Help - primary vs caucus

[FatalDST]

I need someone to break the difference down for me please.. use ebonics if need be.

thanks

[Gee-Are]

A primary is like a normal election with poling stations and the voting machines. They usually last throughout the day and as long as you go during the allotted hours, you can cast your vote.

A caucus is almost like a town hall. A group of people get together and physically show their allegiance to a particular candidate in the open. The candidate that gets the majority of the votes wins. e.g. a room with 100 people and an election captain calls out the candidates name "FATAL!" and 45 people raise their hands. the captain then calls out, "GHOST!" and 53 people raise their hand. Ghost wins the caucus. What were the other 2 people doing you ask? in the back getting booty.

Ok anyway...in order for the caucus to work, as you can see, every participant has to be available at a certain time. So they usually start and finish in a small window of time, like 6-8:30 or 7-9 or some other predetermined time.

The Clinton camp doesn't like caucuses because they claim that their base is blue-collar working people who work odd shifts and can't take off work when they happen, that's why they discount the caucus states.

[QUIET As Kept]

I'll add that the caucuses are very strict with the timing. Say its scheduled to start at 7...they actually close (and I believe lock) the doors right @ 7...so if you aren't already inside, you don't get to participate.

[FatalDST]

thank Ghost... i mean Q Pid!

[FatalDST]

ok. question.. so why do both? which one actually determines the candidate? if that question makes sense

last night at the rally, they were calling it the "TX 2 Step".. we have a primary and a caucus... why?.. why do we have 2 and why do we need to do them both?

[Gee-Are]

only 75% of the delegates are allocated due to the primary polls in Texas. The other 25% is distributed from the results of the caucuses on March 4th.

If you don't want to be all day. Vote early then go to the caucus the night of March 4th. Otherwise you gotta vote that day, then turn around and do the caucus.

the thing about Texas is, it's always been that way, except the contest is normally done by the time you get to Texas so people didn't normally participate. Now everyone will know how it works! LOL

[Gee-Are]

sorry...the split is 2/3rds and 1/3rd not 3/4ths and 1/4th

[Gee-Are]

The thing that's interesting about this primacaucus is that Texas is split up by STATE senatorial districts, NOT U.S. congressional districts. Also, the number of pledged delgates, anywhere from 2-8, are determined by PAST voter turnout, not necessarily population.

Interestingly enough, the higher turnouts have been in majority African-American districts, and the lowest past turnouts have been in majority Hispanic districts. So theoretically, the inroads that Clinton has made with Hispanics may not translate to more delegates, because they haven't historically turned out in big numbers. So high turnout will affect the NEXT election but not this one. Coupled with the fact that more people have been turning out for the caucuses for Obama and that accounts for 1/3 of the delegates (a nice buffer for whoever wins the caucuses), Cinton has a tough road ahead in Texas.

Right now the polls are close, and Clinton may very well win the popular vote in Texas, but with the way the districts are divided and how delegates are distributed, it may not translate into more delegates...

Here's one source for perusal...

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080213/ap_on_el_pr/texas_delegates