There's a big problem with your statement. We vote for delegates DURING the caucus. If you're involved politically and know who the people are at your caucus, it overcomes the ability of a Paul supporter being elected as a delegate.
Each potential delegate stands and makes a statement about why they want to be one and who they support for president.
I wouldn't want a candidate that has people write in delegates after we've already voted. That's something the democrats would do. It's called cheating.
Not sure I understand the “write-in” process you’re describing. I know delegates are handled differently in every state. In Pennsylvania they have to get signatures and be elected on the ballot during the primary. Ron Paul’s plan isn’t possible in every state but it sounds like in the states where they’ve talked about it, like in Maine, they just hang out after the vote and sign up to be delegates afterward. They talk about how 60% of the delegates selected were Ron Paul people even though he only got 10% of the vote in their precincts. And every little bit will count in a brokered convention, since I imagine the most delegates will be establishment types going for Romney. I think the most likely scenario out of a brokered is a Mitt/Rick ticket.
As much as I hate to say it, Newt may have too many negatives, even within his own party, to become President. If I were he, I would be thinking seriously tonight about making a deal with Santorum for the administraton post of my choice.
Here are Missouri's rules: http://www.mogop.org/2012stateconvention/caucuses
Unless a county votes to bind its delegates, the delegates can vote for whoever they want once they get to the congressional district convention (which selects some delegates) and the state convention (which selects other delegate).
There's a lot of room for “stuff happens” here.
I support the caucus system. I always have. I believe primaries, especially open primaries, are bad for both parties because they let people who aren't committed to a party have a say in the party's nominee.
But caucuses have their own problems. They can be “gamed” by organized outside elements such as Ron Paul or Lyndon LaRouche. They also can be (and often are) controlled by party insiders who don't share the views of ideologically committed groups like conservative Christians or Tea Partiers who haven't taken the time to get involved in doing the hard work of campaigning for the party.
There's a simple solution to that. Get involved in the party apparatus. With time, party insiders may not agree with you, but if you get Republicans to vote and get independents and Democrats to vote Republican, they'll view you as a hard worker who deserves to be rewarded for your hard work, instead of an outsider causing trouble.
It's not rocket science, but it is hard work, and it doesn't happen overnight — it takes years, just as it takes years to become a leader in the Chamber of Commerce, the Masons, a church group, the PCA, the Kiwanis, or anything else.
302 posted on Tuesday, February 07, 2012 10:01:21 PM by mplsconservative: “There's a big problem with your statement. We vote for delegates DURING the caucus. If you're involved politically and know who the people are at your caucus, it overcomes the ability of a Paul supporter being elected as a delegate. Each potential delegate stands and makes a statement about why they want to be one and who they support for president. I wouldn't want a candidate that has people write in delegates after we've already voted. That's something the democrats would do. It's called cheating.”