Caucuses are stupid and undemocratic

[kennetha]

They should be abolished.

Absolutely stupid way to choose delegates and to choose a nominee.

A few rabid supporters, with too much time on their hands, from this or that candidate get in a room and try to persuade each other and don't even vote by secret ballot. But the real question is by what right do these people get speak for anybody but themselves?

[libodem]

1. And they suck!

[hrmjustin]

2. Yes.

[Gwhittey]

3. Do not forget

They also are harder to rig for establishment.

[AzDar]

5. ^ This.

[TSIAS]

4. Democracy is so silly

Terrible that voters take a few hours to participate in the democratic process.

[killbotfactory]

6. I agree. My caucus was civil and respectful to all sides.

But it's an antiquated process that excludes a lot of people.

[lunamagica]

7. They should! Did you see those paper "scoreboards" (I don't even know what to call them)

Full of scribbles and scratches? (it was on CNN)

How can this go on in this century?

The world must be laughing at this. Even thirld world countries would accept this joke to elect a candidate.

The panel couldn't believe it!

[CanonRay]

8. I did caucuses in Colorado

in every election from 2004 through 2012 and love it. Seemed like a old time town hall meeting. Hectic, but fun and every civil in our county.

[Yavin4]

9. How many people have the time to stand in a room and debate?

Other than college students.

[Vinca]

10. *unless they vote for Hillary.

[ibegurpard]

11. Yes and still waiting for Hillary

To say something about the fiasco in Arizona... for which she happily trumpeted her win and then moved right along...

[jillan]

14. Yep. Still silent. And it's noticed in this state.

[Blue_In_AK]

12. Nobody had to persuade anybody here.

BERNIE!!

[JonLeibowitz]

13. darn whippersnapper Bernie supporters are so freaking rabid! They should fall in line.!!!

[ViseGrip]

15. Like early voting, at least all these people had to come out today no matter.

early voters sit around with a ballot for a month of sundays....a lesser commitment for sure.

[99Forever]

16. Bwahahahaha...

Someone is getting their ass handed to them by democracy and they don't like it.

I suggest they get used to it.

[Surya Gayatri]

17. The secret ballot is a BASIC tenet of democratic governance.

Caucuses are undemocratic--a throwback to early small town hall meetings. Rule by browbeating, haranguing and undue influence.

There's a reason we have voting booths. Your vote is private and should be nobody else's business.

[Trenzalore]

18. They are arcane

I'm not sure why parties continue to use them. The one thing interesting about the primary season are there are so many different styles of election with so many different rules. Probably keeps locals getting a check every 4 years when the circuses arrive in town for a few weeks.

[strategery blunder]

19. At this point I would like to point out that WA voted to switch to a primary some years ago

Most DUers would probably find the reactions of the two major parties revolting.

The WA state Republican party ACCEPTED the results of the ballot initiative, and allocate their delegates by the primary results.

The WA state Democratic party SUED TO OVERTURN the results of the ballot initiative, won in court, and therefore continue to allocate their delegates by caucus. We Democrats have to both caucus to voice our wishes for whom the party will nominate, AND vote in the primary to ensure that our candidate appears on the November ballot. WE DID NOT ASK FOR THE CAUCUS. WE TRIED TO SWITCH TO A PRIMARY, BUT THE RESULTS OF OUR VOTE WERE OVERTURNED.

I expect that most DUers who do not live in WA do not know this.

PLEASE do not belittle us for having a caucus. We are the 13th most populous state in the Union. We have voted for the Democratic candidate for President in every election since (and including) 1988.

We make the best of the process we have. Not all of us are happy about what the party insiders did. And to a fair few of us, that is the kind of party machinery that Hillary represents, but we know the disaster that Republicans would wreak upon the world and so we will vote for the Democratic nominee come November.