This is an interesting look inside the chicanery and chaos of a Democratic caucus....one where Hillary can win a miraculous six out of six coin tosses.
An Iowa caucus yields scrums, bribery and cajoling: 'The only thing people get excited about here'
fter spending 30 minutes hand-counting hundreds of bodies packed inside a middle school gymnasium, Jeffrey Goetz had an unfortunate confession to make.
“We're going to have to count again,” the Iowa caucuses precinct chairman told the crowd sheepishly, eliciting groans. “The numbers don’t add up.”
Every four years, Democrats in Iowa forgo ballots and other modern vote technologies in favor of what some claim to be the nation’s most authentic form of democracy. At more than 1,000 caucus precincts like this one at Merrill Middle School in Des Moines, participants are encouraged to argue on behalf of their favored candidates, and the outcome ultimately comes down to a hand vote.
.........
Low-level bribery is allowed. Caucus-goers have been known to offer baby-sitting or snow-shoveling in exchange for votes. A common enticement is an invitation to the state Democratic convention.
Balderson, who is retired, and who has been taking part in Democratic caucuses since the early 1970s, ended up with the Sanders team, along with more than 20 former O’Malley supporters. They were promised two convention spots in return. Some O’Malley supporters left rather than give their votes to other candidates.
But the additional votes weren’t enough for Sanders to come out on top.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-inside-iowa-caucus-precinct-20160202-story.html
An Iowa caucus yields scrums, bribery and cajoling: 'The only thing people get excited about here'
fter spending 30 minutes hand-counting hundreds of bodies packed inside a middle school gymnasium, Jeffrey Goetz had an unfortunate confession to make.
“We're going to have to count again,” the Iowa caucuses precinct chairman told the crowd sheepishly, eliciting groans. “The numbers don’t add up.”
Every four years, Democrats in Iowa forgo ballots and other modern vote technologies in favor of what some claim to be the nation’s most authentic form of democracy. At more than 1,000 caucus precincts like this one at Merrill Middle School in Des Moines, participants are encouraged to argue on behalf of their favored candidates, and the outcome ultimately comes down to a hand vote.
.........
Low-level bribery is allowed. Caucus-goers have been known to offer baby-sitting or snow-shoveling in exchange for votes. A common enticement is an invitation to the state Democratic convention.
Balderson, who is retired, and who has been taking part in Democratic caucuses since the early 1970s, ended up with the Sanders team, along with more than 20 former O’Malley supporters. They were promised two convention spots in return. Some O’Malley supporters left rather than give their votes to other candidates.
But the additional votes weren’t enough for Sanders to come out on top.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-inside-iowa-caucus-precinct-20160202-story.html