Editor's note: John Edwards dropped out of the race after this week's paper went to press. His name will still appear on the Feb 5 ballot.
It�s difficult to fathom nine months remain until the 2008 general election. Between the ongoing debates, the high-profile early caucuses in states such as New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina and, of course, the local***image1*** coverage of the travails of Gov. Bill Richardson�s campaign, it seems as though the race should be wrapping up already.
Not even close.
But Feb. 5 will be New Mexico�s first opportunity to weigh in, as the state participates in the nation�s so-called Super Tuesday, in which more than 20 states will cast ballots in a variety of primary and caucus elections.
Here, registered Dems will have their only opportunity to vote for a presidential nominee, which will then determine the apportionment of New Mexico delegates at the Democratic National Convention in August. This is only New Mexico�s second caucus, and we got the low-down on how it will work from New Mexico Democratic Party Executive Director Laura Sanchez
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If you�re still on the fence about who to vote for, be sure to check our We Got Dem chart [
], where we give an easy-to-digest breakdown of candidates� positions on issues ranging from health care to the war in Iraq (not to mention fun facts, such as which celebrity endorsements they�ve received thus far).
It�s a chart that needed a last-minute revision after US Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, dropped out of the race. As of press time, only Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama remained as candidates for New Mexico�s caucus (hopefully that won�t change before Feb. 5).
We think it�s unlikely anything will change dramatically enough to change our minds; you�ll find SFR�s pick
for the caucus below. But whether you take our advice or not, be sure to vote�it�s good practice for all the elections that are yet to come in 2008. ***image4***
NM dems prepare to pick a nominee.
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In 2004, New Mexico Democrats held their first presidential caucus, choosing John Kerry as the state�s nominee. Next week, on Feb. 5, voters will weigh in as the state participates in Super Tuesday, in which more than 20 states will vote for presidential nominees.
State-to-state, caucuses vary widely; in New Mexico, for example, only Democrats will vote on Feb. 5, and the only race in play is the presidential one. All the other primaries for state and federal races for both of the state�s major parties will happen on June 3. Further, unlike other states, only registered Democrats can participate in New Mexico�s Democratic caucus. And, unlike regular primary and general elections, the caucus is run by the Democratic Party of New Mexico, not by county and state elections officials. New Mexico has a total of 38 delegates who will cast ballots at the Aug. 25-28 National Democratic Convention. Of those, 17 are pledged delegates whose votes will be apportioned according to congressional districts after the Feb. 5 race.
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Laura Sanchez has been the executive director of New Mexico�s Democratic Party since August, after working for the Natural Defense Council. SFR caught up with Sanchez during an extremely busy month for Dems to ask her a few questions about the planning and procedures for New Mexico�s caucus.
SFR: What kind of organization and planning is going into preparing for New Mexico�s caucus?
LS:
The main thing we�re doing right now is traveling around the state. The staff is conducting our caucus training for all 33 counties, some of them twice.
Where does the party look to decide how to run its caucus? Are you reflecting on the one here in �04? Are you looking at what other states do?
It�s a combination. We took what was done in 2004, it was a pretty thorough assessment where we were able to look at what worked and what didn�t work and adjust accordingly and we�ve looked to what other states have done. Our caucus, even though it�s a caucus, it�s not an Iowa caucus, it�s still a primary for us. We�ve definitely talked to various county clerks and tried to stick close to the course of a normal election, so it�s not so unfamiliar that voters don�t participate.
Explain the difference between a caucus and a primary.
In a traditional caucus, especially in Iowa and Nevada, people basically show up and one huge distinction is a caucus tends to be public, you don�t have secret voting, you�re publicly declaring who you�re supporting, you actually split into different caucuses. In a primary, it�s a secret ballot process, even though it�s a caucus because it�s party-run, it�s still more like a primary because we�re using a secret ballot. There�s no meeting where you split up. And in Iowa, there�s a threshold requirement, at least 15 percent to keep the people who support you and your second choice makes a big difference, that�s one reason it�s so difficult to predict.
What are some of the lessons learned here from 2004?
I think in 2004, leading into that caucus, the expectation was to have about 50,000 [voters]. We actually ended up having 86,000 casting ballots�it was an overwhelming success, but now we�ve learned from that and can prevent some of the problems.
Such as?
It was the first time out. It was very new to people. There hadn�t been as much emphasis on training to understand the procedures. One of the main problems they�d had, hoping for 50,000, was running out of ballots. We heard anecdotally [workers were] running to the copy stores to make copies, having to photocopy ballots. We�re hoping again for a great turnout and trying to project high on the number of ballots and they will be impossible to photocopy and be sequential.
What is the projected turnout this year?
We�re projecting about the same as last time, but factor in a certain percentage in addition to that. Predicting turnout is more an art than a science because you have to take turnout from past elections, depending on political conditions, assess a lower end and a higher end. It�s really a range you look at and it�s tough to do in this kind of election year, especially now that Gov. Bill Richardson is no longer in the race.
But his name will still appear on the ballot, as well as [US Sen.] Christopher Dodd [Connecticut] and [US Sen.] Joseph Biden [Delaware], [and US Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Ohio] correct?
Correct.
Do voters need to bring anything with them to the polls?
They don�t need to bring anything, but it�s helpful to bring a voter registration card. It�s a paper ballot, so when they walk into their precinct, they�ll be asked for their name and address, be asked to sign to confirm that they voted, a ballot box monitor will hand them a ballot, and they�ll be directed to a voting booth.
How will the votes be tallied?
At the polling sites. There are 184 polling sites; they�ll do a hand tally of all the votes. At that point, after the polls close, [we�ll check] preliminary votes by phone, then local site managers will arrange with us to drive those ballots back to Albuquerque. In Albuquerque the next day, the optical scanning software will allow us to verify the hand tally.
Is it advantageous for New Mexico Democrats to have an early caucus rather than vote in June?
I think it�s a huge advantage to have it early. In the past, when New Mexico voted in June, it was a foregone conclusion who the nominee would be. At that point people are preparing for the National Convention and the nominee is already presumed. Even though we�re one of [22] states [plus American Samoa], we�re still going to have a number of delegates, and it makes New Mexico more relevant to the process.
SFR picks Barack Obama for the Democratic nominee.
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For many people, Barack Obama first became recognizable after his extraordinary speech at the 2004 Democratic convention. In a year in which the political vernacular had become stuck on �red state/blue state,� as if the national consciousness was little more than a warped Dr. Seuss tale, Obama took the rhetoric and set it on its ear, calling stirringly for a politics of hope rather than one of cynicism.
Nonetheless, 2004 was a wash for Democrats. John Kerry, an uninspiring candidate, lost and the Bush administration continued on an eight-year path that has mired the country in a war it can�t win, battered the economy and birthed a growing list of social, environmental and political problems grim enough to make anyone, regardless of party, want to stop and ask, to paraphrase David Byrne, �How did we get here?�
There are no simple answers; the trajectory of American politics is such that even the staunchest critics of the current presidential administration would have to admit that many of our contemporary problems are rooted in decisions made, or not made, in the years prior to Bush taking office.
One thing that is clear, however, is that 2008 is providing all Americans with an opportunity to set a new course for their country.
All three Democrats who remain, as of press time, in the presidential primary, offer stark contrasts in their positions and beliefs to the Bush administration and the Republican Party as a whole.
Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama each have health care plans, economic plans, environmental plans and military plans that, if adhered to, would set the US on a course that would make the present�and more importantly the future�a brighter one. They all commit to providing health care to all Americans, to ending the war in Iraq, to curbing carbon emissions in the fight against global warming. In our view, the differences in these plans are not hugely significant, except for their contrast from current US policies.
But the general election is not yet upon us. What Democrats have to do
now
is pick the candidate who is most likely to win against the Republican nominee come November.
And one candidate offers voters something quite different than the others.
The oratory skills of Barack Obama have stirred legions of voters, who cross ***image8***age, gender, racial lines and political affiliation to support his candidacy. We disagree that such charisma and momentum are hollow attributes in comparison to decades of political experience in Washington, DC. Nor do we agree that Obama is light on the details of his plans; go read them on his Web site if you�ve got six months to spare: They are extensive.
While the US will need serious policy makers in its next administration, the recovery of this country also will need a passionate and energetic leader to galvanize citizens. The last thing needed is more of the atavistic discourse that characterizes the current political construct.
Bill and Hillary Clinton are part of that construct and, while it may not be fair to equate Hillary Clinton�s candidacy with the presidency of her husband, the fact is, she is the one who chose a �two-for-one� strategy in her campaign.
As for John Edwards, there is no question that his has been a voice expressing important messages about inequality in America, and should be commended for doing so. But in a race that pits experience against new energy, Edwards lacks enough of either to contend with the heavyweights in this competition.
Obama, on the other hand, has both. His upbringing and his work experience�as a community organizer in Chicago and as a civil rights lawyer�formed his understanding of the diversity and inequities faced by so many people in this country. His work as a state legislator and a US senator has given him leadership and legislative experience.
His opposition to the war has been steady for more than five years, and his willingness to calmly discuss bi-partisanship should not be used against him, as it has by the Clinton campaign.
If Democrats are serious about winning back the White House, they need to chart a new path. And if insanity (as Albert Einstein is oft quoted as saying) is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a new result, then Obama isn�t just the best choice; he�s the sanest. Dems must pick a new leader unconnected to the administrations of the past; they must elect the first president in 20 years whose last name isn�t Clinton or Bush.
New Mexico has a small number of delegates, but a big chance to send a message.
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That message is this: The choice of Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential nominee would signify a turning point in the leadership of this country, one that is long overdue, one that should not, cannot, be put off any longer.
