TXOHVTRI Primary Day

Well, today is the day. When we first started talking about 2008 primaries, I said that we here in TX never have an opportunity to make a difference, and then ... . WRONG AGAIN!

So, around 0800, HatterMom and I will be off to the polls, and then -- around 7 this evening -- back we'll go for the caucus portion of the event. Yep, TX has a primary AND a caucus, and -- of course -- super-delegates. So, new stuff for the old guy again.

Unlike more than 200,000 Texans, I chose to vote on election day rather than early. My reward? It's 40 degrees colder this morning than yesterday morning! :shock: But, then again, it took me until around 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon to decide, finally, who to vote for.

Anyhow, I'll check in when I've done the first deed of the day. Da restayouse who are also voting today, check in with your view of the process. COME ON YOU DEMOCRACY!!!!!!!

 

talking to myself and feeling low ...

... well, after a record early turnout, things are slow this morning. HatterMom and I were numbers 12 and 13 to vote in the Demo primary this morning. Several parking places had been marked especially for "voters only" and we were the only ones parking there.

Once again, the information provided from the County political parties to the volunteer workers at the polling places was sparse and conflicting. The young man working the Republican desk said that there was no information on where the Republican caucus was this evening. THAT'S CAUSE THEIR AINT NONE. And the democratic lady [his mother, I think], said that the Democratic caucus would be "somewhere in the building at 6:30 I think," even though all the websites say 7 o'clock when the polls close.

About the campaign signs, well where as recently as two months ago, all the posters were for Ron Paul, there's no new ones for him that I can see. I have seen quite a few "Hillary" and "Obama" posters, but the most plentiful poster at the polling site was for Jimmy Wilborn! Who? He's running for one of Bexar County's 9 positions of constable.

I'll be glad when today's over, though. I don't know how people in Iowa and New Hampshire stand all this media crap. After three weeks of saying how Texas would be critical, it was interesting to see on TV last night that the experts were saying that even if Clinton won all four states, Obama would still have the nomination sewn up. NOW you tell us?

I must say, however, that it was nice getting phone calls from our old friends Generals McPeak and Clark. Nice guys.

 

"I don't belong to any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers

And that about sums up the caucus I just went through the first part of. Here's the most clear explanation of how this Texas-unique system works from, as my Libertarian brother likes to call it, the Austin UNAmerican-Statesman:

http://www.statesman.com/search/content ... aucus.html

The system is filled with holes, but the biggest problems I noted were:

a. when they set up the polling places, nobody expected TX to make a difference in the presidential primary AND
b. the Bexar County Democratic Party is no more coherent than the Texas Democratic Party.

But, essentially, here's how it worked. At 7 o'clock, the nice policeman working the polling place ushered everyone in who was in line to vote and they mingled with those of us getting ready to caucus. There were several Republican voters who heard "no, the caucus is for Democrats only" and thought that this meant they couldn't vote in the primary. We have two precincts voting in 1/2 of a school classroom [separated by a soundproof accordian curtain]. The other half of the room was for the caucus. They further subdivided the caucus room into halves for each precinct. There was no soundproofing for us. Specific problems:

1. There were about 12 times as many caucusers than the BCDP was prepared to handle. Each of us was supposed to sign up on the list for our candidate and then verify our eligibility. The problem was that my precinct's honcho was an idiot. There were so many people that they made multiple lists. On some of them he neglected to put down the precinct number. On others, he neglected to put down the candidate's name. After about 20 minutes, he realized that there were people still in the hallway who hadn't seen a list. He smiled nicely, though.

2. Both precincts proceeded to call people up to verify lists AT THE SAME TIME and while there were still people -- who had already filled in their lists -- standing out in the hall. This was complicated in our case by the precinct honco's inability to make himself heard or pronounce names clearly and correctly.

It's hard to make a projection, but in those two precincts it looked like Hillary about 2-1. Obama lists were passed back and forward with little action, but the Hillary lists took forever to get filled in. This was only the first part of the process. We could have stayed and voted for delegates to the state convention in June, or we could have even stayed and perhaps gotten selected as delegates ourselves. HatterMom was intrigued by the latter, but we decided that an hour of incompetent nonsense was enough.

More than 75 years later, Will Rogers's observation is still funny and still accurate.

I was really hoping to see other tales today from Texas, Ohio, Vermont, and Rhode Island, but ... . Perhaps in 2012.

 

timmyg, there was a lady this morning who wanted to vote in the primary but was incensed that she had to decide whether she wanted to vote for the Republican slate or the Democratic slate. So, we're not starting from a great level of intelligence here.

But the system is convoluted, and the caucus results won't be determined until the state convention in June, so whatever CNN or Faux Noise says the TX delegate count is, they're wrong, because they flat don't know.

Still, I just watched people who didn't get a chance to finish their voting until almost 10 o'clock [three hours after polls closed] and they were sticking around for the caucus, BECAUSE IT WAS THEIR VOTE, DAMMIT. Made me feel proud to have defended this convoluted nonsense for a good part of my life.

 

Fog, did they do exit polling up your way? I've never been "exit polled," but if I ever am, I'm going to follow Mike Royko's advice and tell the polster THE EXACT OPPOSITE of what I actually did. As he said, lo these many elections ago, if EVERYBODY lied to the exit polsters, then they'd get it so wrong they'd never do it again!

About your former co-worker ... good? bad? not sure? I try not to judge someone by their personality. There is a former US Congressman here in the city that I met through my old theater ties [I even did a play in which he made a cameo]. He's charming, he's kind, he's generous, and he's brilliant. The problem was that he left his judgment and compassion in the lounge of the SA airport everytime he flew to Washington. I'm pleased to have known him and to have been a guest in his home, but I'm even more pleased that he's no longer in Congress.

 

I think it's a given that the superdelegates will decide. I don't see how Obama can have a lock before the convention -- especially considering that Florida and Michigan [two very populous states] won't have any committed delegates. I would think a superdelgate from one of those two states would be "the most popular girl at the prom" in Denver.

As for how their state or region voted, what's a mother to do in the case of, say, Nevada, where Clinton got most of the votes and Obama got most of the delegates?

And, remember, that the delegates are only "committed" for the first ballot. If they have to go to a 2nd ballot -- for the first time since when? -- all bets could be off. Might actually make the conventions interesting.

One more point, many pundits are making a big thing out of the Democrats being the losers here because they can't combat McCain one-on-one. Well, McCain has a disadvantage because he has to create a meaningful event in order to get camera time. Since his race is over, he might have to sit -- somewhat ignored -- while the "Decision 2008" crew concentrates on the race that's still going on.

Could be interesting this summer.

 

Among the folks who ran for office yesterday in Texas:

Sam Houston
Daniel Boone
Gene Kelly