"Advanced" Delegate Selection Questions

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

OK, we've had some good discussions here about the delegate selection process. Now for some stumpers that I can't figure out.

Let's forget about the super delegates and the 25 pledged party/elected officials that come out of the state convention. Representing us mortals, going to Denver will be 126 delegates apportioned by the election results from each senate district (the primary part of our hybrid system) and 42 at-large delegates that originated at the precinct conventions (the caucus part of our hybrid system).

So where do the 126 delegates come from? If I go to my precinct convention and intend to go all they way to national, am I not competing for one of the 42 slots?

Another question: All my reading leads me to believe that at every convention level, the people that show up determine how the forward-going delegates will be apportioned, right? So it isn't enough for the campaigns to have people sign-in at the precinct conventions; they have to get them to show up at the SD/county conventions and beyond, right?

[GOPisEvil]

1. Your answers are here:

http://www.txdemocrats.org/index.php/282?

Scroll down to the link you need.

[sonias]

2. Yes you are competing for one of 42

Burnt Orange Report is an excellent resource for these kinds of questions.

So where do the 126 delegates come from?
126 delegates are "primary-chosen" delegates, allocated based on the results of votes cast on March 4. The 126 delegates that are allocated by the "regular" primary system will be the only ones that Senator Clinton and Senator Obama can add to their tally after March 4. These 126 delegates are divided based on the voting strength of each candidate in the 31 State Senate Districts across Texas.

They have an extensive series of reports/blog posts they have done about the delegate selection process. These reports are always available from the upper right hand corner of the home page. http://www.burntorangereport.com

BOR post by Phillip Martin
Everything You Need To Know About the Texas Delegate Process, Part 1

An Explanation of the 67 "Caucus-Chosen" Delegates

(snip)

Here, now -- for those true political junkies out there -- is a summary of how the Texas caucus system works:

* 42 at-Large delegates allocated by the "caucus" system. The allocation of these 42 delegates (by candidate preference) is based on the presidential preference expressed state convention delegates (who are chosen at their precinct and county conventions) when they sign in at the state convention June 6.

* Also, 25 pledged "super delegates" allocated by the caucus system. The 25 pledged "party delegates" are party leaders, Democratic Mayors and Legislators. They are all allocated along the same lines as the delegates attending the State convention.

Go read the whole thing. It is worth your time.

And yes I would also agree with you on the second question. You have to follow though with it all the way to the State convention. The Texas Two-Step is a little misleading, but I understand why they did it that way. There will be so many thousands of people going to their PCT caucuses for the first time. It's sort of deceptive to let them think anyone can go on to national. Your chances are pretty low, especially if you don't understand all the rules. All of us that have been through this grinder at least once know, how competitive that process is. You have to commit a lot of time to campaign for those actual national delegate slots.

So the next best thing is to participate as much as you can, even if it means you're only voting to let someone else move up in the process. That helps your candidate too and it's worth your time.

Sonia

[Gman]

3. Every Senatorial District is allocated so many national delegates

the delegates in your senatorial district will elect the national delegates at the state convention. If you don't make it as a national delegate out of your senate district, you can always submit your name to the nominations committee for consideration for one of the at large positions. But don't hold your breath unless you have someone on nominations pushing your name .

I forget who chaired nominations in 06, but Ken Moberg out of Dallas chaired nominations in 04. Ken was extremely fair. Ken was so fair that he even gave up a national delegate slot that he could have had so that someone else could go instead. Which is also another way you can get to the national convention. Get yourself elected to nominations out of your senate district. One of the first things the nominations committee does is elect those on the nominations committee (that want to be national delegates) as at large delegates to the national convention.

In recent years, the senate districts have been caucusing before the start of the state convention to elect the national delegates, in addition to the SDEC members and committee members and a presidential elector (i.e. member of the electoral college for if a Democrat is elected). So the election will happen a couple of hours before the start of the state convention.

But probably the best way to go is always out of your senate district. The times I've been a national delegate it was out of my senate district.

[NoPasaran]

4. All the answers are in the link but just to respond to your question

If you go to state and want to be a national delegate you are competing for one of the 126 spots... actually your Senate District's slice of the 126.

Let's say your SD gets four national delegates, 2 for Obama and 2 for Clinton. At the State Convention, your SD will have a caucus. The delegates who signed in at State for Obama will elect the two Obama national delegates; the Clinton contingent will choose their two.

On edit: NOT to be confused with the at-large delegates as explaned by Gman above. One thing to remember about those delegate slots is that they are used to balance the male/female ratio and meet various affirmative action targets for the delegation. So (and I hope I'm not offending anyone with this) if you are a young handicapped GLBT Hispanic, your chances of getting one of those slots are better than if you are a middle aged straight white man, because plenty of them will be coming out of the SDs.

To respond to your second question: Yes, the world is run by those who show up. The precinct convention will elect delegates to county, but at county the precinct delegation (those who actually show up) will elect the delegates to the state convention. And how those delegates sign in will determine how the at-large delegates are apportioned.