Caucus turnout worries isle Dems (Hawaii)

[brooklynite]

Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Hawaii Democrats are predicting a record caucus turnout of between 8,000 and 17,000 party members voting in tomorrow's presidential preference poll.

But as both the campaigns of Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are urging supporters, many of whom will be first-time caucus-goers, to attend, party officials are also concerned about being overwhelmed on Tuesday night.

Calls to the state Democratic Party go unanswered and a phone message says the unusually large amount of interest has swamped the office staff.

Annelle Amaral, Oahu party chairwoman, worries that the party is going to be a victim of its own success.

Read more: http://starbulletin.com/2008/02/17/news/story02.html

[ellisonz]

1. Hillary's getting blown out.

[blayne]

14. That's hardly constructive!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Since this has been happening all over the country,

you'd hope the states that haven't voted yet would figure out that turnout will be huge and get ready for it.

Still, it's a good thing, especially since the Republicans aren't getting nearly as many people to come out and vote for their lame-ass candidates.

[dkf]

3. I'm scared. I admit it.

Frankly, I think its going to be a mess.

[IndyOp]

4. Hang in there dkf... You are a brave soul for participating.

If you aren't already involved in organizing, look around and see if you can help in any way once you are there. I hope the Hawai'i Dems will remember that several states that have had blow out caucus attendance decided on the spot to let people drop a slip of paper in a box so that they didn't have to try to move large groups of people around to get a count.

:hug:

:patriot:

[Peace Patriot]

5. The more people the better! Open the doors and windows! Let the air into this party!

Set up more chairs out on the sidewalk, down the road and onto the lava beds if necessary! Let the people speak!

And I don't care if it's for Clinton or Obama. I am anti-Clinton, but I am not pro-Obama, although I am pro-Obama supporters, because I think they are mostly anti-Iraq War and are representative of the FIFTY-SIX PERCENT of the American people who opposed this war from the beginning (NYT, Feb 03; other polls 54-55%), and the whopping, unprecedented SEVENTY PERCENT of the American people who oppose it now and wanted it ended, and have no voice in the bipartisan political cabal in Washington DC that shoved this unjust, heinous war down our throats. I have no illusions that Obama will end it. I think his supporters may well find him deaf to them on this matter, once in office. I have no illusions that he will be less-corporatist than Clinton. He's more of an unknown that she is, but his warm gruel about "change" and "opportunity in Amerika," and his article in Foreign Policy magazine give me no comfort.

But what is truly great about this campaign is the PUBLIC PARTICIPATION! It is awesome! And it is the most important key to reform and renewal. It's going to be some time before we have a majority of real representatives in Washington DC again, and a hard-nosed advocate of the people like FDR in the White House (who didn't give a crap whether the rightwing thought he was "divisive" or not). We need to do a lot of hard work on transparent elections and grass roots organization before that can happen. But this influx of young people into active citizenship, via the Obama campaign, and the widespread participation from all demographic groups, moved by this horrible war, other Bushite outrages and the utter failure of this Democratic Congress to act in our interest, is truly wonderful.

So open the doors, Hawaii! You've got the weather! You've got the Democrats! There is no bluer state in the union! Welcome the multitudes! Let the people back into the "big tent" and let their collective wisdom rule!

[aquart]

7. Do you really believe Hillary supporters are pro-war?

You know that's simply silly, right?

[disndat]

9. HC is not exactly pro-war,

she just want our troops to stay in Iraq for the next 100 years.

[Yossariant]

16. Barack wants the troops out of Iraq --- and into Pakistan:

It is time to turn the page. When I am President, we will wage the war that has to be won, with a comprehensive strategy with five elements: getting out of Iraq and on to the right battlefield in Afghanistan and Pakistan; developing the capabilities and partnerships we need to take out the terrorists and the world's most deadly weapons; engaging the world to dry up support for terror and extremism; restoring our values; and securing a more resilient homeland.

http://www.barackobama.com/2007/08/01/the_war_we_need_to_win.php

[Winterblues]

17. It never ceases th amaze me at the stupidity of many posters

:shrug:

[Peace Patriot]

10. Absolutely not! I did not say that about Hillary supporters.

But I do think that the SEVENTY PERCENT anti-war sentiment in the country is largely responsible for people flocking to the Obama campaign, because he opposed it early and publicly--and they have nowhere else to go. Whatever you think Clinton may do about it, once in office, she voted FOR it, and she has repeatedly voted to fund it, including funding the escalation in the teeth of the clear will of the American people to end this war. Personally, I think Obama has tried to fudge the matter and downplay his opposition, and, once in office as a Senator, he obediently voted to fund it. I think his supporters are likely in for disappointment. I don't think the war profiteers will permit him to end it.

That's all I said, and that's all I meant. I think many, many Clinton supporters oppose the war, and desperately want change, like Obama supporters. But each camp has a different perception of who would be strongest in bringing about change. I also think Obama has been particularly good at inspiring the young--a good thing--but how his program differs from Clinton's I have yet to figure out. I see no substantial differences on policy--except for his early opposition to the Iraq War--but a lot of differences as to personality.

[aquart]

18. Inspiring the young to vote for him. And then what are they supposed to do?

The inspiration seems to be a one-shot deal.

[msongs]

6. 17000 turnout is pitiful in a state with more than 1 million no matter who they choose nt

[Divernan]

8. That's a 420% increase over Hawaii's 2004 presidential caucus ! ! ! !

It goes to show how Obama gets people excited and involved - as he has in all the other states, but particularly in the state where he was born and went to school.

Twenty delegates are at stake. The Clinton spokeswoman predicted that Clinton will get about 1/2 of them. I think she'll be lucky to get 1/10th, i.e., 2 delegates.

The 2004 presidential caucus here attracted 4,000 Democrats by comparison, a dramatic increase from the 1,200 who voted in the 2000 caucus.

"Amaral said the precinct chairpersons will collect the ballots and count them under the scrutiny of the candidates' representatives. The number of ballots cast cannot exceed the number of people who signed in to vote in that caucus. The counted ballots then will be sealed in an envelope, with the tally written on the outside.

The precinct chairpersons will give the precinct ballot envelopes to the district chairperson, who will add up the votes for all the precincts in the district and then call in to party headquarters with the results. The party then will figure out the proportional representation of the 20 delegates under complicated party rules. The official results will come after all the ballots are recounted on March 1.

Hawaii has another nine superdelegates who are not pledged and are free to vote for whomever they want.

So far superdelegates U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye and national committeeman Richard Port have said they would vote for Clinton, and U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie is backing Obama."



Star-Bulletin reporter Robert Shikina contributed to this report.

[RuleOfNah]

11. Can you count our votes now?

Good!

[AtomicKitten]

12. Great news for Obama!!!

[rove karl rove]

13. good to hear this...

not much of an Obama supporter, but I'm glad to hear the turnout's looking to be so high, can't get high enough IMO.

[MaineDem]

15. I understand the concern; we had the same problem

I highly recommend moving the caucuses to larger locations. But, then again, in Hawaii they can just move outside. It's not like they have the same weather we had for caucus day. :)

[Justitia]

19. Yeah, look at what happened in New Mexico, what a mess. -eom