Yesterday was the second time I've caucused, and it was a great experience. I loved getting together with other people and talking about politics. This was an extremely important event because the results of the caucus was going to determine the delegate count for Clinton and Obama, and right now, they are in a race for delegates. The turnout for this caucus was double the turnout of the 2004 caucuses. I honestly attribute this to the inspiration of Barack Obama, who is influencing people to get involved all across the nation.
However, I also wondered, why are there so many who don't caucus? Yesterday morning, there were so many people who said to me, "Have fun at the caucus today!" I thought to myself, these people are Democrats, why aren't they going to the caucus? Don't they want their voices to be heard?
The fact of the matter is, many people don't like politics, or don't care that much about politics. They are uncomfortable talking about politics, or thinking about openly discussing why they prefer one candidate over another. Maybe they feel they cannot articulate why. Maybe they have other work responsibilities (although the fact that it was on a Saturday afternoon would make it more accessible for those who work during the week). Maybe some believe their vote won't make a difference.
So what happens is that those who are highly motivated, and usually more educated about the issues, are the ones who attend the caucuses. Obama has tended to attract the more educated voters, and as a result, has done well in the caucuses. Personally, I like the fact that people can discuss their votes openly. It was interesting at yesterday's caucus how one Clinton supporter at our table actually believed that Obama had a childhood background as a Muslim and was afraid to vote for him because of that. Even though we told her it was all rumor and not fact, she did not believe us and was absolutely certain that these rumors were true! I think this open discussion actually is a great forum for talking about these issues.
I think another issue, and this has been talked about in quite a few blogs, is the fact that when a person votes openly in a caucus, that peerson would be less likely to want to expose any prejudices. They're held accountable for their votes. They're less likely to say, "Well, I'm not voting for Obama because he's black," whereas in the privacy of the voting booth, a scenario like that is more likely to happen. Who wants to be seen as outwardly racist?
Even though primaries are more convenient, and are more inclusive of the general population, I would hope that everyone who votes educates him or herself on the strengths and weaknesses of the two candidates and makes an INFORMED decision. I truly believe that those who go to the caucuses have at least thought long and hard about who they want and do not take it lightly. The fact that Obama beat Clinton in Washington by 2-1 voters speaks volumes.
