Did William Jefferson Clinton Participate in Caucuses? Did Al Gore? Did John Kerry?

[K Gardner]

Hillary Supporters... This Question is For You.

Also, try to remember we have had the caucus as part of the nominating process for 100 years. Thank you for what I know will be an enlightening discussion.

[MonkeyFunk]

1. Sure they did

that doesn't change the fact that caucuses are unfair to a lot of voters.

[Bicoastal]

2. But why complain to US? Take it up with Dr. Dean if you're unhappy with how things are going.

Yeesh.

[JI7]

4. people usually complain AFTER the results

and it's usually based on how their candidate did.

if they feel strongly they should keep up the complaints and push for things to change outside of any election season.

hopefully a Democrat will win this year and bringing the change during the next 4 years would be a good idea since it wont be competitive and there wont be much bias in it.

[MonkeyFunk]

6. Have I complained to you?

and Howard Dean doesn't decide how states vote.

Nonetheless, the caucus system is unfair to many voters. I find it hard to believe that's even disputable.

[LiberalFighter]

20. I would ask why should voters who may not be Democrats...

or not active in the Democratic Party have a say in the nominating process? It would seem that both primaries and caucuses allow non Democrats to have a say in our nominee. And both are flawed. In Iowa were there bus loads of people from Illinois driven to the caucuses in Iowa? In the primaries there are some that are open that don't require confirmation or allow voters to say change their registration.

Personally, I want to see Clinton to win. There is something about Obama that doesn't seem right. Maybe it is the appearance of saying nothing. Maybe it is something else. It might be the Obama nutty supporters.

If Obama wins then that is who our nominee will be. But if Clinton is going to be our nominee she will have to get her campaign in gear and win the necessary votes.

Maybe if we went back to caucuses that were only open to active Democrats there might be more grassroots involvement and representation of the voters.

[scheming daemons]

3. Hillary's campaign was completely OK with caucuses.... until she began losing them all...

...Apparently she's not ok with the 14th amendment either .... she was completely OK with the black vote until she started losing all the primaries in states with large black populations.

I'm not sure what her objection is concering the losses in primaries in Connecticut and Delaware.... but I'm sure her minions will come up with some excuse.

[K Gardner]

15. Oh oh.. me me ! I heard that excuse earlier about why CT and DEL didn't count, but I've

forgotten it in the clutter of all the other excuses I've read today. Let me look in my Book of Clinton Machine Excuses for Not Winning and I'll get back to you !

[K Gardner]

5. 1992 NY Times - Clinton Trounced in Vermont Caucus

April 1, 1992

THE 1992 CAMPAIGN; Brown Trounces Clinton in Caucuses in Vermont
By B. DRUMMOND AYRES JR.,

Former Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. of California finished an easy first today in Vermont's Democratic Presidential caucuses, his anti-establishment message drowning out the more conventional voice of Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas.

With nearly 95 percent of the state's 246 caucuses reporting, Mr. Brown captured 46 percent of the support, to 17 percent for Mr. Clinton, a decisive edge that gave him a lift going into the New York primary next week. In Third: 'Uncommitted'

But Mr. Brown's triumph was tempered somewhat, and Mr. Clinton was politically embarrassed, when a fourth of the Democrats attending the caucuses cast their votes for "uncommitted" and the remaining support went to a scattering of other candidates, including former Senator Paul E. Tsongas of Massachusetts, who dropped out of the race two weeks ago. The unusually heavy "uncommitted" vote served notice once again of dissatisfaction with the Presidential field.

Fourteen national convention delegates were at stake here. They will be allotted proportionally to each candidates receiving at least 15 percent of the voter.

In the Republican caucuses, with 19 delegates at stake, President Bush coasted to victory over Patrick J. Buchanan. With 62 percent of the caucuses reporting, Mr. Bush was ahead of the conservative columnist by 80 percent to 2 percent.

But as on the Democratic side, there was a significant "uncommitted" vote, 17 percent, underscoring discontent in the Republican electorate, too.

"What happened in Vermont is just the beginning," Mr. Brown told a cheering crowd of supporters at a union meeting tonight in Manhattan. "It will keep on rolling because it isn't about politics-as-usual."

He later told reporters, "It gives us an extra oomph, a little push, as we go into what is going to be a very, very tough final week in New York."

Governor Clinton, also in New York, said he was pleased with the results because he would score well in the delegate count. "It's not bad news," he said. "We didn't go at all. It's a caucus, not a primary. Governor Brown campaigned there, and I didn't."

Craig Fuller, Mr. Clinton's campaign manager for the state, also played down the loss.

"Our real effort is elsewhere," he said. "I thought myself that we could do better here if we tried. But the decision about the level of effort was not mine to make."

Here in Burlington, former State Representative Ben Truman was jubilant about the strength of the undecided vote.

"Uncommitted is going to have a lot of power in the 1992 election, more power than in any election in a very long time," he said after nominating "uncommitted" in the city caucus. "Those who have doubts about the other candidates are holding back and the power is building."

Mr. Truman said he had been in touch with political acquaintances around the state in an effort to give some cohesion to the drive to get caucus-goers to vote "undecided." Brown Makes Effort

Neither Mr. Brown nor Mr. Clinton poured major resources into Vermont. But Mr. Brown made a stronger effort than Mr. Clinton, sensing from the start that the Green Mountain State would be receptive to his message, given the state's history of liberalism, its commitment to such causes as the environment and women's rights.

Mr. Clinton did not visit the Vermont, though he sent his wife, Hillary, for a brief appearance earlier in the month. Mr. Brown made a single appearance, on Sunday, drawing a crowd of about 2,000 people in Burlington and about 1,500 people in Montpelier, the capital.

Mr. Clinton's campaign relied on the endorsements of some of the state's leading Democrats, among them Governor Howard B. Dean and the Speaker of the Vermont House, Ralph G. Wright.

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company Home Privacy Policy Search Corrections XML Help Contact Us Work for Us Back to Top

[K Gardner]

7. In the above article, please note Bill Clinton's excuse for not winning the Caucus..

sound familiar???

[boston bean]

9. I guess truth stands the test of time. nt

[boston bean]

10. I guess truth stands the test of time. nt

[cali]

11. I love my quirky lefty little state

and don't be surprised to see us go overwhelmingly for Obama on March 4. For whatever reason, Vermonters don't particularly care for the Clintons.

I was a Brown voter by the way.

[Drunken Irishman]

17. I kinda cried when Dean won there in '04.

[K Gardner]

19. You better take lots of pictures !!

[robbedvoter]

8. Did we have them in as many states as we do now? I really want to know

as I didn't pay attention in the past.

[K Gardner]

12. As of 60 years ago, ALL states had caucuses. Over the decades, most have

switched to primaries but the decision remains that of the state party, I think. I'm thinking this was the first year for Nevada to caucus.. someone please tell me if I'm wrong about that. So evidently some states go back and forth?? At any rate, the caucus is VERY familiar to all of these candidates, if not to us. They all knew it was part of the equation. Clinton moreso than others.

[Whisp]

13. caucuses are messy and loud and human. and countable.

within a doz or so.
Diebold has the answer!
electronic people.
no mess, no fuss, clean and all that, and a bag of chips.

[NashVegas]

16. And You Have to Be There At a Specific Time

I lived in Vermont in 1992 and was unable to attend that caucus because I was working overnights at the time.

With the corporate-controlled media having so much influence, these days, I'm inclined to let the trend back towards caucuses slide. I think it's fine that committed party members get the most say in who the nominees will be. We've gotten to the point where the primaries seem to be mainly about getting the average Joe to go pull the lever for the guy our corporate masters have already signed off on.

[K Gardner]

14. Some History on the Colorado Caucus

In 1992, Colorado made national headlines when the Democratic primary, which allowed independents to register and vote on the same day, gave Jerry Brown one of his two primary victories. Brown narrowly beat out Bill Clinton and put an end to Paul Tsongas' presidential aspirations.

The same year, Clinton went on to surprise the nation with a general election victory in Colorado. Clinton remains the first and last Democratic presidential candidate to win in Colorado since Lyndon Johnson. The 1992 Democratic primary got Clinton off to a good start.

Republican primaries have a history of drawing respectable participation with a third or more of Colorado Republicans turning out to vote in the 1992 and 1996 presidential primaries.

At the turn of the millennium, Colorado started caucuses as a budget trimming alternative to primaries. The few million dollars of savings, about a dollar per citizen, has come at a cost of the ability to hear the voices of average Coloradans. It is time for both Democrats and Republicans to return Colorado to the primary process.

Even better, the revival of primaries should welcome the participation of independents.

Candidate activists, like me, will lose out on the fun of good political debates with our neighbors. Our neighbors, though, will gain when they cast votes at a time that works for their schedule and can participate as independents. Colorado and the nation will win when more citizens' voices are heard in the selection of our national leader.


Andrew Stober is a resident of Denver.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/08/speakout-caucuses-exclude-too-many-citizens/

[K Gardner]

18. Bill Clinton Rakes in $$ in Minnesota for Hillary's CAUCUS

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/10/23/billclinton/

by Tim Pugmire, Minnesota Public Radio
October 23, 2007

Former President Bill Clinton was in Minneapolis Tuesday to raise money for his wife's 2008 presidential campaign. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York is leading in both the money race and the polls among all candidates here in Minnesota.

Minneapolis — More than 2,000 people filled the State Theater in downtown Minneapolis to hear former President Clinton speak. Tickets to the event ranged from $25 to $100. Earlier in the evening, supporters paid up to $2,300 to attend a private reception.

Clinton is in an unprecedented role campaigning on behalf of his wife. But he insisted Hillary Clinton would be his candidate -- even if they weren't married.

"Hillary is the best-qualified, most well-suited person to be president at this moment in history of any non-incumbent that I've ever had a chance to vote for, including me in 1992," he said.

Speaking for more than 45 minutes, Clinton made a case for his wife's readiness to tackle the nation's biggest challenges. His list included reforming health care and education, restoring the nation's standing in the world and strengthening the military. Clinton said his wife can be the first woman elected president.

- Former President Bill Clinton"According to all the polls that came out in October, she was running ahead of all the other Democrats, ahead of all the Republicans, and the only person beating all the Republicans and getting enough electoral votes to win on today's facts," he said. "Now, these polls can change a lot, but they sure prove she's electable. Probably the most electable person."

Clinton said Hillary is also the only candidate who's faced what he callS "the right-wing attack machine." He said that machine will go after whoever wins the Democratic nomination.

Minnesota Republicans seized on the Clinton surrogate campaign visit to take some partisan shots. State GOP Spokesman Mark Drake said Republicans would look forward to facing Clinton next year.

"Hillary Clinton certainly appears to be pulling away from Barack Obama, who has run a real lackluster campaign," he said. "And nothing unites and energizes Republicans like the Clintons. So if she's the candidate, I think that's going to really unite Republicans and get Republicans excited."

Results of a recent Star Tribune poll showed Clinton's support at 47 percent among Democrats in Minnesota. Support for Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois was 22 percent. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards was third with 16 percent.

Joe Kunkel, a political science professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato, said preference polls aren't a good prediction of the state's precinct caucuses, which are scheduled for Feb. 5. Kunkel said he thinks Obama could do better than his poll numbers suggest.

"There's only going to be about 1 percent of the population that's going to go to these caucuses," he said. "So, it really doesn't matter how popular you are among the general public, it's the people who are actually going to show up on that Tuesday night. And so getting good lists and then working over the lists and building a grassroots organization is really important."

Obama has at least one edge over Clinton in Minnesota. Earlier this month, he became the first Democrat to announce a state campaign organization and staff. Chris Miller, state director of the Obama campaign, said much of the effort is geared toward getting supporters to their precinct caucuses.

"We've got a candidate here who we believe has a message that engages voters," he said. "And that's the campaign we're trying to build. Our strategy in Minnesota, as in the rest of the country, is a very simple one, and it's just about getting out that message to as many voters as possible."

The Obama campaign is also relying on the candidate's spouse to raise money and drum up support. Miller says Michelle Obama is scheduled to make an appearance Nov. 7 in Minneapolis. Details of the event have not been finalized. Miller says its unclear whether Sen. Obama himself will campaign in the state anytime soon.

[K Gardner]

21. Kicking this up to combat today's PLATEFULL of Caucus Whining