Or: This year, my caucus vote might actually count.
Four years ago, I caucused for the first time. It's really fun, and just my sort of thing. Everyone shows up and stands around awkwardly for a little while. Then you break up into groups for your candidate. (Mine was Wesley Clark last time, but Obama this year.) THEN you look at the sad sops who are there for a candidate who doesn't have enough people in her or his favor to earn another delegate. (In my precinct, I think you needed 5 people to earn one delegate. Kucinich, for instance had 3 people, who ended up splitting among Dean and Clark.) Then you get to state your case about why you support your person until everyone has picked sides. It's awesome in a picking-sides-for-kickball kind of way.
Anyway, I'm now one of the precinct captains for the Obama campaign in Washington, because this year, it may not be already decided by Feb. 9th! (All this means is that I'll knock on doors this Saturday before I head down to Portland for the Superbowl and ask my neighbors to please come and represent. To this end, my buddy Stevie T and I headed to Norm's Ale House (a dog-friendly bar? Apparently. hmmmm.) to talk with the campaign staffer and other volunteers. She worked in Iowa and Nevada so far. At her office for Desmoine, there were 23 personnel for the city. For all of Washingon State there are 7.
As I received phone numbers and things in an email yesterday, I asked Z "Why am I so drawn to activism and so embarrassed by the actual mechanics of it?" There is a part of me that cringes when I take the risk involved in knocking on my neighbors doors and calling them up. I'll cringe as I talk to them at the caucus a week from Saturday, and I cringe when I watch this: (But for different reasons.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EADrdg3Iu9U
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