The Idaho Caucus: Democracy at Work

Tuesday, February 5, 2008 is a historic day for Idaho democrats. They’re participating in Super Tuesday for the first time, joining twenty-three others states hosting their presidential primaries and caucuses that day. The decision to move Idaho’s vote up comes at a time when Western states are trying to increase their significance in national politics. The hope is that by voting on the same day as states from other regions, the results of the West will have more political weight.

Blaine County Democrats will send eleven delegates (of 382 to be selected across the state) to the State Convention in June to elect the delegates that will go to the National Convention in Denver, Colorado on August 25-28, where the 2008 Democratic Presidential candidate will finally, officially, be nominated.

The eleven local delegates will be chosen through a Democratic caucus. As we saw in Iowa, the Democratic caucus is democracy in action. In order for their votes to count, Democrats must physically show up, stand in the same room, and be counted. The caucus requires two rounds of voting, the first round to qualify all candidates who receive at least 15% of the vote, the second to determine a winner among those qualifying. The whole event can take anywhere from two to three hours.

And the winner is….only time will tell. Betty Murphy, Chairwoman of the Blaine County Democrats, has no predictions for Tuesday’s outcome. “We’ll take any Democrat,” she told Plum. That being said, Barack Obama is the only Democratic candidate who has formed a committee and established headquarters in the state of Idaho. While predominately based in Boise, the Obama group is very active in Blaine County with weekly meetings and primary results parties.

Blaine County organizers believe Tuesday’s caucus will be a big success. In 2000, fewer than 100 people showed up to caucus. The number jumped to 300 in 2004 when Senator John Kerry, a Sun Valley homeowner, was running for office. This year, however, they think the numbers could double to at least 600.

Anyone who plans to vote for a Democrat in the 2008 presidential election can go to the Community Campus in Hailey on Tuesday, February 5, around 6:30 p.m. You can even register to vote right before the caucus begins. For more information, email or call Betty Murphy (208-726-6423).

Republicans will get their chance, too. But, unlike the Democrats, Idaho Republicans didn’t change their schedule and will hold their primary in the spring.