Was just anyone allowed to caucus?

[kevinbgoode]

Please tolerate my bit of ignorance here, but I was reading in another thread that referenced a very good Newsweek story about one of the caucuses in Iowa - it's a good story and very insightful about the process, so I appreciate the OP giving us this link.

Now here is my concern, and this is NOT...I repeat NOT...directed against or for ANY campaign.

On caucus night, I was in a discussion forum with some longtime online buds discussing the results, and he remarked that one of his friends (a precinct captain in Iowa) noticed not only a large influx of people into the caucuses, but that people kept mentioning that many of them had never been seen before in the neighborhood. My buddy also mentioned that his friend thought there were a lot of "former" Bush supporters working for Obama. Now, before any Obama supporters get upset about this, let me just say here that it could be about ANY of the candidates.

Anyway, while I'm reading this little Newsweek story, the writer points out something at the beginning:

"Two days earlier, Hagerty, a Ankeny Democrat who was then "considering several candidates," stopped by an Obama houseparty; her friend, the host, had voted for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, so she was intrigued."

I keep reading little tidbits here and there with references to former Bush supporters (and workers) who support Obama. Has ANYONE else seen anything about that? One buddy in another discussion forum told me that at one caucus, a lot of people coming in to participate had never been even seen before in the neighborhood. And here this story references that Man from the South who came up to caucus - was it really that easy?

"Edwards also gained in realignment, thanks to C. Carlyle Steele, a mysterious silver-tongued Southern lawyer in a blue blazer and boots who flew up from South Carolina for the occasion. If only Lyle Lanley were a Richardson fan.

The night's biggest loser? Clinton. Her sourpuss precinct captain, P.J. Yusten, spent most of her speech railing against Steele, an outsider. . ."


Ok...now I just have a few questions - could ANYONE just fly into the state and participate in these caucuses?

Oh...here is the little Newsweek story...it really is a nice read:

http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/01/03/inside-the-quaint-chaotic-caucuses.aspx#comments