What are official caucus rules?

the rules are weird if i remember from 2004, but i dont remember them exactly. something like you need 15 vote?


can someone explain or link yo a thread that discusses this



i think this could have a major impact

(maybe 6) People file in and they are identified as registered voters. The doors are closed and nobody may enter the caucus after the closing.

There are generally tables or areas designated for a particular candidate. People find where their area is and migrate to it. A person's body being in that area or table is their vote, there is generally no raised hands involved (you vote with your body).

The local rules may vary (really) but it generally goes like this. Everybody looks around and sees who is viable (there is some minimum I don't remember, but it's low and obvious). There is a lot of political talk among individuals and major candidates have the advantage of having the most people to go out and sway other voters (like 2 or three talking to one). There is a call to order and everybody goes to their place and a count is taken. At this time (sometimes before the first count) there is generally a chance for a spokesperson to hype his or her candidate.

However there is a point where candidates are declared non-viable. Enough speeches and pleadings etc and finally a count is taken and it is obvious to everybody that certain candidates are not viable.

At this time there is another recess for viable candidate folks to come and recruit the non-viable candidate voters to join the viable candidate's party. After that the official count is taken and that's it.

I was an observer for the Dean campaign in a little town. I didn't like it at all since it's not at all a secret ballot. For whatever you think about that campaign we kicked the sh_t out of Leiberman and Gehbhardt that night, but that's history.

And that's the way it is at a caucus.

i imagine hillary, edwards and obama will be viable so second choice might not matter as much as i thought

i have a two questions.

what i person A backs candidate 4 and that candidate doesn't get 15% so has been made non-viable--can person A say: fuck it! i'm not voting for anyone else? or will person A be shunned by everyone else in the room if they do that?

question 2:
what if person A backs candidate 4 and person A's boss is there backing candidate 7. will person A be fired for backing a different candidate? and has that ever happened?

(i just thought i'd throw that last question in, although i don't expect you to know the answer. i might as well made the comparison between neighbors and one not being invited to the barbecue next summer)