Thread by @PinkPolitical

THREAD: As promised, here are my thoughts about Caucuses. The Bernie crew, claiming to free elections from the anti-democratic tendencies of the DNC are actually pushing an election form that disenfranchises.

2. Throughout the country, the GOP is engaged in voter suppression. Major pushes to extend voting rights include:
1. Extended voting hours
2. Expanded early voting
3. Mail in ballots
Caucuses run exactly opposite to this.

3. Why would I suggest that caucuses are actually profoundly undemocratic when Bernie, champion of the people, is demanding their expansion? Let me count the reasons.

4. Caucuses are limited in time- you MUST show up at the allotted time- a Tuesday evening (usually) from 7 to at least 9 and possibly longer. This is not possible if:
A. You work nights
B. You have young children & cannot afford childcare

5.
C. You do not have a car
D. You have a physical disability that makes travel hard

6. Beyond the problems with scheduling, there may be psychological reasons that caucuses are difficult:
A. People with social phobias will avoid such gathering
B. Introverts may find such an event stressful
C. Those who are conflict averse, may avoid it as well

7. In fact, the caucus process itself- which involves debating others & persuasion- may make those who are lower information voters feel intimidated.

8. Particularly strong personalities and those with aggressive communication styles may sway voters away from their preferred candidate

9. Social psychology and group dynamics may act to silence voices that express less popular positions.

10. Thus, the format of the caucus not only disenfranchises by virtue of scheduling, but by the process itself.

11. Rather than advancing a one person/one vote method, caucuses reward those who are more vocal & comfortable speaking about politics.

12. Since comfort in speaking in public about policy & politics may be linked to education, this once again favors the affluent (the ones who DON'T have to work night/have cars/can afford childcare)

13. So one must ask WHY those decrying the undemocratic nature of the Democratic primaries would be advocating forcefully for a a profoundly anti-democratic format.

14. The simple answer is that Bernie won in caucuses and lost in primaries. That's it. There is no greater moral reasoning. It's just strategy & base political calculation.

15.Or perhaps there is actually an elitism to Bernie's populism. His younger/white/often more affluent voters do well in a setting where they can opine & bully.

16. They also may have an idea that the caucus FEELS like the way democracy SHOULD work- with people coming together in the public sphere to debate- where the best ideas win out.

17. It's a nice idea & probably reflects the way caucuses once worked in the "good old days." But please remember, those were also days that did not allow women or POC to vote.

18. Because the truth is that caucuses also favor a particular style of debate that is essentially part of the white patriarchy & it tends to silence women & minorities whose style of communication is deemed somehow unworthy.

19. This preferencing of white voices & voters can be seen in Bernie's dismissal of the results of primaries in the South.

20. It can also be seen in his patronizing dismissal of black support for Hillary- that if they only UNDERSTOOD THEIR OWN INTERESTS, POC would vote for him.

21. So- despite cloaking advocacy of the expansion of caucuses in the language of populism, Bernie supporters are actually pushing to disenfranchise voters in order to game the system in their own favor.

22. And if Bernie wants to do that, fine. He's a politician and he's playing a game. But he doesn't get to pretend he's pure and above it all.

23. It's part and parcel of his usual shtick. The superdelgates were anti-democratic until HE needed them to vote against the popular vote to install him against the wishes of voters.

24. When Bernie advocates dispensing with identity politics, it's partly because he is actually supporting an alternate set of identity politics: you know- the ones of white men.

25. If Berners believe that their ideas & policies are superior & viable in elections, than they shouldn't fear primaries which allow MORE, note fewer voices to be heard.

26. They should fight along side voting rights advocates to EXPAND voting rights through early voting, extended voting hours and mail in ballots instead of seeking caucuses which are a better tool of voter suppression than any GOP ID law.

27. If Bernie supporters actually want progressive policies, they should walk the walk. They should put their energies into rallying Democrats, registering voters, & engaging the disengaged.

28. They should stop trying to reach the poor white trump voter who actually voted on racism/sexism not economics.

29. Perhaps if they stopped lecturing & listened to women & POC, they would learn that our "identity politics" are actually profoundly economic as well.

30. Structural racism & misogyny limit our economic opportunities while also threatening our physical safety & mental health.

31. Of course, if we could get to a caucus to voice these opinions, we would be drowned out by a chorus of "ACTUALLY."

32. So let's dispense with the ridiculous fiction about caucuses being more democratic. They're not. They may even have skewed for Bernie b/c they aren't.

33. I'm tired of the fight. Yesterday's #BlueWave numbers show us that it is POC & women- not white men who are the heart of the Democratic party. When WE show up, the party wins. So let's work on that.

34. We'd love to have you. Come over, have a conversation. But be prepared to listen as well. If you don't win the day, it's not because it's rigged against you. It's because we disagree. And there are more of us. /END