A Lot of the Democratic Primary Candidates Are in California

[MineralMan]

There's the Democratic Party Convention going on there. In most states, the state party convention occurs after the primary elections in that state. California does it differently. Becoming a delegate to the California Democratic Party Convention also works differently in California than it does in most states.

In the end, that convention in California is more or less a formality, rather than a determinative body. This is an off-year, odd-year state convention. In California, that means that almost every office that is up for election is a local office, rather than a state or federal office. The Democratic Party Convention convenes in such years for the purpose it is filling this year. It is a forum for candidates.

In the past few years, progressives have made up a majority of delegates at those conventions. They want to be there, so they put in their requests to be a delegate. And, currently, it's mostly progressives who end up as delegates.

Every state does it differently. California's Democratic State Convention doesn't really have much weight to throw around, even in presidential election years. It's a nice event to attend. I went to several of them when I lived in California. But, it's not an event that means much, really. California relies on its primary elections, not its party conventions.

[Indygram]

1. Beto was there but today he's in Oklahoma touring Flood damage and meeting with local leaders

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[MineralMan]

2. Yes. Speaking at the California Democratic Convention is an opportunity

to get some media coverage. However, those in attendance as delegates do not reflect the general opinion of Democrats in California, as a rule.

[DCofVA]

3. It's important to the people of California.

Not to mention; they will have more influence in next year's primaries.

[MineralMan]

4. Actually, it goes unnoticed by most Californians.

This year is a little different, because there are 24+ presidential primary candidates, many of whom are looking for any possible opportunity for media coverage. Most years, though, the Democratic Party Convention goes unnoticed by almost everyone. I lived in California for more than 50 years. I went to several state conventions. All I had to do was submit my application to be a delegate to my county's Democratic Party organization. Every time I did, I was a delegate.

In Minnesota, becoming a delegate to the state convention is very difficult, unless you are an active party organization leader and worker. You must be elected as a delegate at the local State Senate District convention. Many try to become delegates. Only a limited number are elected. I've only succeeded once.

[still_one]

5. I am from California MM, and I agree. What many not realize is that the California Democratic

Party does not necessarily represent the views of most California Democrats.

A perfect example of this was when they endorsed Kevin de Leon for Senator over Dianne Feinstein.

Dianne Feinstein won reelection by an overwhelming majority in that race.

This proved the state party organization comes nowhere near representing the party’s membership.

This begs the question why is that, and it goes to how they select their delegates for the next party convention.

They have caucuses in all California Assembly districts where they choose 14 delegates per district for the next convention, the one we are seeing now.

The problem was, the party didn't notify most of the Democrats of the vote that was to take place, and there was no notice on the party website. Most who attended were informed by candidates or word of mouth, and they called this a Democratic process?

Those who did turn up for the caucuses, heard a few speeches, then waited in line to vote, and when they voted, no one verified where they lived, or whether they had already voted.

They used a hand stamp as there verification, but not everyone received that hand stamp. It was somewhat of an "honor" system, where anyone could vote, citizen or not, district resident or not, Democrat or not, multiple times.
The check was through a laptop computer per caucus, used to verify ID through a voter DB, but only if someone challenged the legitimacy of a would be voter.

and determining who won these delegate elections was a mess. The party created two gender categories: "self-identified female" and "male/other than self-identified female" Voters could mark seven in each category, but no matter who got the most votes, the top seven of each would become delegates. So if 14 self-identified other-than-females got more votes than the leading female, seven would be knocked out.
This is democracy?

https://www.redding.com/story/opinion/columnists/tom-elias/2019/04/08/california-democrats-art-they-really-democratic/2916017002/

[MineralMan]

6. Well, when I lived there, which was some time ago,

it was even more casual in the caucuses. I never had any trouble becoming a delegate, and almost nobody went to the caucuses. If you went and wanted to be a delegate, you probably would be a delegate.

That might have changed recently. But, the Convention definitely has little to do with how CA Democrats vote.

[still_one]

7. Point being, it is a mess here in California, and does not necessarily represent the voice of

California Democrats, which is what you are saying.

Even our semi-open primary system, (closed for Presidential races), is laughable.

We had something like 32 candidates running for Senate. The ballots are long, confusing, (trying to find you candidate in the list of candidates), which are NOT in alphabetical order, is not good, and error prone.

When Gray Davis was recalled, that helped Arnold Schwarzenegger become Governor. The number of candidates for governor was a joke.

In Illinois it was that OPEN primary that effectively put Dan Lipinski the extreme right wing Democrat in over the progressive Newman, because republicans crossed over to vote for Lipinski.

A similar situation could very easily happen in California. We have just been fortunate up to now.

Which is why I am a very strong supporter that Democratic primaries should be voted on only by those who are registered Democrats. I don't know whose brillant idea it was to allow non-Democrats vote in California Democratic primaries, to determine who the Democratic nominee is. From my perspective that is insane, and I do not think it is going to get better.