Not content to sit back and let Iowa decide the presidency, a coalition of Democratic and Progressive Grassroots Organizations in New Jersey are conducting the New Jersey Presidential Caucus this Friday evening, December 7, where New Jersey Democrats will hear from representatives of all the major Democratic presidential candidates and then participate in an Iowa-style caucus debate to select their top 3 presidential candidate choices.
While not a binding vote, the caucus results will be an indication of how the state’s activist Democrats will be deploying their support in the months leading up to the state’s February 5, 2008 primary election.
You can find all the details of the event here.
A coalition of Democratic and Progressive Grassroots Organizations in New Jersey are conducting a statewide Presidential Caucus this Friday evening, December 7, where New Jersey Democrats of all stripes will gather to discuss, debate, and select their presidential candidates of choice. It's called the New Jersey Presidential Caucus.
As Iowa polls tighten and N.J.’s February primary approaches, who will prevail at the Caucus and earn the support of Garden State activists?
Attendees will hear from representatives of all the major Democratic presidential candidates and then participate in an Iowa-style caucus debate that will end with the announcement of the preferred Democratic candidates in New Jersey. While not a binding vote, the caucus results will be an indication of how the state’s activist Democrats will be deploying their support in the months leading up to the state’s February 5, 2008 primary election.
While the divisions among Presidential primary candidates will be on display, the event is a striking demonstration of party unity. The organizations co-hosting the event represent the geographic, ethnic and philosophical breadth of the Democratic Party: young professionals’ organization New Jersey’s Democratic Future; state-wide DFA group NJ for Democracy; BlueJersey.com; B.A.L.L.O.T. (a political action committee organizing young African Americans); the N.J. Arab American Democratic Caucus and the New Jersey Chapter of the National Jewish Democratic Council; LGBTI political organizations Garden State Equality and the NJ Stonewall Democrats; activist groups BlueWaveNJ and the Progressive Democrats of N.J.; and the Progressive Caucus of the Democratic State Committee.
The event will include a Happy Hour with information tables representing the candidates from 5p-7p, followed by an hour of short speeches by representatives of the Democratic candidates:
Senate President Richard Codey for John EdwardsRep. Steve Rothman (NJ-9) for Barack ObamaState campaign coordinator Larry Stempler on behalf of Joe BidenBradley Beach Councilwoman Julie Schreck for Dennis KucinichAllison Tupper, New York City director for the Bill Richardson campaignA designee to be announced, for Hillary Clinton
Attendees will be welcomed by Democratic State Committee Chairman Joe Cryan and 7th District Congressional Candidate Linda Stender.
After the doors close at 8pm, an exciting Iowa-style caucus, with participants gathering to support their candidates, debating and cajoling each other to join one or another camp, and winnowing the six candidates down to three ranked victors as the evening progresses.
This is a political event not to be missed, both for Democrats searching for the strongest candidate and for campaigns looking to reach the activists whose shoe leather support can make all the difference on election day.
Full details of the event invitation can be viewed on-line here.
It's on!