Posted on 04/12/2016 5:05:54 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
* From 1912 to 1988, and since 2004, Colorado used the current system for delegate selection, with no preference vote binding.
* Even in 1992, 1996, and 2004 delegates were bound by vote, but were free to vote conscience on second ballot.
* In 2012, Santorum won the non-binding straw poll but Romney received more delegates at conventions.
* A 2012 rules change at the RNC required any state that held a straw poll to bind their delegates, Colorado chose not to hold the straw poll, to enhance grass-roots participation.
If you’ve been on the internet this morning, you’ve seen the scathing headlines: “Republicans cancel presidential election in CO…” and “Fury as Colorado has no Primary or Caucus,” among others. The problem is that this is not exactly true. Colorado only briefly flirted with a binding primary, but even then the delegates were selected by a caucus-convention system. From 1912 – 1988, and 2004 to the present the delegates were not bound by a preferential vote. This year was no different.
In Colorado, a caucus is held to elect delegates to county assemblies and the county assemblies elect delegates to state and district assemblies where the delegates to the RNC are chosen. That is how it has worked over the past four presidential cycles, and it is nothing new for this year.
First, a little recent history. Conservative Review spoke to Florence Sebern, a member of the 2012 RNC Convention Rules Committee from Colorado. Sebern outlined how the Colorado Republican Party started holding non-binding straw polls to coincide with their caucuses in 2008. Sebern explained the process: “Prior to 2012 RNC rules changes, Colorado's presidential preference poll (instituted in 2008), did not bind delegates. Delegates could choose to pledge, via the National Delegate Notice of Intent form. A pledge bound delegates through the 1st round of voting.”
The New York Times description of the caucus system in Colorado in 2008 and 2012 confirms this account. In both instances they describe how the delegates are unbound from the results of the straw poll.
So why the change this year? According to Sebern, RNC rules instituted in 2012 said that any state that holds a preference poll in conjunction with their caucuses must bind delegates according to the results. The new rule was 16(a)(1):
Any statewide presidential preference vote that permits a choice among candidates for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in a primary, caucuses, or a state convention must be used to allocate and bind the state’s delegation to the national convention in either a proportional or winner-take-all manner, except for delegates and alternate delegates who appear on a ballot in a statewide election and are elected directly by primary voters.
“The caucus system was not fundamentally changed. What was changed was that a meaningless straw poll was not conducted — one that wouldn’t bind the delegates anyway.”
With the national rules change now governing, Sebern helped to lead the fight to end the short-lived presidential straw polls to keep the power of selecting delegates with the grassroots. Sebern wrote in an op-ed about the change:
Colorado’s caucus system is the way grassroots activists — We the People! — participate in and impact our political system.
Caucus is a meeting of neighbors, affiliated with a political party, who come together to discuss candidates, issues, ideas, elect leadership and delegates. It’s the basic building block of our Colorado political system. It’s an open door to local political activism. It’s an opportunity for all voices to be heard.
Caucus encourages one of the best aspects of politics: the opportunity to have a civil conversation with our neighbors who we may — or may not — agree with.
Caucus allows all voices to be heard and all concerns to be discussed.
In that same op-ed, Sebern explains that there were three short-lived primary cycles, and that the grassroots changed back to a caucus and saved the taxpayers money.
Colorado had a presidential primary in 1992, 1996, and 2000. We changed back to a caucus system and saved taxpayers $6 million dollars. Interestingly, voter participation declined during those primary years. Primaries may not be the only reason for a decline in voter participation (understanding the importance of civic engagement and quality candidates are certainly part of the “formula”), but they also don’t offer the neighborly experience that caucus does.
Donald Trump, and his media allies, have suggested that Colorado fundamentally changed their caucus system in the summer of 2015 to benefit Ted Cruz. In fact, the caucus system was not fundamentally changed. What was changed was that a meaningless straw poll was not conducted — one that wouldn’t bind the delegates anyway.
Even in 1992, 1996, and 2000 with the binding primary, delegates were selected by the caucus method. On a second ballot, at the national convention, those delegates could vote for whom they pleased.
Since the 2004 primary and caucus season — and from 1912 to 1988 before that — here is how the system worked: Republicans met in local precinct caucuses, which they did this year. People ran for delegate to the county assemblies (convention), often stating which presidential candidate they would support during the assemblies. The county assemblies picked delegates to district and state assemblies. Candidates running for national convention delegate could, optionally, bind themselves to a candidate or say what candidate they would support. The assemblies would elect the delegates.
In 2012, Rick Santorum won the non-binding presidential preference straw poll in Colorado. The result was: Santorum 40.3 percent, Mitt Romney 34.9 percent, Newt Gingrich 12.8 percent, and Ron Paul 11.8 percent. Romney ended up with more delegates, however; the delegate count was Romney 13, Santorum 6, and Paul 5.
The process described above is what happened this year. On March 1, thousands of Coloradans met at precinct caucuses. They elected delegates to the county assemblies. Those county assemblies sent delegates to state and district assemblies (conventions). There the delegates were selected. Exactly as they had been in 2004, 2008, and 2012.
Here’s how the chairman of the Colorado GOP explained it to Conservative Review, "The four step caucus process used this year was identical to the process employed in 2012 with the exception of the non-binding straw poll being eliminated," said Colorado GOP Chairman Steve House. "The process was open to all Colorado Republicans and all campaigns had ample opportunity to encourage their supporters to attend caucus, county assemblies, Congressional Assemblies, and the State Convention."
Donald Trump’s real fight is with the people way back in 2002 that fought to get rid of the binding primary, not Ted Cruz.
What a bunch of whiners.
He is so involved in the process he doesn’t even know who his precinct captain is. lol
That is sad if Mr. Lindsey’s story is true of being told the wrong information, or that he was lied to.
However, State Rep. Patrick Neville (HD-45), who represents Castle Rock, the county seat of Douglas County, did give Mr. Lindsey a phone call prior to the County Assembly to remind him to go :
Excerpt: “In the weeks leading up to the county assembly on March 19, Neville called delegates to ask for their support at the county assembly. According to phone records, he had an eight-minute phone call with Lindsey on March 15. Neville says that they talked about his positions and areas of shared concern, as well as the importance of showing up at the assembly. Indeed, that was the main purpose of the phone call — to ensure delegates showed up at the county assembly and voted on the HD-45 race. Neville was surprised when Lindsey didn’t show up. (Neville ended up winning the nomination by acclamation.)”
“I have supported 2ndDivisionVet for many years on this forum.”
For many years? That would be since Feb. 14, 2016, right?
Delegates in Colorado are selected through a process that starts with the March 1st caucuses and culminates at the state convention on April 9th. Colorado Delegates can go to the national convention as unbound or bound to a candidate.
Long story.
:D
Want the truth? Slick Teddie and the GOPe thugs in Colorado used lawyerly fine print - the kind lawyers use to cheat people) to steal the delegates Cruz got. Look at the picture of the ballot sheet with no box for a Trump delegate.
This is the same carp lawyers always pull; then get together and laugh at us when they are finish screwing us.
Each state is different as they make up their own rules. The state sets some legislation and the parties make their own rules under the guidelines. You have to be registered with a party to vote for that party delegate in the primary. This keeps people form trying to mess with the other parties.
You can not vote unless you are a registered demoRat or rePUBlican.
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Same here in Maryland, if registered as an indy, no primary vote.
Been that way since I was a rookie voter back in 1976.
Colorado is not a grass roots state, you must kiss the party ring to vote. Chris Christie brought in $175,000 for an attack an attack against Tom Tancredo for Governor of Colorado which got john Chickenpooper elected. Thank you rePUBlicans. Yes, I have voted for Mickey Mouse AKA Dole and Romney but no more. Why does Colorado preselect the delegates and not let the people of Colorado choose?
I would have to register as a republican or demoRat to vote as there were no independent candidates.
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And you knew that going into the process, I presume.
I would have registered independent here in MD, but did not for the express reason that I would not be able to vote in the primary.
I knew that in 1976 when I registered to vote. I was 18.
Apparently you missed the election that brought Hitler as President. Then once Hindenburg was coerced to make Hitler also Chancellor, Hitler dissolved the Reichstag.
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Von Papen dissolved the reichstag in july of 1932.
Hitler was named Chancellor in January 1933.
The reichstag was burned down in february 1933.
Hitler became president in august 1934.
If you are going to use history as a hammer against another poster, it’s a good idea to get your dates straight.
the internet makes that really easy to do.
Republicans have been having problems for quite a while here in Colorado. I used to support them until Christie came to Colorado with $175,000 for an attack add against conservative Tom Tancredo and disenfranchised many republicans form voting and insured the election of demorat John Chickenpooper. The republicans rewroet their rules this year to keep people like christie out of the race and Cruz came in and took over. The process sucks.
It was his own fault. He didn’t show up. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was a Trump supporter.
http://www.publicnow.com/view/3BBC13FBE48CC547189E35EA5249E82989C4ABDF?2016-04-12-18:00:43+01:00-xxx3856
I will assume that your sequence of events is accurate.
How does that in any way change the point that I was making, that when a political apparatus takes control rather than the people, bad things happen?
I will assume that your sequence of events is accurate.
How does that in any way change the point that I was making, that when a political apparatus takes control rather than the people, bad things happen?
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I believe that if you are going to make historical arguments, your facts (which are easily verifiable) should be beyond reproach.
Yours were not. And when part of one’s argument is less than accurate, it calls the conclusions into question.
/ history nerd mode
There were 400+ candidates that Colorado voted on to be National delegate.
Yes, they voted for their delegates.
The delegates told them, or not, who their prefered candidate was.
Just like they did in 2012.
The previous votes were non-binding straw polls
Which is how it should. Anybody not in the party should not be able to vote on who represents the party in the general. I say this as a person who left the party largely because I’m tired of the bozos they keep coming up with. I decided to switch from always picking “none of the above” to “stop bothering me”.
Ah yes, the “baby with the bath water” approach..
I am well familiar with that view. Unfortunately, my analogy of the rise of Hitler and the Colorado delegate appointment process pertains despite my flaws in chronology. Hitler achieved complete control not because of his popular election but because of the Nazi party getting a majority of Reichstag members and back room deals to get the chancellorship.
Where party rules overrun the choices of the voters, the party is following the example of the National Socialists.
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