SuperTuesday hangover
Posted 40 weeks 6 days ago byYes, I have a Super Tuesday hangover -- my live blog and YouTube video didn't relate just how hectic the whole caucusing experience was. Still: Lots of fun.
You know who else has a Super Tuesday hangover? Movement conservatives. They're realizing that John McCain is going to be the GOP nominee. And they're trying to make peace with it. Kate O’Beirne and Ramesh Ponnuru's advice:
What McCain should do instead is to take the fight to the Democrats, explaining why he’s against Harry Reid’s defeatism, Hillary Clinton’s health-care plan, Nancy Pelosi’s obstructionism on intelligence gathering, Barack Obama’s tax increases, and even Dennis Kucinich’s Department of Peace. Conservatives know that McCain can be a tough political combatant. They want to see him turn those skills on the Democrats.
There's no doubt that McCain will do some of these things if he is the nominee -- although if he really does blast the Department of Peace, the Democratic nominee should feel free to attack McCain because of Ron Paul's attachment to the gold standard.
Maybe I'm overreading here, but it seems as though what O'Beirne and Ponnuru want McCain to do is stop being himself. Anybody who has paid attention to McCain knows that he is basically conservative -- but he's not only conservative. He's willing to work with people who have different agendas. This is his weakness with the conservative base of the GOP, but it's also the reason he, like Barack Obama, tends to draw support from way beyond his party's base.
That used to be a good thing.
Thoughts
Pretty sure caucus isn't for me
Submitted on February 6th, 2008 by KS Hilary supporterI caucaused in Lawrence, at the armory. I'm not sure I "enjoyed" it, mostly because I found it sort of combative, to look people I know in the eye and, because I was on the other side of the room, say "I don't agree with you." I prefer the anonymity of the voting booth.
I also think the limited time frame and the fact that women my age are Hilary's mainstay supporters have her at a disadvantage in the caucus system (a theory backed up by pundits more experienced than me.) I believe this is so because women have children (or grandchildren) to ferry and see after and days that start at 5 a.m. and end at 11 p.m. and it is a huge scheduling nightmare to get to a caucus site at a designated time and wait to be counted. I am not a college student or young single OR childless married person with a bunch of time on my hands. I work full time, have two kids, a husband and a dog. I am busy! So are my peers and I know that is why I didn't see many of them on my side of the room!
Primary
Submitted on February 6th, 2008 by JoelIt was good to experience a caucus, but I've gotta say that primaries make more sense if the parties are going to be at all democratic.
meeee too
Submitted on February 6th, 2008 by alicescheshirecatdude.... seriously, that was hardcore. Not for the light hearted political people. Not only did I arrive an hour before it was supposed to start but I didn't get home until 45min to an hour after it was supposed to be over.
I'm telling you - the data is still coming in but the winners last night were young voters :) and that was evident at the Lawrence caucus sites.
I still think caucus systems are fascist but I have to say that the energy in the room was great. I just wish there had been more chanting.