Comments on: Politics Texas Style http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=850 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:40:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: David Siegel http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=850#comment-70160 David Siegel Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:16:59 +0000 http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=850#comment-70160 Things got a little contentious in 421 (Travis Heights). Of course, it was chaotic for a while, with 460 people lining up behind card tables in the parking lot to sign in. But there was clear mistrust and division from the beginning, when the vote for caucus chair immediately became a party-line contest between the two camps. Then a paid Clinton staffer from Florida (as he identified himself to me later) jumped up to demand a head count of folks actually in attendance -- which is, of course, totally irrelevant, since delegates are apportioned according to the sign-ins. Then he started with allegations that people were allowed to sign in without proper identification, which may have been true given the chaos, but which was not an issue to be determined at the precinct convention. Finally he shut up and things progressed relatively smoothly, although there was a great deal of anger expressed within the Obama crowd about the obviously headquarters-directed challenges. P.S. The precinct went 69% for Obama. Things got a little contentious in 421 (Travis Heights). Of course, it was chaotic for a while, with 460 people lining up behind card tables in the parking lot to sign in. But there was clear mistrust and division from the beginning, when the vote for caucus chair immediately became a party-line contest between the two camps. Then a paid Clinton staffer from Florida (as he identified himself to me later) jumped up to demand a head count of folks actually in attendance — which is, of course, totally irrelevant, since delegates are apportioned according to the sign-ins. Then he started with allegations that people were allowed to sign in without proper identification, which may have been true given the chaos, but which was not an issue to be determined at the precinct convention. Finally he shut up and things progressed relatively smoothly, although there was a great deal of anger expressed within the Obama crowd about the obviously headquarters-directed challenges.

P.S. The precinct went 69% for Obama.

]]> By: Belle Zars http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=850#comment-70068 Belle Zars Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:51:26 +0000 http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=850#comment-70068 Precinct 126 on the East Side, roughly between I-35 and Springdale and Manor and E.12th had 591 people show up to caucus. Incredible. The line went all the way around David Chapel and across the parking lot. Final delegate count: 46 for Obama, 8 for Hillary. There were bits of chaos but no serious errors all day. We voted in the David Chapel portable which was too small, had too few poll workers and not enough machines. People waited for up to 2 hours to vote. The caucus just ended a few minutes ago, at around 11:30pm. It was a thrilling day and when all the numbers come in, we are sure to have broken the record for voter turnout, and caucus turnout. Though one old hand said she remembered more people caucusing for Jesse Jackson in 1988. Now we are just trying to figure out how to call in the results. The recording system said it was overloaded --no wonder. Precinct 126 on the East Side, roughly between I-35 and Springdale and Manor and E.12th had 591 people show up to caucus. Incredible. The line went all the way around David Chapel and across the parking lot. Final delegate count: 46 for Obama, 8 for Hillary.

There were bits of chaos but no serious errors all day. We voted in the David Chapel portable which was too small, had too few poll workers and not enough machines. People waited for up to 2 hours to vote.

The caucus just ended a few minutes ago, at around 11:30pm. It was a thrilling day and when all the numbers come in, we are sure to have broken the record for voter turnout, and caucus turnout. Though one old hand said she remembered more people caucusing for Jesse Jackson in 1988.

Now we are just trying to figure out how to call in the results. The recording system said it was overloaded –no wonder.

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