Dr. Metablog

Dr. Metablog is the nom de blague of Vivian de St. Vrain, the pen name of a resident of the mountain west who writes about language, books, politics, or whatever else comes to mind. Under the name Otto Onions (Oh NIGH uns), Vivian de St. Vrain is the author of “The Big Book of False Etymologies” (Oxford, 1978) and, writing as Amber Feldhammer, is editor of the classic anthology of confessional poetry, “My Underwear” (Virago, 1997).

What Happened in Our Precinct

The big news is that our caucus drew unprecedented hordes of voters.  Our site is the local elementary school.  We’re a "super-site" — seven precincts in one building.  In the past, we’d have ten or a dozen or at an absolute maximum thirty attendees per precinct.  Tonight, at 7pm, when we were supposed to come to order, there were still long lines of folks of all ages waiting patiently to register. Eventually, the super-site drew 707 people! When our precinct was finally able to get organized, there were an astonishing 129 people in the room — breaking all records by a multiple of four or five.  We voted 92 for Obama, 37 for Clinton and we divided our delegates 4-2.   It was exhilarating to see so many unfamiliar young faces.  It was also, as dem events are likely to be, chaotic, amusing, and enthusiastic. 

I asked new attendees what brought had them out.  I received two answers.  Most frequently, George Bush, who, I was told, has driven the country into a ditch, broken the treasury, ruined the civil service, shredded the constitution, exhausted the military, ruined the environment, packed the judiciary, fought a senseless unnecessary, and endless war, and put loyalty to his wing of the party ahead of loyalty to the country.  The second reason:  Barack Obama.  No question but that Obama has given people in our precinct new hope.

My conclusion:  Colorado is looking good for the Democrats in November.

2 responses to “What Happened in Our Precinct”

  1. Otis Jefferson Brown Avatar
    Otis Jefferson Brown

    What a night, what a race, what a political year! My earliest political memory is seeing FDR in his only campaign appearance of the 1944 campaign, a rain-soaked motorcade through NYC (my father held me aloft so I could see FDR go by) – and I’ve been a political junkie ever since the 1948 Truman-Dewey race – but I’ve never seen anything as exciting and unpredictable as this.
    A few observations and questions (from an admittedly pro-Obama point of view):
    1. Early exit polls are useless.
    2. Zogby blew it big-time in his CA polling – though it remains to be seen how much of HRC’s edge was due to early mail-in votes.
    3. The HRC camp has to be happy about preventing any major surprises in MA, NJ and CA.
    4. Obama showed he can win white votes.
    5. HRC’s successes were mainly in solid blue states, where any Dem should/will win in November. BO showed strength in red/purple states – especially Missouri – where the Dems must break through in order to become a truly national party again. Will this carry weight with the superdelegates?
    6. Will the superdelegates decide this whole thing? I keep reading and hearing of deep hostility toward the Clintons among D.C. establishment Democrats, from Kerry, Kennedy and Gore on down. Will the superdelegates swing to Obama? Will Gore endorse?
    7. I still think that Obama is the Democrats’ best bet to enlarge the party by bringing in new voters, independents and ex-Republicans – and that the best, most electable ticket in November would be Obama-Webb.

  2. Otis Jefferson Brown Avatar
    Otis Jefferson Brown

    Howard Dean says if there’s still a delegate deadlock this spring, he’ll avoid a brokered convention by bringing Clinton and Obama together to come to an “arrangement.” Is he serious? What is an “arrangement” but a brokered backroom deal? The next time I want to flee reality, I’d like to score a kilo of whatever it is Dr. Dean is smoking.
    Dr. M. and readers of this blague, please tell me: How is this Clinton-Obama race going to end?

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