I'm Going to Have to Disagree With Myself

I think I must disagree with myself (which is another way of saying, change my opinion), and agree instead with an unidentified Channel 4 personality.

Months ago, I blogged against the current caucus system, arguing that it amounts to little more than getting all dressed up and going to a meeting in the name of participating in the democratic process, only to accomplish little more once we get there than surrendering to political activists our right to vote at the next step in the process.

Let him (or her) go on to the convention and cast my vote? No, thank you, I said. I can cast my own vote, if you don't mind.

Why not invite everyone to the convention, teleconferencing it to fit everyone in? I wondered.

Monday, while filing to run for office, I had a discussion with a Channel 4 personality. (Someone there told me he was on Channel 4, but I didn't ask his name). He argued that my system would take away people's ability to discuss things neighbor-to-neighbor. Instead of going to an everyone-come state convention, he wanted us to return to more community-oriented caucuses. He didn't like throwing precincts together, into mega caucuses.

Well, after attending this week's caucuses (I went to those of both the Democrats and Republicans as an observer, not voting), I find I must agree with the man from Channel 4. The Republican caucuses were precious. They divided into precincts. Mine drew but about 20, but one was packed with 79 (yes, that was a single precinct). With so many being at the same school, just in different rooms, I wandered into more than a half dozen. They were precious, simply said, because people were discussing issues and congressional candidates candidly, but civilly. I didn't run into a single heated, barbed debate. It was simply beautiful to see people learning about the process, about the candidates, and discussing it all.

Tell me, what other meeting is there where neighbors discuss politics? We might want to change some things -- maybe still going to a everyone-comes state convention -- but, whatever we do do, we do not want to lose these community caucuses.

They are too precious. As the Channel 4 man said, the meetings should not be so large that people cannot express themselves. Take this away, and we lose a gem.