Honestly, if you want to see why we should abolish caucuses, apart from *gestures vaguely at everything*... this story right here. Political gamesmanship is a part of politics, but this musical chairs/punch-buggy-blue-no-punch-back nonsense is not what democracy looks like.
And no, it doesn't change my mind about the conspiracy theories. All of that? Is the exact opposite of a conspiracy theory. It's a bunch of people spontaneously deciding to jerk each other around.
I've said one of the weaknesses of Bernie's campaign is that it's not prepared to overcome ordinary politicking, and that's... I mean, it's weird, but that's caucuses. And if we wind up with a brokered convention it will involve similar games.
You can think it's great that Bernie is an outsider who doesn't play the typical power games but some of those games are essential to winning over (voters/delegates).
I like him on policy but this vulnerability hampers him, constantly.
I like him on policy but this vulnerability hampers him, constantly.
Anyway. I keep saying that in politics the work gets done by whoever shows up, so the people who show up for a caucus get to set the tone and tenor of it.
But caucuses aren't terribly accessible, so it's not like everyone has the same chance to do the work.
But caucuses aren't terribly accessible, so it's not like everyone has the same chance to do the work.
TL;DR - Abolish caucuses.
And if you love Bernie and want him to win, then for the love of all things holy and most things that aren't, learn some political gamecraft, teach it to your fellow travelers, try to integrate it into his campaign if you're working with them.
And if you love Bernie and want him to win, then for the love of all things holy and most things that aren't, learn some political gamecraft, teach it to your fellow travelers, try to integrate it into his campaign if you're working with them.
