleasure. Good to see so many Demcrats in one room. Don’t stop now people…it’s a long way to November!
— al dunworth Feb 09, 09:57 AM CST #
Photos from Lincoln High caucuses at http://nocoastfilms.blogspot.com
— Elisabeth Feb 09, 10:03 AM CST #
Thank you to the democratic party for arranging the causcuses! It was an awesome experience, a little disorganized but only because we were all new to doing this, but an excellent event!! THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK!
— Jodi Feb 09, 10:11 AM CST #
What a mess!

The Unitarian Church on A Street in Lincoln hosted six precincts with around 100 people per precinct. The sign-in process was abysmally slow (they even ran out of sheets and had to go to a legal pad) and there was not enough room for all of the people.

A retired firefighter took control at one point and made people clear the aisles and hallways, but more people just shoved their way into the newly cleared spaces.

No one seemed to be in charge. After an hour and a half of waiting, we finally split off into precinct groups, there was mass chaos. We were told that our group would be in the lobby until suddenly everything got shifted back into the chapel.

It would have been exceedingly possible for someone to have their vote counted twice as one could both sign their preference at check-in and stay to watch the process. No one ever checked the roster to see who had already written down a candidate’s name and could have remained to be counted again.

I’m left a bit confused about the reasons for the mass chaos. Why cram six precincts into one small space? Did anyone prepare the caucus based on the numbers from the 2004 Presidential Primary? Why wasn’t there anyone in charge? Why didn’t the local office corral more volunteers? I’ve volunteered on several campaigns and no one called me. I would have been happy to help out.

Do we have precinct captains who could have been in charge? I asked that at one point and was told, “Well, Terry was here, but he left.” Whoever Terry was.

As we offered our support for the candidates, the Hillary camp went first. They were allowed their time, and it was uninterrupted. When it came time for the Obama supporters to speak, Camp Hillary cut everyone off and tried to immediately refute some of the claims. Even though Obama took the precinct, it made for a stressful night because no one was keeping people on track or quieting the jeers.

The delegate selection was a joke. There was no vote on who should be a delegate. An older gentleman and I were chosen as the delegates by the people around us. Suddenly, my slot as a delegate was taken away because someone else was standing closer to the gentleman with the forms, and her companion spoke loudly that she would make a great delegate. Oh well. So much for that.

I hope if we caucus again in 2012 that it’s better organized with more volunteers and more space to accommodate all of the voters.

Following my experience, I can’t say that this was a huge success for the party.
— Missy Feb 09, 10:49 AM CST #
The sheer number of Democrats who turned out for the caucuses should by itself make them a huge success. According to numbers from CNN, more Democrats attended the Nebraska caucuses than the caucuses in Washington state!

What the events of yesterday do is give the individual county parties the chance to look at what worked and what didn’t. If Nebraska caucuses in 2012, then it’s imperative that a date be set early, multiple locations are secured in each county (particularly in places where turnout vastly exceeded expectations this time around), and that caucus information is broadly disseminated long before caucus day. This will require, above all, extensive funding from the State party. Individual county parties, particularly in smaller counties, often lack the resources to organize multiple caucus locations. Failure to fully fund caucus efforts in the future will likely lead to a repeat of the mistakes this year.
— Trevor Fitzgerald Feb 09, 11:10 AM CST #
Nebraska has spoken! Change we can believe in. God Bless America! Obama 2008
— Charles Barnett Feb 09, 11:13 AM CST #
I am proud of the job that the Douglas County Democratic Party did in putting on the caucus. Our problems look minor compared to what we’ve heard from other counties. The caucus was clearly a good idea if executed properly. Of course we could have had far less problems if the state party had done anything to educate the public about this event. It does no good to have absentee voting if you announce this fact after the deadline. It appears that the NDP leadership has once again dropped the ball. DCDP conducted its own trainings, volunteer drive, and media campaign which helped us enormously.

To all the people who had a bad experience at the caucus, I can only say this:

Go rent the movie “Gangs of New York”. It might make you feel better.
— Don Kuhns Feb 09, 11:40 AM CST #
Please look at the numbers from the Sunday’s Journal Star.

Statewide, 2004 primary: 21 percent registered Democrats

Statewide, 2008 caucuses: 10 percent registered Democrats*

Lancaster County, 2004 primary: 27 percent registered Democrats

Lancaster County, 2008 caucuses: 17 percent registered Democrats*

* Includes estimated number of Democrats who registered Saturday

So we had approximately 10 percent fewer people turn out for the caucus than the number we usually do for a presidential primary.

Look, I’m excited that we moved the caucus to February so our votes would have more of an impact, but we had fewer people come out for it.

I’m left with a couple of questions following the experience: Do we want to turn out fewer voters in a year with a presidential election? Do we want to potentially disenfranchise those who do come out by having poor organization at the caucus sites?

So again, I’m not 100 percent certain how is this a success.
— Missy Feb 09, 11:50 AM CST #
I am sorry to hear there are some who were disappointed. We tried our very best in our caucus site to make things run as smoothly as possible. Scott, while your candidate was viable, that is only one part of the equation. In order to fairly distribute the delegates, a determination needs to be made by dividing the number of people supporting a candidate by the whole group attending a caucus, and then multiplying it by the number of delegates available. Obviously, you can’t divide a real representative, so the highest number group gets a delegate that is split by more than 50%. I was pleased to see the first effort turn out so well, in spite of the problems. In talking to others around the country, there were difficulties handling the extra people who wanted to participate all over. We learned some valuable lessons and the suggestions put forward by this blog will help for the next time. I met some wonderful people, many of whom did not know who their neighbors were. I am very proud today to be a democrat, and I am looking forward to a great and historical 2008! You are all trailblazers, and I wish to thank all of you who made an effort to participate!
— Karen Davis Feb 09, 11:50 AM CST #
Phelps County caucus draws 124

Harry Dahlstrom, Mr. Phelps County Liberal, harangues the crowd to favor Sen. Clinton. SEC member, Gale Lush, and Harlan County Chair, Laurie Lush, observe from behind the homemade cookies that the Phelps County Democratic Women provided. It’s a good year to be a Nebraska Democrat.
— Brian T. Osborn Feb 09, 12:27 PM CST #
The press says 2200 voted in Sarpy County. 2200? Having been there, packed in with so many others, I find that hard to believe. I heard an estimate of 5000 being in the building while they were still passing out the registration cards. Was that an errant estimate, or could it be a lot of people just got frustrated and left? Then again, the actual voting process seemed to me so informal and prone to confusion-~~handing your registration card to whomever you could find in your candidate’s turf in your district~~-that it wouldn’t surprise me if either turned-in cards were lost or, more likely, people just gave up even that late in the process and left.

One bit of confusion was that the people at the registration table for my name were pointing people in my district to the wrong room. Who knows how long that went on before I told the guy sending my district to a different place about the disparity and he went over to the tables to coordinate things. I was fairly late in the process, and just got to the gym before the division and vote.

We definitely need a lot of debriefing of volunteers and coordinators and planning ahead to fix the flaws if we’re going to do it this way again.

I used to be a college election commissioner, and it stunned me to see the way the voting was handled, even though it obviously had to be improvised because of the crush of people.
— Ray Walden Feb 09, 12:31 PM CST #
Yes, there was confusion and disorganization, but let’s keep in mind that this was the FIRST presidential caucus in Nebraska and turnout (understandably) was underestimated. I was blown away to see how many other people were motivated and energized about participating in the political process. It was much more exciting than standing in a small, private, isolating booth and checking a box next to someone’s name. For me it was like a “coming out” for democrats. We got to see and meet other Nebraskans who feel similarly about politics. Yesterday made me feel hopeful that the democrats in Nebraska will make a difference in the upcoming election.
— Kate Feb 09, 01:09 PM CST #
I’m miffed that people would think this is not a positive change for the better. Before Howard Dean was DNC chair, we did not have a paid organizer in this state. A breath of fresh air has revitalized the party and our dismal showings in 2004 was directly the product of being ignored and left to whither in the wind by the DNC and by folks like the Kerry campaign who wouldn’t send any materials here. I know that for a fact, I called the Iowa and national offices, was promised material-it never came about.

In Clay county, we had a good number of people change party affiliation. I’ve had newspapermen call me constantly to get information and we had an excellent turn out. Someone please explain to me how the unexciting primary system that we use to have was better than this. The excitement is palpable.

Yes, there were glitches in some counties, and I don’t doubt that was frustrating. Once again people, it was our FIRST time. You learn from your mistakes and move on. Have patience and continue on with it. Did all of you give up when you took a tumble off of your bike when you were first learning to ride as a kid?
— Scott Gregory Feb 09, 01:25 PM CST #
The Gage County caucus was rigged by the head of the caucus. The vote was fairly close, and it might have gone the other way if we had equal rights. One guy got 10-15 minutes to speak, while most others got 2 minutes. The head of the caucus opened the proceeding with a diatribe against one candidate. You can guess who.
— drv Feb 09, 01:29 PM CST #
I believe many voters will be excluded because of the caucus. It was confusing and disorganized. It was very hard to hear people speak because of other people speaking at the same time. Why did we change to a caucus anyway? At a primary, you can walk in, vote (privately) and be out in a matter of minutes. Lets go back to the primary please.
— Carol Feb 09, 02:02 PM CST #
For those of you that had bad experiences at the caucuses, I would suggest that you go, right now to the county contact list. Find your county chairman, call them up and say “Hey, there were a few problems at the caucuses yesterday. What can I do to help solve the problems so that we can have caucuses that we can be proud of?”

This was an unfunded, grassroots effort by the people in each county.

We all need to get involved at the county level to make the Nebraska Democratic Party stronger.
— Deb Feb 09, 02:42 PM CST #
Carol, we’re still going to have a primary in May.
— Dave Sund Feb 09, 03:06 PM CST #
I read that we’re going to have a “beauty contest” in May. Yesterday’s caucus is the one that counts as far as presidential candidates are concerned.
— Blu Feb 09, 03:16 PM CST #
The main page of this site states, “The caucus does not eliminate the May primary. It will be important for all Democrats to still go to the polls on May 13th to cast votes in local, county, state legislative and statewide races. The presidential candidates will remain on the ballot. However, the results of the presidential portion of the election will mean nothing and it will truly be a “beauty contest.” ”

http://www.nebraskademocrats.org/
— Blu Feb 09, 03:27 PM CST #
Just some thoughts about our caucus experience yesterday in Nebraska:

It DID appear disorganized and messy, but NO ONE expected the turnout! At our location in Dawes county, people lined up and were dumbstruck by the number of people. How many times did I hear, “I thought I was the only Democrat in the county. I thought no one would be here.” I loved the mess because it told us how important this is to us…and that we’re out here knocking on the door!
To those who felt inconvenienced, we need to remember we have troops out there who are more than a little inconvenienced in a warzone!

When I saw the Omaha paper this morning, I knew what we all did was more than important! It was a major story with photos etc. not just a one column summary of a primary result!
The passion that people have for these candidates needs to move forward. Let’s stop debating about pieces of paper and parking spots and get our candidate elected!
— Maggie Feb 09, 04:29 PM CST #
I guess my question is, why did no one expect this turnout? The actual turnout numbers are far lower than they were in 2004. In Sarpy County specifically, 3400 people voted in 2004. Our “amazing” turnout number this year was 2200.

I don’t mind the “inconvenience”, but I know a lot of people didn’t get to caucus because of the extreme crowding and disorganization. Also, I don’t think people who weren’t there realize the level of “inconvenience” in Sarpy County. I arrived to the caucus at 11:45, and didn’t get to sign the voter roll until 1:30. We were supposed to get a yellow card, but those had ran out (before noon), and we were told to write our information on green scraps of paper they were handing out (though those were running low, and we were told we could write it on our own paper if we had any with us). I was then told to go to my district’s “holding room”, where we waited for 30 minutes. Again, the crowds were far in excess of the legal capacity of the high school, and I wonder if this caused people to leave. We then were led into the high school gym, and told to sit in our districts. After some waiting, we were told to divide up again for our candidate. As the gym was packed, this didn’t happen. We finally handed our yellow card (or green scaps of paper) to the middle of the row and left. I know that the volunteers were trying very hard in terrible conditions, but I can’t help thinking that there is no way all those scraps of paper got counted.
— Liz Jones Feb 09, 05:04 PM CST #
Thanks to the Hall County Chair and all of the volunteers, I believe the caucus was a success. We had a high turnout at all sites. We recruited new Democrats and reenergized “old” Democrats. It was not “always pretty’ but it was a great opportunity for idea exchange. Congratulations to all Nebraska Democrats. Let’s keep up the momentum and elect Democrats to all offices.
— Judy Vohland Feb 09, 05:47 PM CST #
Liz, I can assure you we counted many scraps of paper that voters had turned in. I was an official vote counter and we made absolutely sure all votes were counted.
— Ian Hartfield Feb 09, 06:30 PM CST #
Our caucus here in GI was amazing! There was an energy there that was unbelievable! I loved caucusing and commend the NDP for choosing this option for us. I think it was great to get together and see all the Dems together. My wife and I definitely discovered some Dems among people we know!

As for the intimidation thing, the Hillary supporters in our group were VERY outspoken, but this is an emotional issue. No harm, no foul as far as we were concerned. We had a spirited discussion with all of us sharing our differences of opinion, were counted and then got together and enjoyed each other’s company!

What an amazing time in our state’s history. It gives me chills…

Obama ‘08
— Dave Vrbas Feb 09, 08:36 PM CST #
And to all those people complaining about the situation: This was the first year! How could anyone have estimated the turnout being so high? I know a lot of places planned meals and had no idea whether to plan for 60 people or 600 people. Who could have possibly known?

The overcrowding is a good sign. Silver lining, folks.
— Dave Vrbas Feb 09, 08:39 PM CST #
I participated in the Sarpy County caucus as a new Democrat. I am 62 years old and have not felt so energized politically since 1968. It was chaotic at times due to the large crowd. I want to thank the young people who did a great job collecting cards and sorting them. I am a very strong Obama supporter but I remember two friends, one an Obama supporter and one a Clinton supporter. As the Clinton supporter left for her side of the bleachers she turned to her friend and said, “Remember no matter what happens we win.”
— Mary Brown Feb 09, 08:43 PM CST #
The Sheridan County caucus experience was wonderful. The rules were presented clearly. The organizers prepared for an outlandishly large turnout, so the logistics ran smoothly when the turnout was merely mind-blowingly extraordinary. The entire process was well organized.

As many have mentioned, the opportunity to connect with so many fellow Democrats and to engage in enthusiastic discussion was thrilling.

The spirit of the Sheridan County group seemed to be that every supporter, Obama, Clinton, or Undeclared, was appreciative of, and excited for, the participation of each other person there.
— Jeff Shald Feb 09, 09:44 PM CST #
Ian – I have no doubt that the volunteers counted every scrap of paper. The issues is, when people vote on scraps of paper (literally), and they change hands several times before they get to the volunteers (being passed down rows, etc.), the chances of being dropped, misplaced, etc. is very high. Again, it was the process, not the volunteers.

Dave – A good way of estimating turnout, I would guess, is looking at the numbers of registered voters and the turnout numbers in past elections. Another indicator of needing contingency plans was the fact that every caucus in the nation was getting record turnouts.

The bottom line is, the number of Democrats that voted yesterday is half of what it was in 2004. Half.
— Liz Jones Feb 09, 09:51 PM CST #
Liz – it was a caucus, not a primary.

Here’s a good baseline. Kansas, which has more registered Democrats than Nebraska, had 1,000 fewer voters show up to their caucus on Super Tuesday.

I don’t think you realize just how astounding these numbers are for a caucus. The fact that they are half of what’s normal in a primary is incredible.
— Dave Sund Feb 09, 10:48 PM CST #
Thank you, Vic Covalt for your good humor and amazing organizing talent here in Lancaster County. I never imagined that hydroponic farm management could build cat-herding skills.
The feelings produced by this very successful caucus effort are just a preview of what can happen this November. Democratic Victory, up and down the ticket is the real prize. If we can transform this enthusiasm into generous giving of our time, our talents, and our money to the great cause of getting Democrats elected, November 5th could be the best day of our lives.
— Steve Hollister Feb 09, 11:24 PM CST #
For those of you who were wishing that this was handled as a primary process please understand that we could NOT change the primary date without the legislature changing laws. It likely would have been easier in so many ways if we could have but that just wasn’t an option. If we wanted to have any voice at all, this was how it had to be done.

As far as people not knowing about the caucus or where their locations were and such, blame the media. We tried so hard to get the press to pay attention to us but they were sitting on their hands until about a week before the caucus. Once they realized they would be on the national stage was when they started talking. At that point it was starting to become clear that the doors were going to get blown off, but it was too late to make venue changes.

This is the first week that I have been truly happy to be a Nebraska Democrat and proud to be part of THIS democratic party. We are constantly running with the wheels coming off and that didn’t change on Saturday, but it was hard to not be giddy with delight to see the process at play.

Thank you to Lanny and the rules committee for all the work you did to get ready for Saturday and thanks for what comes next!
— Brenda Feb 09, 11:59 PM CST #
The process of handing in preference cards was due to the fact of the large turnout. Normally, this works more like a caucus, but because of the circumstances, that wasn’t an option. It will be different next time.
— Ian Hartfield Feb 10, 07:45 AM CST #
I live in Lincoln Co.And we were unsure of anything that was to happen,but I will tell you this,we had a super turnout,we had super volunteers,we were about as organized as could be expected for such a large turnout,maybe even more so,we had a great discussion among the sides,and we ended it with a huge soup/chili/and finger foods supper!Obama won,and it was very close.We had media coverage from local tv and also two newspapers.
We did not even think it would be as big of a turnout as it was.I am extremely proud to be a Democrat,I have been all my life,and I am extremely proud of what we did here in Lincoln Co.It was a first time for all of us,things learned,and things to do different or better next time,but a truly exciting day,and an exciting way to get involved.I loved it.My husband and I took the whole day off to help.It was worth every penny.
— DiAnn Nichelson Feb 10, 09:40 AM CST #
The caucus I attended in Lincoln was a huge success from every vantage point. I felt more involved in a national election than ever before. It was held at the Heritage Lake Academy (daycare) and even though the turnout was huge, they doubled up the lines in the halls to get everyone indoors, and the lines were organized and smooth.

Each room had a sign outside for your precinct and it appeared everyone that wanted to get in was able to. Our individual caucus was well managed, after the initial 2 minute speeches, most everyone that wanted to make a point was allowed to. This may have varied by precinct.

Kudos for having Nebraska go to a caucus, I don’t remember the last time a presidential candidate focused on Nebraska.
— Jim Feb 10, 09:44 AM CST #
Caucuses are supposed to be raucous and at least a little chaotic. This is what makes participation a great deal more motivating. I attended the caucus at the Cornhusker Social Club and it was noisy, packed (at least 500 attended judging by the number present from my precinct) and required a bit of navigation but that’s also part of the fun. I can’t help but feel that the people that found it a negative experience were (1) went there looking to come out with something negative to vent about or (2) did not have a clue about what they were getting themselves into or (3) possess no inter-personal social savvy. While the state Republican chairman rebutted that the turnout is quite a bit less than what you would see in a primary, you are guaranteed to entice the most true-blue participants to the political process. Republicans don’t seem to want to be bothered by anything that requires more than the two-minute “drive-through” primary process. I was totally impressed the people that ran the caucus as well as the varied composition of the participants. Here’e hoping that the state Democratic party keeps pushing forward to keep our event fairly close to the Super-Tuesday event.
— Mark Feb 10, 10:00 AM CST #
I was in favor of a Nebraska Caucus, until I actually attended one. The Caucus in my county was organized by an Obama supporter. Here’s what happened.
Obama supporters were in a large room with plenty of seating, even is some had to sit on the floor. After the initial vote, the outside doors were opened to allow for ventilation. However, the Clinton supporters and the Undecided voters were all shoved into a very small back room. There was little seating and they were not allowed to open the doors for ventilation. Most people were standing literally elbow-to-elbow, some were even standing in the bathrooms it was so tightly packed. The rules of a caucus were never explained so a number of Clinton supporters and Undecided’s left after the initial vote because they were so hot and uncomfortable. This of course helped the comfortable Obama room later.
The most troubling thing was the fact that all speakers had to speak in the Obama room. Obama speakers were not given time limits and the first Obama speaker was allowed to go on for 22 minutes while Clinton speakers were forced to limit their remarks to fewer than five. Since all speakers spoke in the middle (literally) of the Obama room, the Obama supporters were very quiet and respectful during their own speakers. However, the Clinton speakers were constantly interrupted even to the point that Obama supporters were allowed to approach the speakers, speak to them, and hand them campaign material while the speaker had the floor. Again, the organizer was an Obama supporter and was sitting right there and did nothing to stop this. One Clinton speaker was personally accosted and called a racist as she was exciting the Obama room. Again, organizers did nothing. Fortunately for the Clinton camp that speaker was called a racist right in front of the Undecided, which lead to most of them to join the Clinton supporters for the final vote. I feel that this event was completely unfair and catered to Obama.
— our CO caucus was unfair Feb 10, 10:00 AM CST #
Here’s my impression of Saturday’s Caucuses

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t311/blu_bastian/caucus-1.jpg
— Blu Feb 10, 10:11 AM CST #
Yes it was tough in some areas. Space was limited but keep in mind, If we would have had more people helping get sites set up this might have been avoided. You have a choice now. You can complain about the situation or you can be part of the solution.

Let’s go from here and celebrate what was good and learn from what went wrong. Volunteer to help next time by finding meeting spots for your precinct, attend caucus training sessions and work with site leaders to insure an orderly process, suggest improvements to county leaders.

In short, get involved. Organize at the neighborhood/precinct level. We can use this experience to be a better party in Nebraska.

No matter which of the two great candidates we have makes it through, we need to be ONE party in order to get past McCain.
— rick Poore Feb 10, 12:33 PM CST #
People in Sheridan County is still buzzing about the caucus. The experience for many people was profound. Thrilling. Invigorating. Patriotic. Amazing.

Part of the feeling was, ‘Hey, there are WAAAAAAAY more Democrats in Sheridan County than I thought.’ Part of it was the feeling that you were given permission to talk about things that are very important, but which we are reluctant to discuss in public. Part was the intimate feeling that you were contributing to the process that leads to the election of the President of the United States.

I think the overall spirit at our caucus was, ‘I am proud to be an American. I am excited to be a Democrat.’ That spirit is wonderful, and it is still pumping. The next question is: How do we keep this spirit going and how do we help this spirit to spread?
— Jeff Shald Feb 10, 02:26 PM CST #
If you support Obama, you’ll want to take note of this—perhaps even send it (or something similar) on.

Hopefully, Steve Achelpohl (head of the NE Dem’s—and a superdelegate!!) will receive this and it will help influence his decision.

****

Dear Mr. Achelpohl,

I am writing to you from your neighbor to the east on a matter of great importance.

I would like you to know that not once in my 15 year history of voting eligibility ever proclaimed myself a member of either the Republican or Democratic parties. I have always remained Independent and voted my conscience—making my decision based upon who the final candidates from each party were.

This is the year I chose sides.

This is the year I became a registered Democrat.

This is the year I went to a causus and made my voice heard.

This was because of Barack Obama.

He has energized the American people like I have never, ever seen in my lifetime. He has created a groundswell of support among voters who are ready for an “outsider” to try their hand in Washington.

The support he has garnered is evident in the massive amount of contributions he has received from every-day, blue collar, hard working American people. It has been shown that the vast majority of his contributors have given less than $200. Senator Clinton, in contrast, has the highest number of $2,500 maxed-out supporters.

Couple this with the popular vote lead that Senator Obama enjoyed even before the latest round of primaries and caucuses (a 93,000 popular lead, based on Yahoo.com vote counts), and to me, that shows who the average American would like to see as the next President.

Please, Mr. Achelpohl, I urge you to put your support behind Barack Obama. The election process should not come down to a political decision that a handful of people get to decide. The will of the people should decide this contest, and their will has been clear: Barack Obama.

Thank you for your time, and I hope to read soon that you will be supporting Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination.
— milt Feb 10, 02:36 PM CST #
Hello all,

I wanted to add my comments about the caucus. I had a great time. Talking with so many others with similar views. I went to support Hillary ( I did ). I left with a good feeling that no matter who gets the nood, we cant loose as democrats. We have 2 very good canidates and should be proud of our choices. I was very pleased at the turn out, and the demographic young, elderly and everything in between.
Lastly, Lets keep the ball rolling I hope the momentum doesnt fade, No matter who gets elected, we need to build this party back up. It’d would be nice to finally have a two party system in this state.
Thanks agian
— Mark McCoy Feb 10, 05:38 PM CST #
Dave, I know we are still having a primary in May, but we will only be voting for Local and State candidates. I still prefer that the Presidential candidates be on the primary ballot.
— Carol Feb 10, 05:49 PM CST #
I just read one comment – the one from a lady that is very disgruntled that attended her caucus at the Unitarian Church. I have worked in the Caucus office everyday since September. Vic worked blood, sweat and tears trying to get sites for the caucuses. We started out trying to get one for each precinct – but that would have meant there had to be one LEADER for each precinct. Vic made calls everyday – up to the Friday before the caucuses to try to find leaders for each site, both new ones and replacements for those who were ill. Then there was the problem of paying for the sites. The Democratic Party is not heaped with money to pay for these sites! They were not free! We would have been more then happy to accept your donation. Vic needs to be commended for his efforts – as should Ted, John, Becky, Mary Beth, Terry, Patte, the UNL YD’s, the SouthEast High School YD’s, every single precinct captain, and all of the site leaders. This being Nebraska’s FIRST EVER caucus – I think we did an excellent job!
— Mary Anne Feb 10, 07:09 PM CST #
Mark,

You may choose to believe what you wish, and it’s terrific that your experience was a good one. That was not the case for some people, and please don’t demean others by making snide comments that they went to the caucus expecting a bad experience. Please do not assume that just because you had a good experience that it’s impossible for others to have had a negative one.

I went to caucus with an excited spirit and a hopeful chance to connect with other people who are interested in the political process. It’s a bit difficult to do that when not everyone can get into the one room being used for six precincts.

Having followed politics for years, I understood what a caucus should be like. I did not anticipate the complete lack of organization and overcrowding. If we had a turn out of 21 percent statewide in 2004, then that should have been the expected number of participants.

I was at the Church before 5:30. Like many other people, I could not get into the sanctuary. We could not hear any instructions, not could we get any answers from the volunteers because no one seemed to be in charge.

With the lack of organization, it seems clear from reading the other posts here that in certain precincts some supporters were allowed to overwhelm some of the other participants. This could have been easily avoided by keeping people on track and sticking to some time limits. My concern still stands that some voters may be disenfranchised with the process following the caucus. If we, as Democrats, are an inclusive party then we need to find ways to make sure that everyone is able to participate.

You may throw stones at others who were dissatisfied with the process, but please remember that this is our right to point out the problems and work for solutions in the future.
— Missy Feb 10, 07:12 PM CST #
Seeing the popularity of Obama, a chance of high voter turn out, and the ability to have your vote count, I decided to leave early for my caucus. Not to forget getting a place to park. My caucus site was up and running at least by 8:30 am. For those who thought they just had to be there after 9 a.m. were not planning well in advance and not paying attention to the other state’s elections.
There were elderly people at my caucus and were given chairs to sit in. The caucuses did everything to accommodate the voters no matter their age. To complain they didn’t isn’t totally their fault. Most sites would of let them hand in their form without having to go outside to caucus as there were provisions made. Knock the caucus format because people who work couldn’t attend. Don’t knock it because of the lack of effort of the volunteers. With proper planning everyone who wanted to attend could of estimated the popularity of the vote and came a little earlier to avoid the long lines.
— Bob Feb 10, 11:27 PM CST #
I attended the Lincoln caucus at UNL and was amazed at the turnout! So were the poor small group of staff! Talk about standing room only! Things went fairly well considering the situation but there was a few that were grumbling! I was honored to be chosen to be a Delegate and I’m totally ready to get down and get with it! Please visit the Nebraska Democrats group and join in the fight to take our country back! The url is http://www.democrats.org/page/group/NebraskaDemocrats. See you there!
— Roger Feb 11, 01:33 AM CST #
The CAUCAS has to GO!! I was at my first one in the SW. First off the Obama people were the only ones who knew what was going on, much better prepaired, party line or coincidence. I thought this was to be a straw poll, not the real vote for the canidate who would run for the PRESIDENT of the U.S.A. picked by Nebraskans. That’s way we have a PRIMARY!! Not all the people can take that much time out of 1 day,1 designated time to participate in a caucus. Yes, they could have mailed in a vote but who knew?? I think of the thousands of people whose votes won’t count! It MAKES ME VERY SAD, account so few of us are here to begin with. I have had people say to me today, if they don’t want my vote they don’t want ME!! Is this what we(dem.party) really want? Can we as a party afford that with so few Dems. in Ne..I THINK NOT!!! Taking the RIGHT of a seret VOTE out of the hands of the voters is NOT the RIGHT thing to do. Think about it. Because I have always believed that is what makes us (Dems.) different from the reps. WE THINK FOR OUR SELVES.Dave in McCook
— Dave Haller Feb 11, 12:08 PM CST #
I observed several things go wrong at the Lincoln, NE Southeast Community College caucus site.

A long line started to form around 5:15 pm. The woman in charge announced that the room that they had was not large enough and that they would be doing this like regular voting. She said that people would write down who they preferred next to their name and they could either choose to stay to be a delegate and convince undecideds to join their team, or they could leave. She assured everyone that their vote would be counted. Many people left after they signed up after she assured that there votes would be counted.

At approximately 5:40 pm, the janitor for the school came in and made the room bigger by removing some walls. At that time, those in charged apparently changed their mind and decided to have a regular caucus anyway.

I asked a man who was also helping out what was happening with the votes of the people who signed up initially. He said that he thought that they were going to sign up people who wanted to leave on a separate sign in sheet, but that did not happen. He told me that someone expressed concern that people would double vote, so they decided to have people sign in again and check those names against the initial sign in. He said that he got roped into volunteering when he initially showed up, and that he really did not understand all of this process. He asked that we provide the Lancaster democrats with a list of concerns.

I asked the woman in charge how the votes that were made when people signed up were going to be counted. She said that is why she were asking people to sign in again, so the they could match up people who were there with people who weren’t there and make sure that the preference of the people who left were counted. In the end, this did not happen. They simply took the results from the chairs of each precinct and did not factor the people who left early into the results as they said they would.

People on this board are trying to give slack by saying that this was the first time, and of course it would be chaotic. But the fact that there was voter disenfranchisement should not be shrugged off to mere growing pains.

Caucuses can be undemocratic. Caucuses leave a significant number of the elderly and handicap out of the process who cannot attend the caucus due to physical condition. People were also confused because they thought that the primary would count. You had more voter turnout in the 2004 primary race, where Kerry had a lock on the nomination already, than you did in this very tight race for delegates.
— witness to voter disenfranchisment Feb 12, 10:27 AM CST #
Democratic National Committee – Delegate Selection Rules that I believe were not followed:
4. An Open Party
(B1) All public meetings at all levels of the Democratic Party in each state should be open to all members of the Democratic Party regardless of race, sex, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, economic status or physical disability (hereinafter collectively referred to as “status”).
(B3) The time and place for all public meetings of the Democratic Party on all levels should be publicized fully and in such manner as to assure timely notice to all interested persons. Such meetings must be held in places accessible to all Party members and large enough to accommodate all interested persons.
(B4) The Democratic Party, on all levels, should support the broadest possible
registration without discrimination based on “status.”
(B5) The Democratic Party in each state should publicize fully and in such a manner as to assure notice to all interested parties a full description of the legal and practical procedures for selection of Democratic Party officers and representatives on all levels. Publication of these procedures should be done in such fashion that all prospective and current members of each state Democratic Party will be fully and adequately informed of the pertinent procedures in time to participate in each selection procedure at all levels of the Democratic Party organization.

7. Inclusion Programs
The Democratic National Committee recognizes that other groups of Americans in addition to those described in Rule 6 (African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian/Pacific Americans and women) may be under-represented in Party affairs. These groups include members of the LGBT community and people with disabilities. The National and State Parties shall adopt and implement Inclusion Programs in order to achieve the full participation of members of these and other groups in the delegate selection process and in all party affairs, as indicated by their presence in the Democratic electorate. As is already the practice in some states, State Parties may use goals to achieve these ends; however, in no event may such participation be accomplished by the use of quotas.
— Blu Feb 12, 10:59 AM CST #
Blu,
I fully expect to see you in attendance at your next county meeting, the next CDO meeting if your CD has one, and at the next State Central Committee meeting.

I also will expect to see you showing up to volunteer your help at any party events such as your county fair’s Democratic Party booth, any Democratic Party fundraisers in your area, and I would expect you become a member of any of our affiliated caucus groups such as the LGBT or Person’s with Disabilities caucuses. I would hope that you will run for office, if not on our party’s ballot, then for one of the many party offices that will soon be coming up for a vote.

In case you don’t know me, I have a reputation for being a big grumbler, just as you probably are going to be known for, given the tenor of your posts. But I have been volunteering for everything I can handle ever since I became active in the party. I found that is the only way to effect change; you have to participate.

Since I first became involved I am now a county chair, an SCC delegate, Secretary of the 3rd CDO, Sec./Treas. of the Veteran’s Caucus, and I sit on the Rules, Technology, and Nominating committees. I have helped with campaigns, fundraisers, county fair booths, and everything else that I could. I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment. If more people volunteered I could cut down on the number of things that I have burdened myself with.

Were I not doing all those things, I believe my grumbling would just be noise. I gripe, but because I believe our party needs to make changes in order to survive, I also feel an obligation to personally do something about it. One of my favorite quotes is this one from Lee Iacocca – “You don’t get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action.”

If we ever have another caucus I would hope that thousands of people, like you who have had a negative experience with it, will step forward and volunteer to be the leader of their precincts. They would raise the money needed to rent a facility, they would raise the money to publicize it, and they would enlist the aid of volunteer to help run it. Then they would have no one to blame but themselves if it wasn’t successful.

Please don’t take this as a nasty criticism aimed just at you. It is, rather, an invitation for you, and everyone else that cares about our Nebraska Democratic Party, to get involved. Please don’t just sit on the sidelines.
— Brian T. Osborn Feb 12, 11:56 AM CST #
Brian, when I discovered that Nebraska was going with caucuses instead of primaries I did volunteer to help. I was told that everything was taken care of and my services were not needed. I was given permission to call any Democrats I might know in the area.
It turned out that “taken care of” meant a ½” x 1” ad published in the back of the local paper 2 days before the caucus and that the caucus would be held in a 3 story building with no elevators.
I moved from Massachusetts to Nebraska less than 2 years ago. Outsiders are not exactly welcomed with open arms in this rural community.
— Blu Feb 12, 12:56 PM CST #
What I am questioning about the caucus system is how the elderly people who cannot drive; the homebound people who cannot get out; and any other person in need could vote on February 9. In the past, this category of person would have voted via mail-in ballot. This is not the case with a caucus. So what I have read into this situation is that these particular individuals’ votes simply do not matter. I drove to the Ralston site of the caucus. I talked to a point of contact a few days before and was assured of the facility being handicapp accessible. There was no way I could have gotten my mother in her wheelchair inside the building. Not only was the parking lot small, it was entirely full and had very few handicapped spaces even available to the public to begin with. People were parking in the street blocks away. I heard the Democratic caucus was a great success as far as turnout, but the Democrats seemed to forget the homebound and the elderly this time.
— Cheri Feb 13, 07:26 AM CST #
A recurrent theme in the complaints by those who were marginalized by the caucus needs some very serious evaluation. I believe the problem is rooted in the way our party is run, there is no real organization.

We need to rebuild our party in such a way that every Democrat in this state that wants to know what is going on in the party will know it. We need to build a communications infrastructure that makes every Democrat in this state a functional part of our organization. Communications need to flow seamlessly in both directions. If those at the top can’t hear those on the bottom, they’ll need to be replaced.

If we ever have another caucus I would hope that our organization has ensured that every Democrat in this state will know, far in advance, what is happening, when it will happen, and how to go about it. We should know which of our members are disabled, in the military, or otherwise incapable of participating in such an event and provide for them well in advance. We need to share information with one another without adding the burden of making our fellow Democrats pay for the information or threatening them with fines.

We can do this.
— Brian T. Osborn Feb 13, 09:17 AM CST #
Here’s a quote from Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, “This year, as Republicans continue their attack on voting rights, we’ll fight to protect every American’s right to vote and have that voted counted.”
This should apply to the caucus/primary vote as well as the general election.
— Blu Feb 13, 09:52 AM CST #