The precinct caucus: A typewriter in a Twitter era

Precinct caucus day means it’s time for my biannual rant.

As we all know, precinct caucuses are predicated on the noble idea that everyone who wants to participate in our democracy can do so by venturing out to consort with their neighbors at a local church, school or civic hall. We can all look forward to hearing letters read from the gubernatorial candidates, electing precinct officers (who almost always do nothing but fill in blanks on pieces of paper), vote for our neighbors (and ourselves) to move on as delegates to the next party organization unit, vote in the gubernatorial straw poll, and maybe even debate a policy resolution or two.

It’s usually as exciting as watching paint dry. Sure, there have been exceptions, most notably in 2008 when the DFL caucuses turned out several hundred thousand people excited about Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.  But on the GOP side, precinct caucuses have been mostly dull affairs the last few decades.

According to State GOP communications director Mark Drake, the GOP expects somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000 people to caucus Republican tonight.  For the sake of argument, assume that number is 15,000. If that’s the case …

Fewer than one-third of 1percent of Minnesotans will caucus GOP tonight and decide the state party’s direction.

That’s pathetic.  Particularly in a year where we’re looking to choose the Republican we hope will succeed Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

The Legislature, of course, decides whether we have caucuses or not.  All of Minnesota’s current 201 legislators were endorsed by their parties through the precinct caucus system.  Meaning that legislators shimmy and waltz with the people who brought them to the dance.  That makes for a huge disincentive to undo the system, as broken as it is.

Many people will Twitter tonight’s caucus experiences.  But they might as well be banging them out on Smith Coronas.

Look at the bright side.  Caucuses start at 7 p.m.  They should be long over before a new episode of “The Good Wife” airs on WCCO at 9. For those not in the loop on the show, “Sex in the City’s” Christopher Noth plays an Eliot Spitzer/Mark Sanford character who ends up serving time for his sexual transgressions while his wife, played by Julianna Margulies, is the real story, not standing by her man, soldiering on and building a life and legal career without him.

6 Responses to “The precinct caucus: A typewriter in a Twitter era”

1. Bob Moffitt Says:
   February 2nd, 2010 at 2:54 pm

   You mean the Democrat we know will succeed Governor Tim Pawlenty, Sarah? (grin) Regardless of which party they caucus for, I have great respect for every Minnesota who will give up the season premere of “Lost” to participate in our most grassroots form of representative government.

   God bless the activist minorites in all parties who make this rather archane event relevant. I hope they all show good judgement in their selections, and may the best woman (or man) emerge as the candidate.

2. Sarah Janecek Says:
   February 2nd, 2010 at 4:16 pm

   Ok, Bob, you’ve got a point about people giving up their time to do the grassroots thing. But not a point about a DFL successor (grin back). I missed the first seasons of “Lost” and never went back to catch up. I’m home free, there.

3. John Shepard Says:
   February 2nd, 2010 at 5:29 pm

   Is it the Precinct Caucus that’s broken? Or the fact that thousands whine constant tweets yet won’t leave their TV for an hour to talk to real people about real solutions?

   Anybody who stays home tonight yields their Constitutional Right to Free Complaints for 2 calendar years.

   (yeah, I’m one of those guys who got elected and does “nothing”)

4. Dana Melius Says:
   February 3rd, 2010 at 8:56 am

   As a long-time caucus supporter, I have finally come to the conclusion that they have become obsolete and should either be overhauled drastically or tossed out all together. While 2008 brought back signs of life, they have become not only meaningless, but actually harmful to any effective political connection. As long as Republicans remain obstructionists, Democrats unwilling to fight for core principles, and third-party efforts lost in all the madness, who would want to be attached to any of them? The political process is flawed right now, in need of change, and controlled by special interest money, with no signs of getting better. Want real excitement? Hold one general town meeting caucus, have both right and left-wing activists battler it out, then sub-caucus into party groups!

5. Gary Lee Says:
   February 3rd, 2010 at 8:58 am

   As many say, the future belongs to those who show up, particularly with respect to showing up at the caucus. The people who show up there are typically the ones who are actually interested enough that they might have started paying attention to the candidates and issues before the big ads start showing up during Lost and The Good Wife. Which sort of voter would you trust to actually know something about the difference between candidates, the one who takes an evening to go hear them, or the one who goes to the fridge during the interruption to their favorite television show?

   One alternative to the caucus system is a simple primary. Much research shows that in such a system the outcome is most often determined by the size of the ad budget. A much smaller percentage of the electorate shows up to vote in primaries than in the general election, and yet somehow primaries are lauded as more representative. Most of that lauding comes from candidates who have more money to spend. The current DFL gubenatorial field is a perfect example.

6. Ed Newman Says:
   February 3rd, 2010 at 9:13 am

   As a transplant to Minnesota, I respect people being involved in the process. I have humbly listened to all of the proposed planks and changes to the state constitution (wondering how the proposer picked that pet peeve) for over a decade. I think moving to a pure primary makes sense but I want one twist to counter John’s “yielding of your constitutional right to free complaints” (what article is that in anyway?)

   Australia has a ticket and a fine if you don’t vote in their national election… I think voting is a responsibility that shouldn’t be free to avoid. Then we can all complain as much as we want to.