Harrogate Goes A Caucusing: Inadequately Manifests His Latent Potential for Community Leadership

Well, Harrogate has to agree with supadiscomama that caucusing is a little boring, at least Texas-style caucusing. But much of this has to do with the extent to which one belongs to one's given community. But the biggest issue of the night, for Harrogate, was the supreme lack of readiness at his precinct. The numbers just washed away the readiness. Let Harrogate explain:

First of all, the precinct Harrogate attended experienced a bumper turnout of Democratic caucusers (Republican caucusers were of course much smaller in number, and were being re-directed "that way, down the hall and to your left"), upwards of 200 people were counted before the signing in was over. This in itself, like the Junior Mint, in "Very Refreshing."

Conversation about sheer numerics rippled among us. Interestingly, though, there was practically zero dicsussion about the reason we were there. It was like the thang that dare not speak its name. The people running Harrogate's precinct were woefully unorganized, though. They brought in "another table" and said, Obama people sign in at this table, Clinton people go over there. And so that's what was done. But Readers, there were no poll workers at the tables. Who will verify these sign-ins, we asked amongst ourselves? "What is my registration number," others asked, to nobody in particular.

Suddenly Harrogate found himself in the middle of things, people asking him questions. Maybe there's something about Harrogate that creates a sense that he knows what he's doing. It would be amusing for those who know Harrogate, to think so. "Who's verifying all of this, Harrogate? What's to stop people from signing in people who are not here? How do we know that they're going to check this in the end? Why are we talking to you? Where is an official of some kind?"

Harrogate answered these questions as best he could. See that guy standing way over there, moving around looking important but not really doing anything?, Harrogate asked. Well, he's going to fill in the numbers against the ledger that he's got. If you didn't vote in the precinct primary, then your sign-in won't count. And lo, there is nothing at all to stop people from signing in absentees.

And so Harrogate went to the Precinct captain and said on behalf of many, O Captain My Captain, we are distressed. We are distressed by the lack of poll workers at these tables. Many people are signing in their addresses and their phone numbers and their Presidential preferences, and simply leaving. Can they be confident their declarations will be logged?

"Do not be thus distressed," replieth the Captain, "for in Truth, I have my ledger and will make sure all is well. I will fill in the numbers at the end."

And so Harrogate decided to trust his fellow man, inept though the entire system was proving to be. At the same time, Harrogate suddenly found himself standing between two people talking about their desires to be delegates. We will nominate one another, they said happily. Harrogate was lost, at this point. He knew absolutely noone there. Perhaps if this were an eighteenth century New England township in which Harrogate had been born and raised, it would be different. But things being as they are, it makes no difference to Harrogate wich Clintonista gets to be a delegate from the Clinton vote count. How would Harrogate know who is honest and true and a lover of puppies? And so Harrogate, not being in tune with the members of his Community, and harboring no interest in being a delegate himself, went away.

He went away feeling that Maybe his sign-in counted. He went away thinking gee, solon and megs might be disappointed, since there were no debates, no speeches, no efforts to persuade in the Presidential Stage of the Caucus. Perhaps they speechified when the moved into the Local Platform element of the Caucus, when they were ferreting out Delegates. But for the hour that Harrogate caucused for the very first time, there was only goodwill among Democrats, and a desire for votes to count.

And so, O Readers, Harrogate bids thee adieu. He will return late this evening with erudite analysis of what happened in the Four States last night. Until then, happy blogging, and remain on the lookout for news of Southpaw's new romance novel. Word is, he's releasing sometime this Spring.

Ciao.