I have to wonder: Did
any of the state political party leaders talk to any of the county chairs
before they decided the Iowa
caucus will still be held in January 2008?
As a county chair during the 2002 gubernatorial and 2004 presidential
caucuses, I can tell you the logistics of confirming 86 caucus sites and
getting 86 people to commit to become temporary caucus chairs for those sites
is a HUGE challenge.
When is the last time you asked someone to commit to
something? What was their first, second,
and third response to your request? Now
imagine … asking someone you may or may not know to manage a meeting attended
by people they may or may not know ... to discuss one of the forbidden table topics
(politics – you know the others) … on a cold January night (although global
warming is having an affect on our winters).
Now add in the fact that the attendees emotions may be high – sensitive
– stressed – whatever – and the stakes are high (only the top 3 candidates will
likely go onto New Hampshire) – and the losers are going to be suspicious of
the results (Florida and Ohio did that to us) – and you have a HUGE challenge. Now, couple all of this with the possibility
of having the caucuses the first week of January when school employees are just
getting back from vacations, the snow birds have headed south, Hawkeye and/or
Cyclone fans have not returned from their bowl games, and it's a short
week (you get the picture).
I don’t know who is arranging the caucuses for Linn County’s
Republicans (if you know, let me know and I’ll update this blog), but when you
see Diane Hoffmann, the organizer and 1st Vice Chair for the Linn
County Democrats, give her a hug … and then give her your name and tell her you
want to VOLUNTEER to be a temporary caucus chair … regardless of the date for
the caucus. You will make her day.... --Joel @ 6pm.
BTW: To my knowledge, no one in a county political party in Iowa including the temporary caucus chairs receives any salary or stipend for their time. The political parties in Iowa pay all expenses associated with the caucuses - no taxpayer monies are spent. --Joel @ 11:20pm