New President

[Paddy Goose]

Vote your choice for the new President of the USA

Yes the voting is open to all Casebook members from any country.

[Paddy Goose]

And yes this list includes Bernie Sanders who was left out of the loop on the my previous poll. So please vote here.

[Paddy Goose]

The poll is open for your convenience

[Mayerling]

Problem with the polls here is this website is for thinking people - so we actually consider the candidates' merits and demerits. It is not for people who are hireling claques for egomaniacal billionaires. Unfortunately those people vote and frequently determine elections!

Jeff

[Pcdunn]

Iowa Cacuses tomorrow, Jeff! Think Trump will earn any delegates among the practical farmers of the Midwest?

[Mayerling]

Iowa Cacuses tomorrow, Jeff! Think Trump will earn any delegates among the practical farmers of the Midwest?

Regretfully he might. Remember what Fred Allen said: "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the stupidity of the American people."

Jeff

[GUT]

I struggle sometimes with the American system, can someone help me.

With the Caucus (I think that's the right term) that s happening at the moment to see who will be the nominee for each party what qualifications do you need to vote.

So lets take the Republicans as an example. If I want Trump o be the candidate what do I need to be able to vote in the Iowa caucus.

I guess I have to live in Iowa. Do I need to be a card carrying Republican? Or what?

To be honest t seems very complicated, whereas here (and in the UK) each seat votes for a member to represent the seat (A bit like your representaives in the House) the party (or coalition) with the most seats in the Lower house forms Govt and elects the leader who is the Prime Minister.

We, on a national level, have senators too and they are elected on a state basis.

One reason I am interested (aside from interest) is that t looks like the Republic debate is on here again and a BIG issue is how a President would be appointed if we go down that party (Appointed by Parliament, popular election majority of voters, majority of States etc etc etc) Many believe that the republican movement lost the last referendum because they couldn't agree on a model and some who wanted a republic didn't want the sort proposed.

[Errata]

I struggle sometimes with the American system, can someone help me.

With the Caucus (I think that's the right term) that s happening at the moment to see who will be the nominee for each party what qualifications do you need to vote.

So lets take the Republicans as an example. If I want Trump o be the candidate what do I need to be able to vote in the Iowa caucus.

I guess I have to live in Iowa. Do I need to be a card carrying Republican? Or what?

To be honest t seems very complicated, whereas here (and in the UK) each seat votes for a member to represent the seat (A bit like your representaives in the House) the party (or coalition) with the most seats in the Lower house forms Govt and elects the leader who is the Prime Minister.

We, on a national level, have senators too and they are elected on a state basis.

One reason I am interested (aside from interest) is that t looks like the Republic debate is on here again and a BIG issue is how a President would be appointed if we go down that party (Appointed by Parliament, popular election majority of voters, majority of States etc etc etc) Many believe that the republican movement lost the last referendum because they couldn't agree on a model and some who wanted a republic didn't want the sort proposed.

Right so.. primaries help the parties decide who they are going to nominate for president. And roughly 1/3 to a half of the states have some kind of primary or another, though Iowa is the first one (it's famous, but it doesn't get real until North Carolina). Which is simply a preliminary vote. A Caucus is also a preliminary vote, except that instead of going in a voting booth, everyone stands under a sign of their candidates name and is counted. Very old school. The results of these primaries are used during the national conventions, during the convention they call floor votes from the state representatives of the party, and the winner of the floor vote will be that party's presidential candidate. Then the general population decides between those parties candidate on the big day.

It is probably a lot more complicated than it needs to be, but it's what we got.

[Pcdunn]

From Wikipedia, re the Iowa Cacuses:

"The Iowa Caucus[1] is an electoral event in which residents of the U.S. state of Iowa meet in precinct caucuses in all of Iowa's 1,681 precincts and elect delegates to the corresponding county conventions. There are 99 counties in Iowa, and thus there are 99 conventions. These county conventions then select delegates for both Iowa's Congressional District Convention and the State Convention, which eventually choose the delegates for the presidential nominating conventions. About 1% of the nation's delegates are chosen by the Iowa State Convention.

The Iowa Caucus is noteworthy for the amount of media attention it receives during U.S. presidential election years. Since 1972,[2] the Iowa caucuses have been the first major electoral event of the nominating process for President of the United States. Since 1972, the Iowa caucuses have had a 43% success rate at predicting which Democratic candidate for president and a 50% success rate at predicting which Republican candidate for president will go on to win the nomination of their political party at that party's national convention, though they may more reliably indicate which ones are likely to drop out owing to lack of support.[3][4][5]

In 2016, the Iowa Democratic and Republican Party precinct caucuses are scheduled to occur on Monday, February 1.[6]"

The Cacuses select delegates to the county conventions, the county conventions select them for the State convention, then that convention selects the delegates who will select them for the National nominating convention.
But not everyone can attend a cacus.
You're not the only one confused, GUT.

[GUT]

Right so.. primaries help the parties decide who they are going to nominate for president. And roughly 1/3 to a half of the states have some kind of primary or another, though Iowa is the first one (it's famous, but it doesn't get real until North Carolina). Which is simply a preliminary vote. A Caucus is also a preliminary vote, except that instead of going in a voting booth, everyone stands under a sign of their candidates name and is counted. Very old school. The results of these primaries are used during the national conventions, during the convention they call floor votes from the state representatives of the party, and the winner of the floor vote will be that party's presidential candidate. Then the general population decides between those parties candidate on the big day.

It is probably a lot more complicated than it needs to be, but it's what we got.

Thanks

But can just anyone vote, or do I have to be a member of that party or something similar.

[GUT]

From Wikipedia, re the Iowa Cacuses:

"The Iowa Caucus[1] is an electoral event in which residents of the U.S. state of Iowa meet in precinct caucuses in all of Iowa's 1,681 precincts and elect delegates to the corresponding county conventions. There are 99 counties in Iowa, and thus there are 99 conventions. These county conventions then select delegates for both Iowa's Congressional District Convention and the State Convention, which eventually choose the delegates for the presidential nominating conventions. About 1% of the nation's delegates are chosen by the Iowa State Convention.

The Iowa Caucus is noteworthy for the amount of media attention it receives during U.S. presidential election years. Since 1972,[2] the Iowa caucuses have been the first major electoral event of the nominating process for President of the United States. Since 1972, the Iowa caucuses have had a 43% success rate at predicting which Democratic candidate for president and a 50% success rate at predicting which Republican candidate for president will go on to win the nomination of their political party at that party's national convention, though they may more reliably indicate which ones are likely to drop out owing to lack of support.[3][4][5]

In 2016, the Iowa Democratic and Republican Party precinct caucuses are scheduled to occur on Monday, February 1.[6]"

The Cacuses select delegates to the county conventions, the county conventions select them for the State convention, then that convention selects the delegates who will select them for the National nominating convention.
But not everyone can attend a cacus.
You're not the only one confused, GUT.

But who votes for the delegates.

[GUT]

Wow and I thought preferential voting and "Hare Clark" were confusing.

[Errata]

But not everyone can attend a cacus.
You're not the only one confused, GUT.

I think ( not living in a caucusing state) that anyone who is a registered party voter can caucus. In other words, you have to be a literal card carrying member of either the Republican or Democratic party (or the also ran parties) to caucus, but if you are, caucus away. I hear it's like a dull mosh pit.

[Pcdunn]

Registered Republican and Democrat voters (not sure if the smaller parties are included in Cacuses, or only in primaries), and yes, it helps if you're a citizen of the nation and the state, county, district, and precinct.

[GUT]

'another dumb question, from a dumb Aussie, when you talk about being a registered Dem. who are you registered with? Just the party? And what if anything are the implications of being registered, like does it mean your vote goes to the party even if you don't show up.