TEXAS "CAUCUSES"---LISTEN UP

[okasha]

Here are the only four facts that matter about the so-called Texas caucuses (they're actually referred to as "conventions"):

1. No one has yet won any delegates from the process.

2. No one will win any delegates from the process until June.

3. Anyone who claims delegates have been won as a result of last night's precinct conventions is either ignorant or lying.

4. After this has been explained multiple times in GDP, the presumption is that anyone who claims either candidate has "won the caucuses" is lying in his/her teeth.

[hedgehog]

1. Yes, because anyone who stands up in support of one candidate

or the other is obviously lying since all the delegates will obviously go with the highest bidder at the convention!

[powergirl]

2. It is a caucus - I chaired one in Texas last night

Which precinct were you in? The results are being timely reported and both campaigns are taking credit for the delegates they won via caucus or primary. The Texas delegate total FOR BOTH CANDIDATES includes those delegates allocated through the caucus procedure. The convention is the procedure used to vote on and allocate the precinct votes in the caucus. I save all my forms, let me check, let's see, IT SAYS CAUCUS!

[okasha]

4. Maybe you can explain how the state delegates have been awarded

before the state convention is held in June. It's possible to speculate on the basis of percentages of delegates selected--but speculation and actual delegate count are two different things.

The only delegates selected so far are the delegates to the county/regional conventions. I will be going to my county convention as a Hillary delegate, but there is nothing that legally prevents me from voting for Obama delegates to state when I get there. Hence the volatility of the process.

[powergirl]

5. The Cinton campaign has included their caucus delegates

in their Texas delegate totals. I spoke with some Hil folks Collin County HQ and they take all the delegates they can get. So the totals that you see for BOTH candidates include the Texas caucus delegates. They both claim them. Are you a Texas voter?

[okasha]

17. Yes, I'm a Texas voter.

I'm also a delegate to my county convention.

[kwenu]

20. I am a TX delegate also.

Do not jack with the process. And please stop confusing people.

[powergirl]

22. Then you know that it's done deal at the precinct level

And you know that the delegation chair is from the majority of your caucus. And Sen. Clinton has included your delegates in her Texas total. You can see this on her website. The process is crazy and there is a lot of confusion. But what is not ambiguous is the fact that BOTH CANDIDATES are including the caucus delegates in their totals.

[kwenu]

28. Again. Needless confusion.

The candidates are can claim delegates in their counts to which they are entitled based upon the Texas formula. If you are saying that Hillary is counting ALL of the delegate totals in Texas as being hers, she is committing fraud.

[kwenu]

14. WRONG!!!! If you fail to vote for your candidate under TX Dem rules you are instantly removed.

[powergirl]

15. Correct

Thank you kwenu. Why are these non Texans telling us how to run our elections?

[JackORoses]

25. this is a bullshit argument. The same could be said of any Caucus state,

yet we include their total in the current delegate count.

You just don't want to face the fact that Hillary lost Texas.
I know it's hard, but it's real.

[Freida5]

3. Excellent reminder. thanks

[Debi]

6. Are you implying that a person who is selected as a delegate to the convention in the caucuses

Won't be seated as a delegated in June?

Or are you saying that people who are pledged as Obama/Clinton delegates to the convention won't support their candidate of choice at the convention?

Is the Clinton campaign going to try to sway the pledged delegates choices?

Seems to be so: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0308/Ickes_Pledged_but_not_bound.html#comments

[kwenu]

26. Needless confusion for the TEXAS process

Perhaps delegates can be legally swayed in other states (I seriously doubt it.)but there is no question this can't happen in Texas. In Texas, delegates WILL be awarded to the candidate based upon the Texas Democratic Party's pre-set formula for awarding delegates. The delegates are designated at the precinct convention (caucus).

[kwenu]

7. THAT'S LIKE SAYING NO ONE WINS THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION UNTIL THE ELECTORS VOTE AFTER THE GE

In other words, you may be technically correct but your point is a bit unrealistic if not silly.

[TheDonkey]

8. It was my impression that NO pledged delegates anywhere have even voted yet

and could change their mind, so this is all just numbers on a big video board. Get a grip.

[powergirl]

10. BINGO

Iowa hasn't been "officially" counted yet. But I don't hear people carping about those totals.

[Dems Will Win]

9. This is the most ridiculous post of the week -- and that's saying a lot

It shows your total disconnect from every other caucus.

Some caucuses work by state conventions, I think most. So what? The math can only be off by a delegate or two at the most.

Just because with the caucuses Obama won Texas by 4 delegates and everyone will know that by tomorrow and it will be a Dewey defeats Truman moment and you are trying to delay that until June, doesn't mean we are lying. Then all the media is lying for reporting all caucus results as they are reported and converted to delegate counts!

With 40% of the caucuses reporting Obama is crushing Clinton 56%-44%, so he should net 7 delegates at the convention. That means he took Texas, as it is a hybrid, by 4 delegates.

She won 2 contests last night, not 3.

Sorry. Math hurts.

[okasha]

18. See points 3 & 4.

n/t

[Dems Will Win]

23. You are applying new rules for DU AND THE ENTIRE MEDIA, just for Texas. If you do that, you look

ridiculous. Don't want you to suffer. ANd what happened to Point 1 and 2?

You're changing the rules in the middle of the game.

Are we supposed to wait for the Electoral College in December to meet to know who won in November? Hah!

[okasha]

29. See the link to the actual rules in post #27.

n/t

[powergirl]

24. Sen. Clinton

is claiming those caucus won delegates. Is that okay?

[JackORoses]

11. Don't like having a 'victory' snagged away, do you? Get It, Obama Won Texas!

ahaahahahahahahaahahaa!!!

[okasha]

19. See points 3 & 4.

n/t

[Henryman]

12. WOW! Thanks for teaching me!

You forgot to mention that NO delegate is actually "won" until that delegate stands at the national convention.
These are predictions based on process. Gee, I wonder who might already be counting their superdelegates?
It's a long process and I think we all should be happy that we have two great candidates!
Thanks.

[debatepro]

13. The county delegate were already selected and allocated...

So the proportion that will be allotted to each candidate will be proportional to the caucus vote. At the end of the day the delegates will be awarded proportionally based on caucus results. It will just go to the county then the state conventions before the delegates are "NAMED" but don't kid yourself... there are plenty of people to fill those 60 caucus delegate slots.

The secretary of each precinct has 3 days to mail the official sheets to the state. In my precinct it was 20 for Obama and 5 for clinton. All the precinct delegates will show up at the county convention on march 29th... to pick the state delegates.

[PITBOS]

16. latest - the unethical one might sue as BO wins caucus votes

[Haole Girl]

21. I'm a little....no, A LOT confused.

But I have learned, in life, not to count chickens before they hatch. That's all.

[okasha]

27. The Texas process is very confusing.

It's a bizarre hybrid that in many ways can become an endurance contest.

The actual rules are here:

http://www.txdemocrats.org/the_party/article_iv_party_conventions