Watch the minute the final delegate count in Nevada goes to BERNIE!!

[dynamo99]

70. Yep

It may vary between caucus states, but in MN the precinct caucus elects delegates to the (state) Senate District convention, which in turn elects delegates to the state convention, which elects delegates to the national convention. If a candidate's delegates don't show up for the next stage, they've thrown away that vote.

I'm ambivalent about this process. On the one hand, it lets people who are really interested determine what candidate the party will support. That's good (otherwise, why have parties at all, I don't think that if David Duke shows up with a bunch of supporters, he should get to choose your candidate, if you're not the KKK). On the other hand, it allows the apparatchiks a good deal of control. The precinct caucuses are pretty clean, but the apparatchiks are the ones with the knowledge and experience to influence conventions, and that's when the knives and goon squads come out (those who control the credentials committee, the rules committee, the vote tellers, and the chair of the convention, can control the outcome).

But in this case, yes, Hilary's delegates didn't care enough to show up. So they lost delegates.