DoZ3r 0 #1 February 2, 2008 Can somebody please give me a simple explanation of how this very confuding systems works... ?? Hear a lot in the news about it, and well... just wanting to know how it really works...If everything seems under control.. You're just not going fast enough..! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
misaltas 0 #2 February 2, 2008 What you're hearing about in the US news lately is the presidential caucus/primary system. Each state and party does things a little differently, so there are lots of exceptions, but best if I explain this backwards: 3. Each political party selects someone who will be their candidate in the presidential election in Nov 2008. They typically have a national convention where selected delegates are sent to vote for who they want. 2. Prior to that, the political party in each of the 50 states plus territories runs a caucus or primary to determine who their delegates will vote for at the national convention. 1. Those who want to be president typically need to do a lot of campaigning in each state prior to its caucus or primary election in order to win as many delegates as they can. Once each party has their nominee selected, then later in the year, they will campaign against each other in order to win the general election. That's where the Electoral College jumps in, and I have far too little mental stamina to explain that to anyone, even if I understood it myself. Search dz.com for "electoral college" and read up. I wish you the best of luck maintaining your sanity. This is actually a pretty good article: Primaries, CaucusesOhne Liebe sind wir nichts Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #3 February 2, 2008 Or, if you live in Washington State, apparently it's even more confusing. I just found out today (okay, call me ignorant of my own state's process...) that we have both caucuses and primaries for some reason. And that the parties can decide which of the two they want to use for deciding which candidates get supported at the national convention. So I have in my hand a presidential primary (absentee) ballot that will allow me to vote for a Democratic candidate. Huzzah, says I, because I would like to participate in that process, but unfortunately, I will be out of town on the day the caucuses are scheduled. But then I go and read this document and find out that oh, the Democrats have decided that they don't want to bother with the primaries... so I can vote in the primaries, but it won't really matter. This is weird. http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/pdf/2008PP/PP%20MFQ%20Updated%20August%202007%20Final.pdf"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #4 February 2, 2008 What is going on now is the nominating process for the candidates. In Parliamentary systems this is like a leadership contest and strictly within the party. However in US the voting is done state by state, and the party members elect delegates to go to the big convention. Each state subdivision of the party has their own particular rules about how they assign delegates. Some give all elected delegates to the team supporting the candidate who wins the primary vote, some do the same but divide the state into several smaller districts, others choose delegates by proportional representation. In most or all states some of the delegates are appointed by the party. Members of the national committee, US senators from that state, the governor, former candidates are examples of who get chosen as "superdelegates." The number of delegates a state gets is very complicated, but largely based upon population. On this coming Tuesday (Super Tuesday) California and New York are the big prizes. On Election day voters vote for the candidate of their choice. Each state is again an election unto itself and from this are chosen members of the "Electoral College." Some states are "winner take all" and others are "proportional representation." The number of electoral college votes per state is equal to the number of members of Congress each state has. This is the number of members of the House of Representatives as decided by population as closely as possible (minimum of 1), and the number of Senators which is two for each state. There is some accommodation for the residents of Washington DC which is not in any state, but I cannot remember the details. If there is no majority support for one candidate, there is a complex re-voting system within the electoral college and if necessary the House of Representatives rather than having a run off election as they do in other presidential systems. Simple huh? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #5 February 2, 2008 I think this is a result of your state government getting involved with what is in fact, a private matter; the Democratic Party is a club and do things the way they want. The primary is something the State government decreed, but it has no bearing on anything. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #6 February 2, 2008 Quote I think this is a result of your state government getting involved with what is in fact, a private matter; the Democratic Party is a club and do things the way they want. The primary is something the State government decreed, but it has no bearing on anything. Apparently. I'm going to go recycle this lovely ballot that my tax dollars funded in the recycle bin that my tax dollars also fund. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DoZ3r 0 #7 February 3, 2008 Makes a little more sense now...If everything seems under control.. You're just not going fast enough..! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
