If you’re not a party insider, how do you become a (national convention) delegate?

[Omaha Steve]

Closing primaries and caucuses does nothing to change the selection of national convention delegates. NE & IA are closed caucuses. Hillary barely won IA, Bernie got about 60% in NE btw.

OS



http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/mar/29/5-questions-you-have-about-delegates-answered/

By Linda Qiu on Tuesday, March 29th, 2016 at 10:28 a.m.

The rules for delegate selection are byzantine, varying not only by party but by state, by year and even by congressional districts.

To make matters more confusing, it’s often an entirely separate process from both parties’ presidential nominating contests.

Most states stipulate that elected delegates should be reflective of primary results. But in a few places like Wisconsin and Washington, it’s possible that a district votes for Trump in a primary and, after the primary, elects a delegate for Ted Cruz at local and state conventions.

Voters directly pick delegates in just a few states (i.e. Illinois and West Virginia) while the presidential candidates select delegates in others (California, New Hampshire). In Florida, meanwhile, all the candidates submit lists of proposed delegates, and voters elect among these nominations after the primary at district conventions.

[bluedye33139]

1. No, having a closed primary does not change the way delegates are selected

But it would screen out people who are not Democrats and do not have the parties future in mind.

[MADem]

2. What closing primaries does is limit the choices of Democrats TO Democrats, and not people who

have not and do not support the party.

There's nothing wrong with people supporting their own candidates, but if they're not Democrats and they disparage us, they shouldn't use our infrastructure to do it.

States--not the federal government, and not the parties (exception--some of these halfassed caucuses that are disenfranchising and don't reflect the will of the people) --control their own elections; we'd do well to encourage the states to make the process simpler and more transparent.

[Omaha Steve]

4. Tell that to the INDEPENDENTS we need to win in Nov

There are 37 closed primaries. It seems your theory is off.



In U.S., New Record 43% Are Political Independents: http://www.gallup.com/poll/180440/new-record-political-independents.aspx

PRINCETON, N.J. -- An average 43% of Americans identified politically as independents in 2014, establishing a new high in Gallup telephone poll trends back to 1988. In terms of national identification with the two major parties, Democrats continued to hold a modest edge over Republicans, 30% to 26%.



More at link.

http://www.uspresidentialelectionnews.com/2016-presidential-primary-schedule-calendar/

[MADem]

7. Independents don't always lean left. Surely you have figured this out.

And nothing prevents an independent from voting in the GENERAL election.
They're more than welcome to vote for our ticket, then--not sure what your point is, there.


That said, Democrats have the right to choose their standard bearer, the person who represents the values of the DEMOCRATIC (not the Democrats and assorted independents and other 3rd party actors who can't commit) Party.

If you don't like our choice, don't vote for them. No one is holding a gun to anyone's head, here.

But if you want to pick "The Democrat" who will run in the general election, you should BE "A Democrat."


It's pretty clear to me that we have a lot of disruptive, counter-productive, tear-it-all-down losers in the convention hall--and they ignored Sanders' personal PLEA to behave themselves. They even booed him yesterday afternoon--really classy.

So who are they working for?

[emulatorloo]

3. Closed primaries prevent Republicans from fucking with our process.

I get that you're upset Bernie lost. I am too. However, Democrats should choose the Democratic nominee. End of story.

As to the 'party insider delegate' charge I call bullshit. In Iowa they elect delegates to the state convention from those who attended the caucus. The notion that my neighbors are all 'Party Insiders' is absurd.

[Omaha Steve]

6. IA is closed

Closed primary and you still have this!

http://www.omaha.com/news/politics/dnc-email-leak-sanders-die-hards-threaten-clinton-s-effort/article_d609e0eb-2105-5933-86d2-4f9ffd684d71.html

Snip: They’re planning “nonviolent” protests on the floor of the convention, regardless of whether the Vermont senator backs them up.

“I don’t take my marching orders from Bernie Sanders. I’m here for the movement, and that’s what it’s going to be,” said Chris Laursen, an Iowa delegate from Ottumwa. He said about half of the Iowa Sanders delegates feel the same way.

It’s a situation that threatens to spoil Clinton’s efforts this week to rally Democrats behind her nomination — and seems likely to linger into the fall campaign against Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Sanders most likely will try to persuade many of his supporters to back Clinton when he meets with them today before giving a prime-time speech at the convention hall.

[MADem]

8. Iowa is a disenfranchising CAUCUS. We need to get rid of those, too.

They exclude the poor, the single parent, the shift worker, the elderly, the sick/hospitalized, etc.

Worst and least participatory system in the world.

[Omaha Steve]

11. NE allows you to caucus by mail

You have to start the process a couple weeks in advance.

[MADem]

13. It's so much simpler to go to the polls and vote.

And it is even better if the state mails everyone a ballot, and they have the choice of mailing it in, dropping it in a ballot box in a public building, or going to a polling station and turning it in.

I also think requiring a person to vote publicly, so that their name, face and affiliation are known, is a system that is fraught with potential for bullying and peer pressure, too.

[Omaha Steve]

15. At least caucus by mail in NE

Nobody knows who you marked the X next to.

NE had never caucuses before 2008. NE is locked into a primary in May by state law. The DNC switched to a caucus in March to get NE Dems more involved.

[SharonClark]

9. IA is not "closed"

Voters can register to vote or change their party affiliation at the caucus. I registered/re-partied around 100 people prior to my caucus in 2008.

[Omaha Steve]

10. Thanks for posting

At least they have to say they are D's then.

[MADem]

14. So, basically, a buncha Trumpinators can turn up and say "Hey, I wanna be a Dem" and they're let in?

ICK.

Closed PRIMARIES. That's the way to go.

[MosheFeingold]

5. Been a delegate many times

In most places, just get involved in your local party by doing the boring stuff that needs to be done (and be willing and able to pay for a ticket and hotel room to wherever) and voila you are a delegate.

If not this election, then the next. You can be in a giant place like NYC and it's a core of 50 volunteers who do 99% of the work. If there is not a slot for you this time, there will be one the next.

So, show up, volunteer, knock on doors, get coffee, bother your family and friends for donations. Vote.

Not so much "insider" as "grinder."

Even if you don't get to go one election season, you will inevitably get invited to all the cool events. I've got personal pictures with basically every Democratic candidate since 1960.

[Rex]

12. True party insiders are very rare.

You gotta be part of the D.C. Bubble.

[DonRedwood]

16. I am a State Delegate for Hillary Clinton

Each county elected a national delegate (who automatically went to philly) at the county convention, and
state delegates. The state delegates like myself went to the state convention and voted for the remaining national delegate slots (from people who had signed up to run as well as the other state delegates). You did not have to be elected as a state delegate to run for the delegate slots, but only the state delegates got to vote at the state convention.

It was fascinating to be a part of. I made it into the last round of six--they chose three and one alternative--so I was either 5th or 6th place.

The interesting thing I learned is the super delegates were given their slots for a reason. Without the super delegate slots then those people all compete for the delegate slots like I did. It means I would have been up against Senators, Representatives, party heads, etc. Since those people usually win in an open contest to be a delegate this gave more time for unknown people to network and try to be elected as a delegate.