Iowa Caucuses tonight

[ringpriest]

I've never been to a caucus before. I never realized that they used the primitive voting system of "raising hands". Wow, the voting system in this country is so screwed up.

Raising hands is pretty good if you're using parlypro, have people who know how to use parlypro on all sides, and make sure that the only people voting are people who are supposed to be voting. Where the system starts to look Mickey Mouse is when: 1) not enough people know Robert's Rules (or any similar system), 2) there's poor access- and voter-control; both problems appear endemic in the Iowa caucuses. Lack of functioning knowledge of Parlimentary Procedure is endemic in America - I'll leave off speculating as to the causes and motivations behind that and just observe that without it, it is difficult for any public movement, formal or informal, to organize itself.

[GennGreymane]

So we have a 3 way split in the Rep base and a 2 way split in the Dem base.

Showing things to come?

[Tierbook]

So we have a 3 way split in the Rep base and a 2 way split in the Dem base.

Showing things to come?

In related news Santorum gave up and pledged for Rubio.

[PACOX]

I've never been to a caucus before. I never realized that they used the primitive voting system of "raising hands". Wow, the voting system in this country is so screwed up.

Wonder why we don't use the popular vote for federal positions?

Beause government can get pretty silly at the state and local level.

[Tijuana]

Wonder why we don't use the popular vote for federal positions?

Beause government can get pretty silly at the state and local level.

Because if you don't balance the powers between federal and state, some states would basically have no voice, and just get run over. This is particularly true of rural states. They would basically have no actual say in things.