www.COCaucus.org, "Help us strengthen the voice of the common person.": Important book makes strong case for the importance of the caucus in not just Iowa, but also Colorado and the other caucus states.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Important book makes strong case for the importance of the caucus in not just Iowa, but also Colorado and the other caucus states.

Why Iowa?: How Caucuses and Sequential Elections Improve the Presidential Nominating Process

Why Iowa?: How Caucuses and Sequential Elections Improve the Presidential Nominating Process by David P. Redlawsk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Extraordinarily well researched by political science professors at three universities, not a light read but vitally important in the debate about the value of the grassroots institution, what some see as the full flowering of what the founders of the country had in mind.

Makes a suggestion no on has picked up on, not mentioned in any of the reviews or interviews about the book that I have seen, it deserves to be widely discussed.

The suggestion is to have a caucus period at the beginning of the election season and then a national primary with the rest of the states.

Not an easy read because of it being crammed with important facts, but that is part of the appeal. This is solid research well presented, something that has never been produced by those who would kill the caucus. This follows on the heals of another that the authors credit, Grassroots Rules, Standford University Press which is equally enthusiastic about the caucus assembly system after taking a close look.

View all my reviews

No comments:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Ads and Twitter Feeds Here Not Endorsements!

This along with http://Facebook.com/Colorado.Caucus.News are now the Internet presence for Save the Caucus, a registered Colorado political committee. John S. Wren is registered agent. 1881 Buchtel Blvd. #501, Denver, CO 80210 (303)861-1447.

Advertisements on this site are sold by Google, and they are not a sign of endorsement by Save the Caucus or John Wren or anyone else who is involved with Save the Caucus. Neither are the posts on Twitter Feeds here for #COPolitics, #COCaucus, or #coloradocaucus. If you have any question about this, please call John Wren, (303)861-1447.

Why am I doing this?

People ask me, "John, why have you put so much energy into the Colorado Caucus. Do you plan on running for elected office?"

I'm 66 (when I first wrote this, 73 now), my time for possibly serving in elected office is over. But I want to make sure the system that gave me the chance is around for my grandkids.

My elected representative asked me to run for her seat when she decided to step aside. Betty Ann said she would support me if I wanted to do it. But the time just wasn't right for my family. Later I changed political parties, got elected to a leadership role, and ran in a primary election, just to show it could be done. I'm currently registered Unaffiliated.

I the little I can to increase the informed participation in our wonderful grassroots system for nominating to the primary ballot and electing leadership for the major political parties for two reasons: 1) I enjoy it, and 2) For the system to work, someone has to do it. My hope is that this website eventually serves as a catalyst for local community newspapers and others to give our biannual celebration of representative democracy, by far the biggest event in Colorado, a little more coverage.

If you are a common, average, ordinary person, like most of us are, your best chance of serving in elected public office is to get active in the major party of your choice and help all you can between now and the neighborhood meeting next spring.

I hope what is shared here by me and others will be of assistance to you getting started as a more active citizen, and that you, in turn, will pass what you learn along to others. You might start by sharing a link to this via social media and by sending an email to your friends who you know might have an interest in becoming a more active citizen.

John S. Wren

(720)495-4949