Replies

1. Those of you Romney supporters incensed at McCain’s tactics in WV need to research history a bit more. This is actually the way presidential nominations used to be determined in our Republic on a routine basis before our present primary system began to gain favor around the turn of the 20th century. To date there are still some holdover states who still determine delegates using the caucus method such as WV. All McCain did was play politics. Dirty yes, but legal, and is in fact the way the game used to be played. He simply outmaneuvered and outflanked Romney, nothing more and nothing less. Romney could have done the same to McCain in a caucus environment but failed. If you don’t like this outcome blame West Virginia for not changing the system there.

2. If you think the caucus method is unfair then you are in effect saying Lincoln should have never been nominated as that is EXACTLY how he won the nomination in Chicago in 1860. FYI: “New York senator William H. Seward was the favorite going into that 1860 convention. On the eve of the presidential balloting, however, the campaign staff of Abraham Lincoln, as well as some members of the Illinois delegation, bartered with key delegation leaders to secure Lincoln’s nomination....,The third ballot gave Abraham Lincoln of Illinois 231 1/2 votes, with 233 necessary for nomination.” (Just as the 2nd ballot in WV gave it to Huckabee). Back to 1860..”the Ohio delegation changed its four votes from Salmon P. Chase of Ohio to Lincoln and Abraham Lincoln was nominated”...giving him the remaining votes necessary.

http://cpl.lib.uic.edu/004chicago/timeline/firstconv.html

http://www.chicagohs.org/history/politics/1860.html

http://www.thegreenpapers.com/Hx/NomProcess.html

The caucus system may be unfair but its an old system and WV apparently wants it so deal with it. Want some cheese with your wine?