Congratulations are due Mrs. Clinton for her primary popular vote wins in Texas, Ohio, and Rhode Island last night. When she most needed to do so, she kept alive her still-very-slim hopes of capturing the Democratic nomination.
(Did I just write "hope" in reference to Clinton?)
Obama could have -- should have -- put her away last night, and failed to do so. This was the second time he had that chance and missed -- the first was in New Hampshire.
So onward through the fog. To Pennsylvania, the state described as Pittsburgh on one end and Philadephia on the other with Appalachia in-between. Clinton and Obama will have their constuiencies plainly defined; the one who can poach from the other's base the most will win there.
Will the super-delegates flip start flip-flopping back to her now? I'm guessing none of the higher-ups are brave enough to make that intervention call to her now. "She's just getting warmed up", after all.
Brokered convention in Denver? I think it is certainly possible. Good for the Democratic Party? Maybe, maybe not. If the newly energized youthful supporters of Obama have a heavy dollop of cynicism dumped on them by the party elites taking away their votes, there could be a pretty serious backlash. As in disillusionment, resulting in defeat in November.
On the other hand, if they stay focused, succeed in take back their democracy, and put Obama in the White House, then we see that new age -- all that 'hope' and 'change' -- that has been talked about.
Mr. Irresistible Force, meet Mrs. Immovable Object.
Good times.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Today's agenda
6 a.m. : Prepare to open my polling location. As chair of the host precinct, mine and two others will be voting together today, Republicans and Democrats combined. Three precincts times two political parties means up to six precinct caucus conventions in one location this evening (though there will likely be only four; the Repubs aren't quite so numerous in my little West U enclave).
7 a.m. : Poll opens. Weather in Houston today is cool -- low 40s, forecast high of 60, with a brisk wind -- so voters need to be wrangled inside the school entry until it warms up later. Difficulty parking, long lines, possibly frayed tempers could result. Queueing and caucusing instructions will be announced repeatedly for arriving voters throughout the day.
Noon: Have a closing appointment this afternoon, so away I go.
3 p.m. : The Harris County Clerk is conducting the logic and accuracy test downtown, so in my responsibility as the elections observer for the county, I'll be in attendance.
4 p.m. or so : Tabulation of early votes begins at the CCO. This is the fun part. I will observe as the seals are opened on the packets for each EV location, the electronic cards fed into and read by the processor and ultimately totaled. These are the first results that get reported on the county's website, which appear shortly after 7 p.m. Since I will be returning to my polling place, none of these results will be revealed to me prior to my departure. The standard protocol is to run the total, at which point everyone in the room -- the county clerk's election staff, observers, IT personnel and security -- is on "radio silence"; no cellphones or laptops on, no communication with the outside world. For about two hours a handful of people know what everyone else wants to know, but nobody gets to until 7 p.m. when the polls close.
5 p.m. : Back to my precinct to conclude the election. My election judges are the absolute best.
7 p.m. : Polls close, precinct conventions to begin at 7:15 or when the last person in line has voted. I've made preparations to conduct my precinct convention (aka caucus), but if I don't get elected permanent chair I won't be disappointed.
7:15 p.m. or later: Caucuses begin. We'll see what mayhem or mischief may be in store as the presidential campaigns jockey for delegates to the Senate District convention on March 29.
9 or 10 p.m. or later: Caucuses are concluded, so I am returning downtown for more central counting office observance, into the wee hours of the morning or until I can't stand the fun any longer.
No posting until I recover on Wednesday.
7 a.m. : Poll opens. Weather in Houston today is cool -- low 40s, forecast high of 60, with a brisk wind -- so voters need to be wrangled inside the school entry until it warms up later. Difficulty parking, long lines, possibly frayed tempers could result. Queueing and caucusing instructions will be announced repeatedly for arriving voters throughout the day.
Noon: Have a closing appointment this afternoon, so away I go.
3 p.m. : The Harris County Clerk is conducting the logic and accuracy test downtown, so in my responsibility as the elections observer for the county, I'll be in attendance.
4 p.m. or so : Tabulation of early votes begins at the CCO. This is the fun part. I will observe as the seals are opened on the packets for each EV location, the electronic cards fed into and read by the processor and ultimately totaled. These are the first results that get reported on the county's website, which appear shortly after 7 p.m. Since I will be returning to my polling place, none of these results will be revealed to me prior to my departure. The standard protocol is to run the total, at which point everyone in the room -- the county clerk's election staff, observers, IT personnel and security -- is on "radio silence"; no cellphones or laptops on, no communication with the outside world. For about two hours a handful of people know what everyone else wants to know, but nobody gets to until 7 p.m. when the polls close.
5 p.m. : Back to my precinct to conclude the election. My election judges are the absolute best.
7 p.m. : Polls close, precinct conventions to begin at 7:15 or when the last person in line has voted. I've made preparations to conduct my precinct convention (aka caucus), but if I don't get elected permanent chair I won't be disappointed.
7:15 p.m. or later: Caucuses begin. We'll see what mayhem or mischief may be in store as the presidential campaigns jockey for delegates to the Senate District convention on March 29.
9 or 10 p.m. or later: Caucuses are concluded, so I am returning downtown for more central counting office observance, into the wee hours of the morning or until I can't stand the fun any longer.
No posting until I recover on Wednesday.
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