CAUCUS... OH MY G___!!!!! CHAOS, YES

NEVADA CAUCUS JANUARY 19,2008

 

It’s frantic, frenetic, chaotic, hectic, noisy, unorganized and unruly.  The voter is confused, frightened and unable to find their precinct.  The volunteers argue, deny, disobey and do their job.  Leadership is overburdened, doubtful, argumentative and decisive.  The party leaders attempted to solve problems in order to favor their candidate.  To the best of their ability, the state people attempted to get the job done according to the rules. That job was to take almost two hundred flailing people holding signs, holding their verification and identifications and make them sit in their designated area (one of two in this case in one room) while not separating themselves by candidate.  The signs all over indicating areas for candidates rather than precincts caused the party people to congregate by party rather than precinct.  The room is a cafeteria with high ceilings and nothing to absorb the sound.  My job, as Chair of the precinct, was to run my precinct caucus, from start to finish; when to open the doors and when to close the doors, begin and end the caucus and do a legal count with the proper signatures and documentation.

 

Every voter had to sign up at the correct precinct, of which there were at least eight in the same school, during a specified time frame.  Of course a few came way too early or too late.  Voters did not know their precinct number. If they did they got into the wrong lines anyway.

 

 Volunteers were there to pull people towards their candidates.  Nobody seemed to understand that there were only two people in charge.  They were I and the other Precinct Chair in the room. Two very young volunteers sort of took over by using their ability to get on top of tables and shout for order.  They were a big help.  They were, even though publicly affiliated trained on procedure.  They were able to get the crowd in tow in order to begin the process. 

 

Once we got the crowd segregated, noise was still a factor so we had to fly by the seat of our pants so to speak to get the job done.  The voters were inpatient by now, not all.  Some were so empathetic that they volunteered to do whatever was necessary to bring order and to get the job done.  Through it all, and because everyone present felt the momentum, we managed to end in an orderly caucus fashion whether or not the rules we abandoned.

 

The main cause of disruption was that the numbers of people that showed up were unexpected.  The last caucus in Nevada brought out 9000 voters, which has it’s own story.  This year there were almost 150,000 voters.  There were not enough “ballots” (not called ballots but for the sake of brevity) there were insufficient voter enrollment sheets; all documents were in short supply so we had to do some last minute makeshift paperwork to allow everyone present to be validated.  This happened while people were standing in line, not even knowing sometimes if they were in the correct line. 

 

That is the overview.  I arrived early, about 9:30 AM.  There were political signs already on thegrounds, a no-no.  I found the cafeteria easily.  That is where my precinct was to meet, in the same room as two others.  Somehow, thank goodness, one of the groups found another room.  I walked in to find precinct captains giving orders to the grounds person to move tables here and there. Everyone had a Party Shirt on.  My first order of opposition was the room arrangement.  I had to convince everyone that the room had to be in a different order because the voter had to have priority at the entrances.  DUH!!!!! 

 

My next order of business was to solicit help for my job.  Then I had to tell them to remove political signs.  They didn’t until a complaint came from headquarters.  I needed people at the sign-up tables and for duties that arose by the minute.  As each question was posed, I had to be reinforced with help and it didn’t stop until we all left the building.  I had to deal with the microcosm and macrocosm of every type of personality that one has ever encountered.  There were the obedient and willing who did whatever was asked and the opposite end of the spectrum was the questioner who insisted on doing it “her” way no matter how or why they were told to follow the rules.  I had to call headquarters for answers that I didn’t have.  Someone had to dictate to me over a cell phone an affidavit that was a page long to replace forms that we didn’t have which had to be signed by unregistered voters while questions were flying at me.  I had to stand in front of the sign-up table one time between the potential voters and the volunteers helping them to admonish a volunteer to stop doing it her way and to doit correctly.   I read the rules and attended two training groups where I learned how to close the doors and begin the caucus.  An Obama leader took me to task and called to report me.  While we were both right, nobody bothered to inform me that they lowered the bar because of the unusual turnout.  The two of us hugged at the end because we were both trying to do our job.

 

All and all it was a great experience.  I know why I don’t want to be a committee member of anything ever again, but enjoyed so much the part I played, probably because I didn’t have to answer to anyone and was left to do my job.    I know there were many lessons to be learned not only by me but the state Democratic Party. I’m sure the next time they will have most “kinks” worked out.  I only worry that the voters may have been turned off, but truly I didn’t get that impression by the majority.  There were a few people who left due to lack of patience or not realizing how long the process would be.  I would do it again.  And, I will attend any meetings if invited to offer suggestions and review the difficulties we confronted. 

 

My very diverse precinct was eligible for nine delegates.  Five went to Obama and four to Hillary. I don’t know about the other precincts in the building, even the other group in our room, but everyone knows by now that Hillary won Nevada and for that I was happy.  It never could have happened without the hard work of all the volunteers. To end this I want to thank my dear friend Phyllis who lives in northern Nevada.  She has been an active Democrat since her arrival about seven years ago.  She made me realize that I could have this experience.   

 

Today I made a commitment to Hillary Clinton.  My explanation will follow:

 

January 10, 2008

 

Dear Hillary: 

 

 I admit that I waited before committing to you and can now share my feelings.  They (my thoughts) woke me early this morning.  This may not be the first or last time anyone suggests that a woman like you can be the Mother of our nation.  We've had many Fathers....Not only do you have White House experience, you ARE the woman that no man, President or wannabe, can live without!  You are a wife.  You were the person in your household that helped your family live out a dream.  Mr. Obama wants us to vote on hope for change.  You, Hillary, know you can help people fulfill their hopes and dreams.  YOU did it, through negative press, through marital woes, through anxious times, you took your family through it all and were able to keep your public life, keep your family together and finally become a Senator of a great state in this great nation.  Don't diminish that part of being a woman.  Not one candidate knows better than you what it is to be on both sides of the White House door.  I can finally say I honor your courage and fortitude.  Aside from your intelligence, tenacity and ambition, you have endured and emerged from experiences that no man running for office can claim to compare.  Don't let your femininity hide.  Bring it on and let everyone know what a great woman you have been and obviously still are. 

 As a Temporary Chair of the Democratic Caucus in my Precinct I promise to do my part  to support you in Las Vegas.   

 

Sincerely, 

 

Betty Fox

 

I guess there's not too much more to say regarding her candidacy but what sparked my emotions is what more I want to add.  I spent a great deal of my adult life in roles of leadership and business that were mostly done by men.  In the late 60's and 70's I was inundated with information about the Women's Liberation Movement.  While on some level I was influenced by it, there was another level that made me uncomfortable.  That area had to do with being a woman at home doing homemaking chores.  I always felt that the "libbers" refused to acknowledge the importance of the role of homemaker.  Thus I refused to be organized or associated with those groups. 

 

In my personal life, while still in my twenties, I volunteered and became involved in a couple of activities that led to leadership roles.  The most prominent at that time in my life was The Leukemia Research Foundation, which got it's start in Chicago.  My mother-in-law and father-in-law, both deceased, were very active and  instrumental in organizing the first chapter.  My mother-in-law, Esther Fox, died very young (not from Leukemia).   We, the next generation, were urged to form a chapter in her name.  Marvin and I gathered a number of friends and formed a couple's group. The chapters were made up of men and women.  Mostly men at that time were Presidents of their chapters.  I urged Marvin to run for office, he wanted no part of it but I did.  I ran and went from Chapter President to the Central Council, etc.  That was the beginning of my involvement in life in a number of other endeavors that men seemed to favor and be prevalent. 

 

I was working in and for the arts in the late sixties and early seventies and again reached a leadership role and had a smidgeon of prominence in my community, Highland Park.  I tell you this merely as a background for why I was asked to speak at a function for women only.  It was sponsored by a noted Women's Lib group in Evanston.  I was reluctant to be on a panel because of my duplicitous feelings.  A friend finally convinced me to come along and here are the results.  Some of the women knew that I was truly multitasking by being a mother, artist and administrator of an art center.  They wanted to know how I did it.  I could only answer the truth and that was that it was very hard work.  Up late at night making art, up early in the AM getting family and myself off for work;  home again to make dinner and do other household tasks, etc.   There was no easy answer.  They were looking for a way out.  They all had creative endeavors and urges and didn't know how to balance their lives now that they were mothers.  This was a time when women were first being encouraged to get paid for work they do.  Volunteerism fell to an all time low by the time 1980 arrived.   The rest is history.  And guess what!  Women today are in every profession with the same cry.  How do I juggle cleaning the toilets, carpooling and being a wife while trying to break that glass ceiling?   

 

The point of all this is, during my lifetime of working and watching how men operate, I came to realize how much women do for them to push them forward in their careers, endeavors and hobbies.  I envied men for that.  I  always wished to have a wife like they did.  So as time has passed these last few months, I've come to realize what a fine woman Hillary is and has been.  She used every skill imaginable to be where she is.  She is bright, accomplished and I admire her.  So now you have the rest of the story.