This was my fourth DFL precinct caucus in an election year. As I headed up I told myself that I felt a little like a refugee. I pictured a White Russian living in England after the Bolshevik Revolution longing for Stalin’s demise so that I could return to the old country. Of course all those old White Russians were doomed to die overseas.
It was a nice caucus. There were around 35 of us at the Precinct Nine caucus up at the soon to be demolished Woodland Middle School. It was nothing like two years ago when a thousand folks arrived to support Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama but it was quite respectable.
I was quiet most of the hour long meeting but I did get two laughs. When a lady introduced a complicated resolution about Minnesota’s offering state health care I asked it she meant that she wanted us to support having Romneycare in Minnesota. The second laugh came when they announced the straw ballot results for the precinct at the end of the caucus and Harry Welty got one vote. It was a friendly chuckle, though. I’ll give you one guess who cast the vote.
I didn’t feel like such a White Russian as the meeting went on. We had several resolutions and though I could have quibbled with the wording I entirely agreed with the spirit of all of them.
That got me to thinking about my first two decade of GOP precinct caucuses. I recall many Republican offered resolutions which were about the same subjects being debated in DFL caucuses. Back then the GOP caucuses would have serious debates about the practical GOP way of dealing with issues which were much more a matter of degree than 180 degree opposition. It wasn’t no gun control vs. no guns. It was coming up with a pragmatic way of keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people. Today in GOP circles the only dangerous hands are those of the people, for the people, and by the people……you know….the “Government.”
The results of our caucus for the three announced candidates were Jeff Anderson 23 votes. Rick Nolan 14 votes. Terryl Clark 2 votes. Undecided 1 vote and Yours Truly 1 vote. Looks like I could get two out of my precinct if I play my cards right.
