To Caucus!

So, it was Caucus Night here in Utah last night, and I nearly didn’t go. I’ve been conflicted on the matter for some time. I went to my first ever caucus four years ago, and I don’t recall it being a pleasant experience. It was hot, crowded, and dominated by people to whom politics is their religion–at least that’s my recollection four years later.

But, speaking of religion, my church specifically cancelled all church meetings for Tuesday night in order to encourage members to participate in the political process (and no, they made no statement as to which party anyone should support, saying only that elements of both parties’ platforms are consistent with church principles). If the church feels its important enough to give me the night off (Tuesday night is Cub Scouts night, and every member of our family usually has some church activity) I should probably take it seriously.

But as much as I like to think about politics as a private exercise, I dislike engaging in politics as a public exercise. I’ve been to precisely one political rally in my lifetime, and I don’t even vote as regularly as I should. But I want to set a good example for my kids and my immigrant wife trying to understand the American political process, so I went.

There were two caucuses taking place within a block of my home. The Democrats were at one local school, the Republicans at another. Both were madhouses of activity, and parking was so in demand that people were even parking on my street, three turns off the main street. Something’s got everyone riled up this year.

I’ve heard reports that many caucus locations were overwhelmed this year; my location was busy, but not horribly disorganized–not compared to the horror stories I’ve heard about the other location, where people were lined up outside for several blocks. I was able to find my precinct, get credentialed and arrive in the auditorium for the initial meeting more or less on time. There we sang the National Anthem, said the Pledge of Allegiance, had a prayer, sang “God Bless America”, and then received instructions on what would happen next. From there we broke off to individual classrooms, organized by precinct. That’s a good thing, in that I knew a large number of people there–my neighbors. It was not such a good thing, in that I knew a large number of people there.

The first order of business was to nominate and elect local precinct leadership. That’s where the “it was not such a good thing” came up. I was immediately nominated for precinct chair by someone I attend church with. Granted, I could have declined the nomination, but there’s a part of me that likes to be needed, and feels a duty to step up and make sure things I believe to be good get done. So I didn’t say no. I didn’t vote for myself, either.

So then I was nominated for vice chair, along with most of the same people who didn’t get the chair position. By then I saw the writing on the wall–I would either have to start declining nominations or sooner or later I’d be elected; we were running out of useful idiots–I mean, willing volunteers. I was hoping for secretary/treasurer, but I won for vice chair. That’s okay. I can handle that. I don’t mind helping someone else get things done.

After electing a secretary/treasurer (the only guy that had done any of these positions before, and who was a reluctant “I’ve had my chance, but I’ll do it again if no one else wants to do it” type), we got down to the “sexy” positions: delegates. We had two levels of delegates: State level delegates, who would help choose our party’s candidates for national and top state positions (Congress, governor, etc), and county level delegates who help choose candidates for state legislature on down to local positions. These are mostly a one-and-done position. You go to a convention for one day and that’s it until the next year. You get to represent the entire neighborhood, and politicians pay attention to you. If there’s anything sexy about local politics, it’s largely concentrated in this position.

We ended up with about five candidates vying for the two state-level delegates, and seven candidates for the five county-level delegates. I was also nominated for the county level, and won. So I get to be sexy and responsible. And I really have to pay attention to who is running this year.

Last but not least we voted our preference for the presidential election. By then it was after 9:00 pm, it was hot, and we were all getting a little burned out. We wrapped up, those of us elected hung around long enough to officially register our contact info, and then I walked back home. It didn’t feel nearly so sexy trying to describe to my kids what I’d be doing. Somehow it just doesn’t sound as cool to them now as it did eight years ago telling them I was now the president of the neighborhood. (I still think I’d take this over HOA president any day.)

A few little details made the process a little more pleasant in my mind. We were assigned the biology classroom. Our current precinct chair emphasized several times that this was a classroom, and there would be no janitorial service after we left, and so we had to leave everything the way we found it or better. From what I saw, I believe we did that. Also, as a gesture of support and as a gesture to the teacher for our potentially messing with her classroom, our precinct leaders left her a rose, a box of chocolates, and a thank you card.

For some reason this was a more positive experience for me than the previous caucus I attended. I’m not sure what the difference was, but it was different. Whether I’d willingly go again is moot, now. I’m committed to attend the next one if only to make sure someone else gets my position. But for now I’ve still got to figure out just what it is I’m supposed to do–and who my options are to vote for at the county convention. It should be an interesting three weeks.