My first Iowa caucus

[jayschool2013]

I get it. The results are slow. The process is clumsy. The preferences and ballots are far from secret.

But I sat in a middle school gym with 571 of my neighbors and talked for two hours with them about issues, candidates and processes. I haven't done that in years, if not decades.

It was a fantastic experience. And it should have been the prelude to a secret-ballot primary tomorrow.

Still, I will treasure my Iowa caucus experience, even if it may be my ... and others' last.

The delays? I'm a journalism teacher, and we tell our students every day that it's better to be right than first. What's wrong with that?

Further, my wife and I caucused for Warren, and it took two hours for us to get the first ballot done. In our precinct, Warren and Sanders were the only viable candidates at 9:05 p.m. Buttigieg and Klobuchar were close to viability, while Biden and Yang were not. Other candidates, including Steyer had scattered votes. The wrangling that ensued was not going to end soon, and I needed a beer, so we left soon after. I don't doubt that our precinct just ended its process minutes ago.

Stay calm. Be patient. We'll get an accurate count and a great candidate.

[HarlanPepper]

1. Glad you had fun but this is not the way it should be done.

[jayschool2013]

2. What did I just write?

That it's a great meeting that should be followed by a secret-ballot vote.

"Fun" had nothing to do with it.

Thanks for demeaning my experience.

Patience. We'll know soon.

[squirecam]

6. Many people can't take the time

To do what you did.

But I’m glad you got to participate.

[jayschool2013]

7. Exactly

My Iowa City neighborhood immediately around the middle school is about 30 percent African-American, but the caucus attendees were 95 percent white. Many of my neighbors work night jobs, so they couldn't make it. That's the shame of the caucus system.

The only point I was trying to make is that it was great to have discussions with 571 of my neighbors but that it should be a prelude to a secret-ballot primary.

I am not advocating for caucuses. I am advocating for conversations and patience.

[lunasun]

10. Plus who has time for this ? The process leaves out way too many citizens

[HarlanPepper]

11. My cousin and his wife sat tonight out because they couldn't get a babysitter.

[lunasun]

12. ++ A coworker (here in Chicago ) pointed out today what if you were simply an introvert or had

health issues that limited your time out in public ? Or have to work or get up early ?

How much equal access to any examples would sitting in a middle school gym with 571 other people for two hours talking about candidates be compared to a mail-in primary ballot like we have in our area?
No reason or excuse is needed to use the mail-in option here, plus we have in person early voting poll places, anotheraccess to participate if voting on Election Day is not doable

IA just blocks too many of it’s citizens like your cousin and his wife out of the process imo

[HarlanPepper]

13. Yeah didn't even think of those reasons

I’m not particularly outgoing myself so it’s hard to imagine taking part in a caucus.

[LisaM]

20. I heard the Warren campaign was providing free childcare.

Though I'm sure it wasn't at all 1700 voting locations.

[UniteFightBack]

3. People need to spend hours and hours at these caucuses. Don't folks have to work tomorrow?

Just because it's always been done this way doesn't make it practical. Y'all want to do it this way GO AHEAD but you need not be first.

[jayschool2013]

4. What did I just write?

We should have a secret-ballot primary. But we should all gather with our neighbors to discuss issues and politics.

Should I have led with that?

[stopdiggin]

9. no. you said it just right.

you're just finding out that a lot of your DU neighbors aren't real good at listening.

[bullwinkle428]

5. So did you and your wife fill out and sign that "ballot" stating that Warren was

your first choice? I totally understand you leaving at that point, as your job was done. I caucused for Pete, and he was viable with the first ballot, but he ended up with even more delegates once Bernie, Yang and Steyer voters realigned.

[jayschool2013]

8. Yes

I wanted a beer, so we left the Warren precinct captains to negotiate with Biden/Pete/Amy people to see if they could also reach viability.

[emmadoggy]

14. I was shocked Biden

was not viable in my precinct either (very red county in NE Iowa). It seems all of his would-be support went to Klobuchar. Pete and Klobuchar virtually tied in my precinct (Pete had 2 more people than Klobuchar at the final tally - both got 3 delegates). Warren came out with 2 delegates and Sanders just squeaked into viability in the re-shuffle and got 1 delegate.

[Hortensis]

15. Glad it was a great experience for you, Jayschool.

As you say. There'll be an account as accurate as they usually are eventually.

[BlueMTexpat]

16. Thank you for doing this

and for sharing your experience with us.

It does sound nice to have been discussing issues among real people, instead of just with those of us in the virtual world who are faceless and virtually nameless. I also like what you said about having a secret ballot afterwards.

I was quite delighted to hear that our candidate was among the viable ones!

[jayschool2013]

17. THANKS!

Our neighborhood — which is atypically racially diverse in Iowa — wasn't very well represented by that diversity. Warren's camp had maybe 20 percent persons under 50, while Bernie's group was about half under that age. Biden's group was nearly 100 percent retirement agers, and the entire room had fewer than 4 percent African-Americans in a neighborhood that is closer to 20 percent. I guess that's what happens when you have an event that shuts out independents and people who work nights for a living.

[BlueMTexpat]

19. You've hit the nail on the head

about the problems with a caucus.

But thanks for doing your best in the circumstances!

[Nitram]

18. Thanks for sharing your experience with the caucus. Worth the opinions of 1,000 armchair

prognosticators.