Tight race gives Nebraska caucuses a shot in the arm
Posted: Monday, February 04, 2008
OMAHA (AP) -- Sunday Uribe was one of the last undecided Democrats at a caucus practice session Saturday morning in Omaha, which made her very popular.
But Uribe wasn't swayed by the two women trying to convince her to vote for their candidate when Nebraska holds its first-ever caucuses on Saturday.
"Both sides have a lot of the same ideas," Uribe said of the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama. "But who's the one that can implement them and get things done?"
And after years of being virtually ignored by the rest of the nation when it comes to presidential politics, Uribe and her fellow Nebraska Democrats are being treated as if they can help make a difference.
That's because for the first time in decades, they can.
Nebraska's Democratic caucuses got a shot in the arm when it became clear neither Clinton nor Obama could win enough delegates to secure the nomination on this week's so-called Super Tuesday, when more than 20 states hold their nominating contests.
The tight race makes Nebraska's votes tempting for Obama and Clinton and increases the chances they might campaign here.
"This is historical," said Kimberly Smith of Omaha, another undecided Democrat. "It's amazing. I've never been able to make a difference before, and now I can."
Obama sent workers to Nebraska last week and is running TV and radio ads that include information on where to vote. Clinton is so far relying on volunteers in the state, but that could change quickly if the race is still close after Tuesday's contests.
The attention is unusual in Nebraska, a sparsely populated, mostly Republican state that hasn't supported a Democratic presidential candidate since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.
But Democrats will get all the attention on Saturday, because Nebraska Republicans are sticking with the traditional May primary to make their presidential choice.
The tight race has brought national attention and sure scrutiny of how the state party handles its first attempt at caucuses.
"There's a little more pressure on all of us to do this right," said Eric Fought, spokesman for the state Democratic Party.
In Omaha, thousands of Democrats will gather -- Douglas County alone has nearly 125,000 registered Democrats.
But further west, you can drive for miles without passing a Democrat's house.
So the question becomes: How do you get the word out and convince people to show up and participate for an hour or more on Saturday?
In Cherry County -- which spans the largest land area in Nebraska but has just 1,000 registered Democrats -- party leaders struggled to find a place to gather, finally settling on a Catholic church in Valentine.
"I guess we'll find out how organized we are on Feb. 9," said Bud Pettigrew, the county's party chairman.
Pettigrew, a former football coach, is approaching organizing a caucus like preparing for a big game. He taped a caucus how-to segment off CNN during the Iowa caucuses, and has been watching the tape over and over as he prepares to host on Saturday.
Deb Quirk, chairwoman of the Adams County Democrats, said reaction to the decision to hold caucuses has been mixed.
She got a call from one woman upset that her vote could not be private. Others call to say it's the best thing that's happened to the party in years.
Quirk said she had about 20 requests for absentee ballots and was surprised when 40 people came to mock caucuses. She's also taken calls from Hillary Clinton's campaign, looking to organize in the county, which has about 6,400 registered Democrats.
"There is no way to know how many people will walk through that door," Quirk said. "It's kind of a roll of the dice."
Hall County election officials say they've had dozens of people asking how to change parties -- the county has about 18,000 Republicans and 11,000 Democrats.
"We don't quiz people why they're changing, but one man said he was changing so he could participate in the caucus," Election Commissioner Dale Baker told the Grand Island Independent. Baker's assistant, Denice Kruse, said people are calling to ask how to participate and who to call.
Pettigrew likens the first-time caucus to a junior high dance. Everyone shows up and nervously stands around, eyeing each other. Eventually, people pair off with those they have the most in common with.
Preston Love Jr., who helped organize the mock caucuses in north Omaha, said people can't afford to skip the gatherings on Saturday, when he says history will be made.
"We're going to elect the first woman or the first black man" as president, Love said. "Your friends will ask...`Where were you?' and you say, 'I was at McDonald's.' "
But Uribe wasn't swayed by the two women trying to convince her to vote for their candidate when Nebraska holds its first-ever caucuses on Saturday.
"Both sides have a lot of the same ideas," Uribe said of the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama. "But who's the one that can implement them and get things done?"
And after years of being virtually ignored by the rest of the nation when it comes to presidential politics, Uribe and her fellow Nebraska Democrats are being treated as if they can help make a difference.
That's because for the first time in decades, they can.
Nebraska's Democratic caucuses got a shot in the arm when it became clear neither Clinton nor Obama could win enough delegates to secure the nomination on this week's so-called Super Tuesday, when more than 20 states hold their nominating contests.
The tight race makes Nebraska's votes tempting for Obama and Clinton and increases the chances they might campaign here.
"This is historical," said Kimberly Smith of Omaha, another undecided Democrat. "It's amazing. I've never been able to make a difference before, and now I can."
Obama sent workers to Nebraska last week and is running TV and radio ads that include information on where to vote. Clinton is so far relying on volunteers in the state, but that could change quickly if the race is still close after Tuesday's contests.
The attention is unusual in Nebraska, a sparsely populated, mostly Republican state that hasn't supported a Democratic presidential candidate since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.
But Democrats will get all the attention on Saturday, because Nebraska Republicans are sticking with the traditional May primary to make their presidential choice.
The tight race has brought national attention and sure scrutiny of how the state party handles its first attempt at caucuses.
"There's a little more pressure on all of us to do this right," said Eric Fought, spokesman for the state Democratic Party.
In Omaha, thousands of Democrats will gather -- Douglas County alone has nearly 125,000 registered Democrats.
But further west, you can drive for miles without passing a Democrat's house.
So the question becomes: How do you get the word out and convince people to show up and participate for an hour or more on Saturday?
In Cherry County -- which spans the largest land area in Nebraska but has just 1,000 registered Democrats -- party leaders struggled to find a place to gather, finally settling on a Catholic church in Valentine.
"I guess we'll find out how organized we are on Feb. 9," said Bud Pettigrew, the county's party chairman.
Pettigrew, a former football coach, is approaching organizing a caucus like preparing for a big game. He taped a caucus how-to segment off CNN during the Iowa caucuses, and has been watching the tape over and over as he prepares to host on Saturday.
Deb Quirk, chairwoman of the Adams County Democrats, said reaction to the decision to hold caucuses has been mixed.
She got a call from one woman upset that her vote could not be private. Others call to say it's the best thing that's happened to the party in years.
Quirk said she had about 20 requests for absentee ballots and was surprised when 40 people came to mock caucuses. She's also taken calls from Hillary Clinton's campaign, looking to organize in the county, which has about 6,400 registered Democrats.
"There is no way to know how many people will walk through that door," Quirk said. "It's kind of a roll of the dice."
Hall County election officials say they've had dozens of people asking how to change parties -- the county has about 18,000 Republicans and 11,000 Democrats.
"We don't quiz people why they're changing, but one man said he was changing so he could participate in the caucus," Election Commissioner Dale Baker told the Grand Island Independent. Baker's assistant, Denice Kruse, said people are calling to ask how to participate and who to call.
Pettigrew likens the first-time caucus to a junior high dance. Everyone shows up and nervously stands around, eyeing each other. Eventually, people pair off with those they have the most in common with.
Preston Love Jr., who helped organize the mock caucuses in north Omaha, said people can't afford to skip the gatherings on Saturday, when he says history will be made.
"We're going to elect the first woman or the first black man" as president, Love said. "Your friends will ask...`Where were you?' and you say, 'I was at McDonald's.' "
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
