2008 Woodie Awards
First time caucus attendees have conflicting experiences
Point-Counterpoint
Maggie Te Grotenhuis
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: Opinion
First time caucus experience was memorable
They say there's a first time for everything. Certainly this proved to be true on Jan. 3 when I caucused for the very first time in my hometown of Sioux Center. In the past I have been highly involved in the world of politics, and so the thought of attending the caucus has been long awaited.
My caucusing experience started off with me waiting in line to find out which township I was in. I then got a name tag with a colored sticker on it. Then, the democratic representative for our county stood up and babbled about what it means to be a democrat, how you can support the democratic party, etc. We were then split into different groups based on the color of the sticker on our nametag.
Because we only had 14 people in my particular township, we didn't have different delegates. We went around the circle and each person stated whom they supported and then anyone who felt strongly about a candidate got the opportunity to sway the rest of the voters. We then passed around a piece of paper and wrote down the candidate who would be getting our vote.
All in all, my caucusing experience went very smoothly. I feel it is important that American citizens take time out of our busy schedules to attend political events like this. While some might argue that the whole caucusing process was long and drawn out, think of how long and drawn out four years in office with a bad president will be. Taking a few hours out of your night to better the future of the country you choose to live in is hardly a small sacrifice.
I would not change a single aspect about my first time caucusing experience and it will certainly not be my last.
They say there's a first time for everything. Certainly this proved to be true on Jan. 3 when I caucused for the very first time in my hometown of Sioux Center. In the past I have been highly involved in the world of politics, and so the thought of attending the caucus has been long awaited.
My caucusing experience started off with me waiting in line to find out which township I was in. I then got a name tag with a colored sticker on it. Then, the democratic representative for our county stood up and babbled about what it means to be a democrat, how you can support the democratic party, etc. We were then split into different groups based on the color of the sticker on our nametag.
Because we only had 14 people in my particular township, we didn't have different delegates. We went around the circle and each person stated whom they supported and then anyone who felt strongly about a candidate got the opportunity to sway the rest of the voters. We then passed around a piece of paper and wrote down the candidate who would be getting our vote.
All in all, my caucusing experience went very smoothly. I feel it is important that American citizens take time out of our busy schedules to attend political events like this. While some might argue that the whole caucusing process was long and drawn out, think of how long and drawn out four years in office with a bad president will be. Taking a few hours out of your night to better the future of the country you choose to live in is hardly a small sacrifice.
I would not change a single aspect about my first time caucusing experience and it will certainly not be my last.
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