Caucus vs. Primary
Very few states use caucuses for nominations anymore. Most have moved to primaries. In Minnesota the caucus has been losing a bit of steam, but at least the DFL has been trying to make it more meaningful. The demand to 'abide' by the endorsement process, or not run in the Primary if you lose the caucus, is a pass/fail condition to getting an endorsement. If you won't abide, then don't bother seeking the endorsement.
Once upon a time I supported that, but I can no longer do so in good conscience. Caucuses are generally attended by those who believe strongly in their values. Or put another way, radicals. Less and less common are those who've always attended and still attend because that's just what you do. That's the camp I sit in.
Caucuses have been radicalized out of relevance. Only the ideologically pure can make it through, and generally speaking ideologically pure people aren't electable in any but the most secure districts. It is no coincidence that Presidential candidates universally make a dive towards the center after the nominating convention.
The battle for the open Minnesota 5th congressional district is quite telling. Martin Sabo has held that seat for decades. His seniority is quite high, which is why he is the ranking minority member of the House appropriations committee for Homeland Security. During the brief period where the Democrats held Congress and the President he was chair of the budget committee. This is a member of Congress who is in a position to do great things for Minnesota.
Yet he kept getting challenges from the left. One of the reasons he cited for stepping down this year is that he is tired of fighting through the endorsement process. Each year it got harder and harder to get through the endorsement, even though he is a seated incumbent. He was either too white, too male, or too old-school. The worrying from the left abated briefly after Vento (MN 4th CD) died and Betty McCullom was elected; Minnesota had a woman in Congress again, so pressure for Sabo to step down in order to elect one quieted down.
The man who received the endorsement for the 5th CD was a black man from north Minneapolis who has not held any prior political office. His primary claims to fame were activist based, which means he can write a rousing speech. Unfortunately, his campaign apparatus was weak and he had some skeletons in his closet that were embarrassing. During the primary campaign he had a lot of negative press stemming from his behavior to missed Federal Elections Commission filings. The 5th CD is a safe seat for the democrats, so intra-party fuding will happen. The endorsed candidate made the primary, and will be on the general ballot, and will almost certainly be the next congressman from the 5th CD and the first black congressman from Minnesota.
That said, Martin Sabo's chief of staff has openly declared her support for the Independence Party candidate Tammy Lee. Ideologically the IP candidate is closer to Martin than the DFL candidate, which says a lot. This is how the party has evolved.
The 'rank and file' party members are always more center oriented than the activists. This extends to the Republicans as much as it does the Democrats. The Republicans experienced this particular phenomena in 1994 when the endorsed candidate, Allan Quist, got stomped in the primary by more moderate Arne Carlson. This is why increasing voter turnout during primaries tends to benefit the more moderate candidate.
Caucuses have been radicalized out of relevance. It is time to deemphasize them. Which won't happen, since the party apparatus, run by those same activists, is so intent on retaining them as the chief ideology enforcement tool. Perhaps it is time for a grass-roots movement of old time political hacks to get the party constitution changed?
Once upon a time I supported that, but I can no longer do so in good conscience. Caucuses are generally attended by those who believe strongly in their values. Or put another way, radicals. Less and less common are those who've always attended and still attend because that's just what you do. That's the camp I sit in.
Caucuses have been radicalized out of relevance. Only the ideologically pure can make it through, and generally speaking ideologically pure people aren't electable in any but the most secure districts. It is no coincidence that Presidential candidates universally make a dive towards the center after the nominating convention.
The battle for the open Minnesota 5th congressional district is quite telling. Martin Sabo has held that seat for decades. His seniority is quite high, which is why he is the ranking minority member of the House appropriations committee for Homeland Security. During the brief period where the Democrats held Congress and the President he was chair of the budget committee. This is a member of Congress who is in a position to do great things for Minnesota.
Yet he kept getting challenges from the left. One of the reasons he cited for stepping down this year is that he is tired of fighting through the endorsement process. Each year it got harder and harder to get through the endorsement, even though he is a seated incumbent. He was either too white, too male, or too old-school. The worrying from the left abated briefly after Vento (MN 4th CD) died and Betty McCullom was elected; Minnesota had a woman in Congress again, so pressure for Sabo to step down in order to elect one quieted down.
The man who received the endorsement for the 5th CD was a black man from north Minneapolis who has not held any prior political office. His primary claims to fame were activist based, which means he can write a rousing speech. Unfortunately, his campaign apparatus was weak and he had some skeletons in his closet that were embarrassing. During the primary campaign he had a lot of negative press stemming from his behavior to missed Federal Elections Commission filings. The 5th CD is a safe seat for the democrats, so intra-party fuding will happen. The endorsed candidate made the primary, and will be on the general ballot, and will almost certainly be the next congressman from the 5th CD and the first black congressman from Minnesota.
That said, Martin Sabo's chief of staff has openly declared her support for the Independence Party candidate Tammy Lee. Ideologically the IP candidate is closer to Martin than the DFL candidate, which says a lot. This is how the party has evolved.
The 'rank and file' party members are always more center oriented than the activists. This extends to the Republicans as much as it does the Democrats. The Republicans experienced this particular phenomena in 1994 when the endorsed candidate, Allan Quist, got stomped in the primary by more moderate Arne Carlson. This is why increasing voter turnout during primaries tends to benefit the more moderate candidate.
Caucuses have been radicalized out of relevance. It is time to deemphasize them. Which won't happen, since the party apparatus, run by those same activists, is so intent on retaining them as the chief ideology enforcement tool. Perhaps it is time for a grass-roots movement of old time political hacks to get the party constitution changed?
posted by Corwin at 1:09 PM
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