|
|
"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource."
|
Here we go again: Arcane system sends Democrats back to Iowa
|
|---|
| Parent(s) |
Race
|
| Contributor | RP |
| Last Edited | RP Mar 12, 2008 08:14pm |
| Logged |
0
|
| Category | Event |
| News Date | Wednesday, March 12, 2008 11:40:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Not so fast, Pennsylvania. The next stop in the Democratic presidential race is ... Iowa. Yes, Iowa.
Weeks before Pennsylvania holds its primary on April 22, states such as Iowa, Texas and Nevada will conduct the next round of voting in the multistep process of choosing delegates to the national convention this summer. Iowa, which first voted on Jan. 3, holds county conventions this weekend in familiar locales the candidates remember well, like Des Moines.
Welcome to the arcane world of the presidential caucus, where one day of voting is rarely enough to lock up national delegates and sometimes two rounds doesn’t cut it, either. The party’s system has both campaigns working to keep, and perhaps gain, delegates who have already been claimed in the early voting states.
At stake: 248 delegates in 10 states, more than enough to shift the balance of the entire race.
Most years, the complexities of party caucuses don’t generate much interest after the campaigns have moved on.
“This year, they will be fighting over every delegate,” said Norm Sterzenbach, political director of the Iowa Democratic Party.
Obama leads Clinton in the race for national delegates, 1,602 to 1,496. But much of Obama’s lead is built on delegates won in caucus states — delegates who are not yet guaranteed to remain his.
Edwards’ delegates — and the chance to win them over — will add intrigue to the Iowa conventions.
“Absolutely they’re fair game,” said Karen Hicks, a senior adviser to the Clinton campaign. “We are reaching out to a lot of them, trying to persuade them to join our team.”
|
| Share |
|
|
2¢
|
|
| Article | Read Full Article |
|
| Date |
Category |
Headline |
Article |
Contributor |
|
|
