A lesson on the Iowa Caucus please

could someone explainthe Caucus please? Is this an actual vote? Does this start the official 08 voting?


details please

The fact it is not a secret ballot makes it unlike what we usually think of as voting, with a polling place, machines, etc.

But it is the first instance where everyday day people make a choice that results in representative delegates, so it's the beggining of the "real" process.

In Virginia the Republicans opted for a state convention rather than a primary to pick the Senate nominee, because VA has been trending more blue, and they didn't want a moderate to win over their hand-picked guy, Gilmore, for the Senate race. That's really not a vote (!)

in your precinct next to other people who favor the same candidate as you do. You lobby each other and also the other groups. Undecided is an option.

After a set amount of time, they count the people and decide if all of the candidates are viable. This is based on some calculation. If your slate/candidate isn't viable, they give you time to change, and time for others to convince you. Then they take a final count of people for each candidate. This is all followed by dividing up the delegates in a complicated way.

Each precinct in Iowa will have Republican and Democratic caucuses. The caucus is a meeting where people come together, discuss their candidates and then divide into candidate preference groups. This is the process for the Democrats anyway. The republicans just vote. So I will continue with the Democrats:
After the first division, heads are counted in each preference group. A candidate must get 15% of the total eligible voters at the caucus to be 'viable'. For example if you have 100 eligible voters, a candidate must have 15 to be viable (eligible to get a delegate).
There is a re-alignment period during which preference groups will try to increase their numbers. Non-viable groups can try to become viable or move to other candidates or move to "uncommitted" group.
At that time groups are counted and delegates assigned. These are delegates which will then go forward to the county conventions held in March. The number of delegates a precinct has is determined by their size & percent Dem in the last election.

In essence it is the first real test of a candidates strength in the presidential process.

About the Iowa Caucuses
http://www.iowacaucus.org/iacaucus.html

What is a caucus?

The word caucus is a North American Indian word, thought to be of Algonquin origin, meaning a gathering of the ruling tribal chiefs. The modern definition describes caucuses as a process of political party members gathering to make policy decisions and to select candidates.

When is the 2008 Iowa Caucus?

The 2008 Iowa Caucus will be held January 3, 2008, at precincts across Iowa. To find your caucus location, call the Iowa Democratic Party or the Republican Party of Iowa.

How did the caucuses begin?

Some form of caucus has existed since the early 1800s, even before Iowa became a state in 1846. Developing from the congressional and legislative caucuses, the pioneers of the Iowa constitution chose caucuses rather than a primary to nominate candidates, preferring the grass-roots democracy-in-action approach.

When are the caucuses?

The caucuses are held in Iowa every two years. The caucuses held in the off-presidential years are usually smaller and focus on the party platform. The caucuses that coincide with presidential elections are better attended and receive more media attention.

Who participates in the caucuses?

Any voter who is a registered Republican or Democrat, and can prove residency in Iowa, can participate in the caucus of their party.
How did the Iowa caucus gain its First in the Nation status?

In the early 1970s, the Iowa Democratic Party made several reforms to their delegate selection process. These reforms included requiring a minimum of 30 days between the precinct caucuses and the county, district and state conventions, and publicizing the events to allow more people to take part in the process. When the 1972 Democratic State Convention was set for May 20, the new rules dictated that the precinct caucus would be January 24, thereby making it the first statewide test for presidential candidates in the nation. In 1976, recognizing the increased exposure, the Republican Party of Iowa moved their caucus to the same date as the Democrats. The candidates and national media have observed the Iowa caucuses as the "First in the Nation" ever since.

How do the caucuses work?

On caucus night, Iowans gather by party preference to elect delegates to the 99 county conventions. Presidential preference on the Republican side is done with a straw vote of those attending the caucus. This vote is sometimes done by a show of hands or by dividing themselves into groups according to candidate. In precincts that elect only 1 delegate they choose the delegate by majority vote and it must be a paper ballot. Democratic candidates must receive at least 15 percent of the votes in that precinct to move on to the county convention. If a candidate receives less than 15 percent of the votes, supporters of non-viable candidates have the option to join a viable candidate group, join another non-viable candidate group to become viable, join other groups to form an uncommitted group or chose to go nowhere and not be counted. Non-viable groups have up to 30 minutes to realign, if they fail to do so in that time, they can ask the for more time, which is voted on by the caucus as a whole. If the caucus refuses, re-alignment is done and delegates are awarded. A "third party" may hold a convention to nominate one candidate for president and one for vice president as well. The results of this caucus activity on both the Democratic and Republican sides are not binding on the elected delegates, but the delegates usually feel obligated to follow the wishes expressed by the caucus-goers. Thus the initial caucus results provide a good barometer of the composition of Iowa's national delegation.

Where are the caucuses located?

Iowans gather by party preference in designated schools, public buildings or in private homes. Efforts are being made to move caucus locations into public buildings. The caucus location is determined by the County Chairs of each political party for all 1,784 precincts. The exact location is determined by the expected turn-out of each precinct and by availability.

What is the economic impact of the Iowa Caucuses?

In 2004, Iowa economist Harvey Siegelman estimated that the economic impact of 2004 Iowa Caucus was approximately $50 to $60 million. Considering that both political parties are competitively vying for the nomination and the earlier start to the campaign season, it's fair to say that the economic impact of the 2008 Iowa Caucuses will be tens of millions greater than that of 2004.

The Iowa Caucuses also give Iowa an opportunity to showcase the state’s strengths on a world stage. Most Americans know that the state is ‘first in the nation’ in the presidential campaign but may not be aware of Iowa’s leadership role in renewable energy, manufacturing and biosciences, or the state's top ranking in quality of life. The caucuses help Iowa enhance its image as the "renewable energy capital of the nation" and reveal to all Americans why Iowa truly is a surprisingly life-changing place to visit, live, work, and play.

makes me wish I lived in Iowa

all 125,000 of them.

I don't think that 125,000 people should determine who the next president is, which is why I hope that all the candidates, regardless of how they do in Iowa and in New Hampshire, will stick around to "Super Duper Tuesday" Feb. 5th.