Comments on: Confessions of a Devastated Iowa Caucus-Goer http://pjmedia.com/blog/iowa_biden/ Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:47:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Michele, IL http://pjmedia.com/blog/iowa_biden/#comment-18985 Michele, IL Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:00:53 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/confessions-of-a-devastated-iowa-caucus-goer/#comment-18985 Hello, All of You Joe Biden Supporters!! While we all wait for Joe's return to the Senate on January 22 - please read my new current blog posting (I am new at this, so bear with me)- it is our PRESS RELEASE letting everyone know that WE WANT JOE BACK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL!! If the link above to my blog posting doesn't work - cut and paste this into your browser!! <a href="http://biden-iowacaucuscountdown.blogspot.com/2008/01/press-release-biden-supporters-say-no.html" rel="nofollow">http://biden-iowacaucuscountdown.blogspot.com/2008/01/press-release-biden-supporters-say-no.html</a> Tell all of your friends about it!! If this works - we won't have time to remember that Joe tried to withdraw from the race!! Michele, IL "Biden Supporter" Hello, All of You Joe Biden Supporters!!
While we all wait for Joe’s return to the Senate on January 22 – please read my new current blog posting (I am new at this, so bear with me)- it is our PRESS RELEASE letting everyone know that WE WANT JOE BACK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL!!

If the link above to my blog posting doesn’t work – cut and paste this into your browser!!

http://biden-iowacaucuscountdown.blogspot.com/2008/01/press-release-biden-supporters-say-no.html

Tell all of your friends about it!! If this works – we won’t have time to remember that Joe tried to withdraw from the race!!

Michele, IL “Biden Supporter”

]]> By: Bill Bradley http://pjmedia.com/blog/iowa_biden/#comment-18984 Bill Bradley Sun, 06 Jan 2008 21:24:59 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/confessions-of-a-devastated-iowa-caucus-goer/#comment-18984 Dave, thank you for your terrific contributions to the Game Day: Iowa package. Joe Biden is someone I've been acquainted with for a long time. In a different, without two superstars in the mix -- Obama and Clinton --he would have been a major candidate. And he continues to be a smart, very savvy, funny and formdidable figure in the U.S. Senate. Which ain't exactly whatever minimizing metaphor one is looking for ... :) Dave, thank you for your terrific contributions to the Game Day: Iowa package.

Joe Biden is someone I’ve been acquainted with for a long time. In a different, without two superstars in the mix — Obama and Clinton –he would have been a major candidate.

And he continues to be a smart, very savvy, funny and formdidable figure in the U.S. Senate.

Which ain’t exactly whatever minimizing metaphor one is looking for … :)

]]> By: LORETTA BOBER http://pjmedia.com/blog/iowa_biden/#comment-18983 LORETTA BOBER Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:13:20 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/confessions-of-a-devastated-iowa-caucus-goer/#comment-18983 ditto ditto ditto - I'm crying again - he's a great honest smart man and will be doing good things in the Senate and maybe in the Cabinet - ditto ditto ditto – I’m crying again – he’s a great honest smart man and will be doing good things in the Senate and maybe in the Cabinet -

]]> By: Carla http://pjmedia.com/blog/iowa_biden/#comment-18982 Carla Sun, 06 Jan 2008 08:22:09 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/confessions-of-a-devastated-iowa-caucus-goer/#comment-18982 Senator Biden, you are definitely the best. I will vote for you as a write in if I have to. Senator Biden, you are definitely the best. I will vote for you as a write in if I have to.

]]> By: T.M. Lindsey http://pjmedia.com/blog/iowa_biden/#comment-18981 T.M. Lindsey Sun, 06 Jan 2008 00:58:54 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/confessions-of-a-devastated-iowa-caucus-goer/#comment-18981 Trust me, Dave is not alone. Because of the record-high turnout, the MSM coined "second-tier" candidates faced insurmountable viability thresholds. Biden, Dodd, and Richardson had to continually fight for attention in Iowa and the national press to get balanced coverage and equal time in the debates, but to no avail. If this wasn't bad enough, they had to fight the archaic caucus system in Iowa. In my precinct (Coralville 03), the turnout doubled, yet the delegates were based on the last election's turnout, so 120 people were fighting for 3 delegates. After people broke into preference groups, only Obama and Hillary were viable, while Edwards, Richardson, Biden, and Dodd faced realignment or extinction. Edwards had 14%, while Richardson and Biden had 11% but nobody wanted to abandon their primary candidate. Why should they? Consequently they got together and formed an uncommitted group and procured the third delegate -- essentially keeping it out of Obama and Hillary's hands. These folks came committed to their candidate, only to become committed to being uncommitted, thus forming a political paradox --while simulatenously joining together in their repudiation of the caucus system. The real tragedy is that although Biden polled 11% and polled even higher in precincts across the state, he ends up at 1% ( based on final delegates), whereas a convential count would have possibly placed him at 10%. Consequently, Biden was a casualty of the current caucus system and his presence will be missed at tonight's debate in NH. After all, who will take the lead on all the prominent issues and the frontrunners will no long be able to say: "Joe is right..." Joe Biden and Chris Dodd deserve much better than this. Trust me, Dave is not alone. Because of the record-high turnout, the MSM coined “second-tier” candidates faced insurmountable viability thresholds. Biden, Dodd, and Richardson had to continually fight for attention in Iowa and the national press to get balanced coverage and equal time in the debates, but to no avail.

If this wasn’t bad enough, they had to fight the archaic caucus system in Iowa. In my precinct (Coralville 03), the turnout doubled, yet the delegates were based on the last election’s turnout, so 120 people were fighting for 3 delegates.

After people broke into preference groups, only Obama and Hillary were viable, while Edwards, Richardson, Biden, and Dodd faced realignment or extinction. Edwards had 14%, while Richardson and Biden had 11% but nobody wanted to abandon their primary candidate. Why should they?

Consequently they got together and formed an uncommitted group and procured the third delegate — essentially keeping it out of Obama and Hillary’s hands.

These folks came committed to their candidate, only to become committed to being uncommitted, thus forming a political paradox –while simulatenously joining together in their repudiation of the caucus system.

The real tragedy is that although Biden polled 11% and polled even higher in precincts across the state, he ends up at 1% ( based on final delegates), whereas a convential count would have possibly placed him at 10%.

Consequently, Biden was a casualty of the current caucus system and his presence will be missed at tonight’s debate in NH. After all, who will take the lead on all the prominent issues and the frontrunners will no long be able to say: “Joe is right…”

Joe Biden and Chris Dodd deserve much better than this.

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