I Chose the Mass. Convention Delegation

We held caucuses in Massachusetts today to choose the delegates to the Democratic National Convention...and I bet you thought that was all taken care of on Super Tuesday...Find out the real story below the fold.

And I bet you thought Massachusetts was a primary state.  It still is.  What was decided on Super Tuesday was the number of pledged delegates that each candidate will receive.  Today in caucuses in each congressional district in Massachusetts we chose WHO the delegates to the national convention will be.  Each congressional district held two separate caucuses at separate locations, one for Clinton and one for Obama.  I live in the third congressional district and attended the Obama caucus.  Obama won two delegates from our district, one man and one woman (Clinton got 4 delegates, Obama had a disappointing show in Central Mass.).  

I've always voted in primaries before and never in a large caucus...and the problems of this form of democracy were made manifest to me.  Long lines, clueless volunteers, and people disenfranchised because their names were not on the list of registered Dems.  I almost wasn't allowed to vote, my name was on a different list than the one it was supposed to be on...and if I hadn't insisted they look I would not have been let in.  And surprise surprise most of the people disenfranchised had brown skin.  

Once we convened a member of the audience asked the moderator under what circumstances a "pledged" delegate could change their pledge.  For the first time in a long time this is a legitimate question as there may be more than one ballot at the convention.  There was heat, but no light shed on this subject.  I belive after the first ballot pledged delegates can vote for whomever they want.  Anyone out there know the answer?

There were 4 people running for the male delegate slot.  Each was allowed to make a 2 minute speech.  After the preceeding discussion all of them pledged to support Obama to the gates of Hell.  One man introduced himself and said all the candidates are well qualified...he got 2 votes.  The next man said don't send a politician, send a man of the people.  19 people voted for him.  The third man said he was a delegate at the 1984 Democratic National Convention where a coup by superdelegate chose Walter Mondale over Gary Hart as our 1984 Presidential Nominee (and we all know how well that turned out).  He said we should send him to stop another coup by superdelegate.  He got my vote and those of 50 other people.  The fourth man was a seasoned local politician he talked very nicely and blandly about nothing for two minutes.

We then voted by secret ballot.  No one got a majority of the vote, but the golden tongued local politician was only 1 vote shy (72) of a majority.  The other 3 candidates withdrew at this point, and we are sending a Worcester City Councillor as our male delegate to the Democratic National Convention.  There was only one person running for the female delegate slot (too bad), so she was elected unanimously.

It was an interesting experience.  I now know I dislike caucuses.  I had always wondered how who actually attended the national political conventions was determined.  Now I know, and so do you.