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2016 Postmortem

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madfloridian

(88,117 posts)
Thu Feb 4, 2016, 12:19 PM Feb 2016

"What we can’t stomach is even the whiff of impropriety or error" Des Moines Register. [View all]

This newspaper endorsed Hillary Clinton. They are proud of their state caucus, and this article shows that. They can not tolerate that "something smells" in the Democratic party caucus count.

Editorial: Something smells in the Democratic Party

What happened Monday night at the Democratic caucuses was a debacle, period. Democracy, particularly at the local party level, can be slow, messy and obscure. But the refusal to undergo scrutiny or allow for an appeal reeks of autocracy.

The Iowa Democratic Party must act quickly to assure the accuracy of the caucus results, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

First of all, the results were too close not to do a complete audit of results. Two-tenths of 1 percent separated Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. A caucus should not be confused with an election, but it’s worth noting that much larger margins trigger automatic recounts in other states.

Second, too many questions have been raised. Too many accounts have arisen of inconsistent counts, untrained and overwhelmed volunteers, confused voters, cramped precinct locations, a lack of voter registration forms and other problems. Too many of us, including members of the Register editorial board who were observing caucuses, saw opportunities for error amid Monday night’s chaos.

The Sanders campaign is rechecking results on its own, going precinct by precinct, and is already finding inconsistencies, said Rania Batrice, a Sanders spokeswoman. The campaign seeks the math sheets or other paperwork that precinct chairs filled out and were supposed to return to the state party. They want to compare those documents to the results entered into a Microsoft app and sent to the party.


The article points out that Andy McGuire, Iowa Party chair, doesn't want to discuss, compare, or analyze.

McGuire knows what’s at stake. Her actions only confirm the suspicions, wild as they might be, of Sanders supporters. Their candidate, after all, is opposed by the party establishment — and wasn’t even a Democrat a few months ago.


The article calls for a balance between tradition and transparency.

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Here's the takeaway--if the IDP refuses to audit its own findings, then you have to wonder TwilightGardener Feb 2016 #1
Post removed Post removed Feb 2016 #3
You do have to wonder lovuian Feb 2016 #4
Most likely, typos. jeff47 Feb 2016 #6
"innocent" mistakes when there is an obvious benefit to be had Helen Borg Feb 2016 #57
Possibly. And an audit would reveal whether or not the mistakes favored one candidate. (nt) jeff47 Feb 2016 #58
Exactly. NowSam Feb 2016 #15
This is a Dem party-run thing--who watches the party for integrity? TwilightGardener Feb 2016 #16
This message was self-deleted by its author Gman Feb 2016 #50
The head of Iowa Democratic Party is a Clinton supporter, fund-raiser and former campaign co-chair CoffeeCat Feb 2016 #36
More nepotism I see AlbertCat Feb 2016 #42
Bernie's campaign says they're not disputing it. pnwmom Feb 2016 #48
What their campaign exactly said is: *There's no plan to look backwards* Tad Devine 2 Feb JimDandy Feb 2016 #64
By Tuesday the Iowa Party had already said they wouldn't be getting the raw data, pnwmom Feb 2016 #65
The head of the Iowa Dems said that in the wee hours Tuesday morning. JimDandy Feb 2016 #67
So you haven't seen anything contradicting this after Tuesday: pnwmom Feb 2016 #68
So you haven't seen anything contradicting my original reply to you. JimDandy Feb 2016 #71
If Bernie was still calling for data, I'm pretty sure we'd be hearing about it. pnwmom Feb 2016 #72
so if this is the iowa dem party's line questionseverything Feb 2016 #77
They did in my state when they went to court to say that they wouldn't pnwmom Feb 2016 #78
primaries can easily be rigged...transparency is the key questionseverything Feb 2016 #79
State primaries have to follow state election laws and have to be transparent. pnwmom Feb 2016 #80
that state primaries are transparent is the biggest bunch of stink i have read today questionseverything Feb 2016 #82
This OP has the latest info, as of yesterday, that Sanders still wants the raw voter data JimDandy Feb 2016 #81
I agree that the party should stop doing caucuses and let the state government pnwmom Feb 2016 #90
Glad we have something to agree about. JimDandy Feb 2016 #91
We have caucuses in my own state so I knew they would cause a problem pnwmom Feb 2016 #92
I wonder what would have happened if Bernie won by .02 of 1%? jillan Feb 2016 #2
There's no way the Clinton camp would accept it without a challenge. TwilightGardener Feb 2016 #5
Of course: Debbie expects all millennials to be complacent... Betty Karlson Feb 2016 #8
And the Iowa Dem chair was part of Hillary's team in 2008 peacebird Feb 2016 #10
Judging by McGuire's vanity plate -- "HRC 2016" -- she is the paragon KingCharlemagne Feb 2016 #31
You have got to be kidding me... HRC2016 is her vanity plate? peacebird Feb 2016 #39
I wish I were. Someone here posted a pic of it a couple days ago, but I didn't bookmark it. - nt KingCharlemagne Feb 2016 #41
Apparently they did go the other way Skinner Feb 2016 #9
Weird. Maybe I won the coin tosses???!! elias49 Feb 2016 #12
Not sure how you got that from my post... Skinner Feb 2016 #13
Just this: for most of the night and day after the caucuses elias49 Feb 2016 #23
The story has changed multiple times, and then we were told it didn't even matter and wasn't TwilightGardener Feb 2016 #32
that is the huge problem questionseverything Feb 2016 #63
Such a very close margin demands more scrutiny... madfloridian Feb 2016 #73
What about Sanders? After all, based on the facts above HE won six of seven coin tosses. George II Feb 2016 #44
Well, that the exact opposite we heard earlier. So which version do we trust? madfloridian Feb 2016 #74
This is false. bobbobbins01 Feb 2016 #18
I think it is probably an accurate statenent of the facts that the Iowa party is aware of. Skinner Feb 2016 #24
Obviously we need more information then. n/t whatchamacallit Feb 2016 #52
Exactly...McGuire could clear up all of these questions by providing the raw voter data. n/t JimDandy Feb 2016 #70
this...... restorefreedom Feb 2016 #26
Hillary would get a recount. No doubt about it. 840high Feb 2016 #47
It seems pretty obvious that the system was likely gamed, and the actual results compromised. NorthCarolina Feb 2016 #7
This was Bernie's first caucus. This was the Combined-Clintons'..what--fourth? TwilightGardener Feb 2016 #11
The problem is, She has positioned her familiars at every key point in the process Dragonfli Feb 2016 #17
It was this way in 2008, even more so now. TwilightGardener Feb 2016 #20
Her new problem is that after seeing it in '08 and yet again now, ppl are wising up Dragonfli Feb 2016 #28
so, you think the Leader of the Free World should be a street fightin' man? May I suggest: Hiraeth Feb 2016 #21
they do have their own count and it does not match the partys questionseverything Feb 2016 #76
IOW, Use tradition as an excuse to block transparency. /nt RiverLover Feb 2016 #14
Thank you for integrity in our election system. K&R Hiraeth Feb 2016 #19
Oh, please. When tens of thousands of people and hundreds of counties are involved... randome Feb 2016 #22
Then there should be no problem with all parties laying their cards on the table. Easy enough then. Ed Suspicious Feb 2016 #54
There should never be a problem with transparency. madfloridian Feb 2016 #75
This is exactly why the majority of Americans don't vote. They know the government and the electoral liberal_at_heart Feb 2016 #25
K&R. This is the kind of behavior I'd expect from the Republican Party. CharlotteVale Feb 2016 #27
Ironically, the Republican party in IA is more transparent jeff47 Feb 2016 #59
HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!! WillyT Feb 2016 #29
.... madfloridian Feb 2016 #94
Regardless of who you support you should be for transparency. GoneFishin Feb 2016 #30
What is the Iowa Democratic Party trying to hide? frylock Feb 2016 #33
Memory Lane: DesMoines Register in 2012 'stomaching' Romney win….. blm Feb 2016 #34
K & R! SoapBox Feb 2016 #35
Maybe it's time for the primaries/caucuses to rotate. If we can't trust in the accuracy of the A Simple Game Feb 2016 #37
It's a Republic style democracy. saidsimplesimon Feb 2016 #40
What the hell??? Plucketeer Feb 2016 #61
The absence of transparency and the absolutism of the party Chair suggests they don't really know Ford_Prefect Feb 2016 #38
it would without doubt support the published result. AlbertCat Feb 2016 #43
As we think about it now..Hillary rushed to declare herself the winner INdemo Feb 2016 #45
The butt stupidest thing about this article is DNC delegates weren't even selected Gman Feb 2016 #46
Go talk to the Des Moines Register, tell them it's a "butt-stupid" article. madfloridian Feb 2016 #49
Bernie's spokesman Tad Davine announced they're not disputing it. pnwmom Feb 2016 #51
That's old info from Tuesday Feb 2. The above OP is from yesterday: JimDandy Feb 2016 #86
Is there no end to the whining on this? Gman Feb 2016 #53
So a newspaper loudly lauded here a few days ago is now a "whiner"? Oh, my. madfloridian Feb 2016 #55
Oh FFS coyote Feb 2016 #66
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Feb 2016 #56
It's really hard to believe that a Clinton could be a cheater. nt mhatrw Feb 2016 #60
I didn't say that. Neither does the article. madfloridian Feb 2016 #69
Interesting post in comments from UK poster, nail on head. madfloridian Feb 2016 #62
A rec for this post. nt malokvale77 Feb 2016 #83
Do you know if any of the corporate media conglomerates; CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC etc. etc. Uncle Joe Feb 2016 #84
Wow! Read this from DKos by fladem who worked at the caucus. It's shocking. madfloridian Feb 2016 #85
This is why Michael Whouley came to Iowa. mhatrw Feb 2016 #89
Heard he was hanging around in Iowa again lately. madfloridian Feb 2016 #95
Kick! FloriTexan Feb 2016 #87
Amen to that. madfloridian Feb 2016 #88
Interesting post in comments from an Iowan. Very upset. madfloridian Feb 2016 #93
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