Caucusing

[Drgnfly423]

I moved two years ago and this will be my first election in a caucus state. Do any of you have advice for this introvert? I want to represent Bernie, but am nervous for how long it will take and what it will be like. I have a baby at home, so I can't be gone all day! Any insight into the process is appreciated. Thanks!

[rodeosweetheart]

I moved two years ago and this will be my first election in a caucus state. Do any of you have advice for this introvert? I want to represent Bernie, but am nervous for how long it will take and what it will be like. I have a baby at home, so I can't be gone all day! Any insight into the process is appreciated. Thanks!

Hey Dragnfly, I have not lived in a caucus state but if you go here:

http://voteforbernie.org/

you can find info on your state and the caucus process and maybe that can answer questions, or they can probably hook you up with someone who can answer your questions.

Fellow Bernie supporter here!

[bae]

So, I filled out the preregistration paperwork for the Democratic Party caucus this weekend. It's the same information you have to provide if you registered at-the-door, it is just a timesaver to do it in advance on the state party website, and print out the registration form for handin. It of course saves your data directly on the Party's servers for future use.

I was a bit put off by some of the questions on the form, the form that will be printed out and handed to the folks running the checkin desk at the small caucus we have here. It's a small community, everybody knows everybody else, and it's pretty gossipy.

The form asked for me to provide my gender, sexual identity, sexual orientation, among other perhaps-sensitive things.... While perhaps the intent was to be inclusive, or to get people to self-identify so they could then be target-issue-marketed by the Party, it seemed unnecessary to pry into such things simply to participate in the caucus process.

[iris lilies]

So, I filled out the preregistration paperwork for the Democratic Party caucus this weekend. It's the same information you have to provide if you registered at-the-door, it is just a timesaver to do it in advance on the state party website, and print out the registration form for handin. It of course saves your data directly on the Party's servers for future use.

I was a bit put off by some of the questions on the form, the form that will be printed out and handed to the folks running the checkin desk at the small caucus we have here. It's a small community, everybody knows everybody else, and it's pretty gossipy.

The form asked for me to provide my gender, sexual identity, sexual orientation, among other perhaps-sensitive things.... While perhaps the intent was to be inclusive, or to get people to self-identify so they could then be target-issue-marketed by the Party, it seemed unnecessary to pry into such things simply to participate in the caucus process.

Just write "NOPE!" like I did that last time I was asked stupid questions they have no legitimate need to know.

The communist lesbians at Gateway Greening collect demographic information annually about community gardeners, to what end, I don't care. Since their agent was the one who put up my birth date on the web recently, against my wishes and without asking me, they get no more information from me.

[iris lilies]

I caucused in IOwa a couple of times decades ago.

You go, you stand or sit with your Bernie groups, your head is counted. You likely do not need to talk if you don't want to. It will take a few hours.

[bae]

Just write "NOPE!" like I did that last time I was asked stupid questions they have no legitimate need to know.


Sure, *I* can do that. I have the privilege of passing as a straight cis white male with economic and political power, plus I generally don't care what people think about me :-) However, we've had criticisms locally and state-wide about how our caucus process isn't particularly inclusive to whole sections of the population, and I can see how these questions might repel potential participants...

Mind you, when I went through the Republican caucus process here a few years ago, there was a litmus-test questionnaire they wanted filled out in the first few minutes, guised as a "platform survey", and I basically had to sit at my own table getting dirty looks from people after I'd checked a few boxes expressing my desire not to oppress others... So it's not just the local Democrats who do this - I had a neighbor not speak to me for several years after that caucus because of my support for marriage rights for all...

[iris lilies]

Sure, *I* can do that. I have the privilege of passing as a straight cis white male with economic and political power, plus I generally don't care what people think about me :-) However, we've had criticisms locally and state-wide about how our caucus process isn't particularly inclusive to whole sections of the population, and I can see how these questions might repel potential participants...

Mind you, when I went through the Republican caucus process here a few years ago, there was a litmus-test questionnaire they wanted filled out in the first few minutes, guised as a "platform survey", and I basically had to sit at my own table getting dirty looks from people after I'd checked a few boxes expressing my desire not to oppress others... So it's not just the local Democrats who do this - I had a neighbor not speak to me for several years after that caucus because of my support for marriage rights for all...

Forming a platform is a different issue from personal identifications. The party has to form a platform. People have to express ideas to make the platform and should openly do that, for heaven's sake. Sure, enemies will be made. Oops, now we will scare off the OP and she won't go to her caucus!

I do remember a quaint moment in my life when DH accompanied me to the Democratic caucus because back in those days I was a Democrat and he was IN LOVE haha. He, a lifelong Republican, put forth the idea of a balanced budget for a plank.

Big silence from the group.

Polite smiles from the group.

Then the group moved right on past that idea to other more pressing ideas of the Dems which I don't even remember what they were back then.

I have since changed political affiliation, but I have always been wired for fiscal conservancy regardless of how I vote.

[bae]

Forming a platform is a different issue from personal identifications. The party has to form a platform.

True enough. Some of the questions on the survey I mentioned (which was written by a very extreme right-wing religious extremist) were however clearly meant to rule out those who had not accepted Jesus as their personal saviour from the flock. :-)

[LDAHL]

Sure, *I* can do that. I have the privilege of passing as a straight cis white male with economic and political power, plus I generally don't care what people think about me :-) However, we've had criticisms locally and state-wide about how our caucus process isn't particularly inclusive to whole sections of the population, and I can see how these questions might repel potential participants...


In that case, check your privilege with your coat and identify as a proud communist lesbian horticulturalist, and get yourself on some interesting mailing lists.

[bae]

In that case, check your privilege with your coat and identify as a proud communist lesbian horticulturalist, and get yourself on some interesting mailing lists.

You know it :-)