A few weeks ago, I skipped a “caucus 101” meeting. I thought that was the precinct leader training, but on further reflection, it might have just been an instructional basic for the general public. Either way, I had too much happening that day, and didn’t make it. I made sure to show up to the for-sure precinct leader training this morning at the library. I and another 100+ people were determined that Boulder County caucus would not resemble the disaster in Iowa earlier this month. They pulled the presidential candidate decision out of caucus since the last cycle. That is now done by mail-in ballot as a primary, and registered independents can vote in either party race (but only one). This caucus will select delegates for US senator, plus choose favorites for state senator and house races, and some local candidates, like county commissioner. If anyone in our precinct wants to be a delegate at the national convention, they have to start as a delegate for a senate candidate, and be willing to attend county assembly and convention (that’s two things). I had a goal of going to the national convention before I got sick last year, or rather, before I knew how sick I was. I had kind of given up on that goal, but now I’m breathing life into it again. Competition for those few slots is tight. The odds are against me. But I might as well start down that path and see where it leads me.
I’m glad I have two caucus meetings under my belt now. It made all the info today seem like an easy review. My first meeting, when I volunteered to step up and lead an orphan precinct, was a nightmare. The rival factions were so angry with each other. I didn’t know that the math was in the instructions, and when I faced assigning two delegates and an unevenly split room, I panicked. I am still scarred. Two years ago, rather than a full, angry room, we had four women in a section of a meeting hall around the corner from here, and we were all convivial the whole evening. I expect the caucus this year to fall somewhere in between. There is a lot of interest, but the main event will be the senate race.
I spent the whole meeting with a tissue mashed into my face. I don’t know how it is possible that I picked up a rhinovirus, having spent most of the last week or two alone. Maybe when I walked into one of the clinics for tests. I woke at three this morning, to discover it’s impossible to sneeze while wearing a CPAP mask, and once I gave up wearing it for the night, I wondered whether the machine itself had rocketed an allergen up into my sinuses. I was awake for hours, wishing I could rest before the meeting. I took a Benadryl after the caucus training, and I’m about to test whether a second one would dry my nose up enough to wear the mask at all tonight. Wish me luck. For that matter, wish me luck for a lot of things, not the least of which is that people get their passions out on Super Tuesday, and come to caucus ready to behave civilly.
No comments:
Post a Comment