# Just what is a caucus? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics and Social Issues\ **Created:** [February 4, 2020, 6:28am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/just-what-is-a-caucus/7055 "2020-02-04T06:28:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ibelieveinlogic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/ibelieveinlogic/32/18_2.png) [@ibelieveinlogic](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/ibelieveinlogic)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 6:28am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/just-what-is-a-caucus/7055/1 "2020-02-04T06:28:47Z")
Apparently the Dem answer is that a caucus is an opportunity to test the ability of the national committee to manipulate the results of a vote. They do it every election in south Florida. No reason not to expect them to do it in Iowa. One might think that since they got caught when they cheated in favor of Hilary in the debates and at the convention they would be more careful. No, they just don’t learn. Sad. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/widdershins/32/18_2.png) [@widdershins](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 10:08am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/just-what-is-a-caucus/7055/2 "2020-02-04T10:08:23Z")
Because Florida is such a blue state the Democrats have no problem manipulating the system there. It’s like that one time when the Democratic candidate had a brother who was governor of Florida, so he got elected president because his brother stepped in…wait… ---
**Author:** ![mriana](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/mriana/32/18174_2.png) [@mriana](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/mriana)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 11:04am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/just-what-is-a-caucus/7055/3 "2020-02-04T11:04:58Z")
The Repugs have a caucus in Iowa too. Certain states have primary elections and others have caucuses. ---
**Author:** ![lausten](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/lausten/32/23705_2.png) [@lausten](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/lausten)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 11:11am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/just-what-is-a-caucus/7055/4 "2020-02-04T11:11:44Z")
> Apparently the Dem answer is that a caucus is an opportunity to test the ability of the national committee to manipulate the results of a vote. The problems you are reading about are with an app where they ENTER results, it is not about the results themselves. Those are in no way affected. The problem is people want results immediately and they don't understand the difference between those instant results and the carefully tabulated actual results that come out later. ---
**Author:** ![timb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@timb](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/timb)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 2:41pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/just-what-is-a-caucus/7055/5 "2020-02-04T14:41:33Z")
Results are supposed to be available by 5PM. But I will not hold my breath. ---
**Author:** ![ibelieveinlogic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/ibelieveinlogic/32/18_2.png) [@ibelieveinlogic](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/ibelieveinlogic)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 2:53pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/just-what-is-a-caucus/7055/6 "2020-02-04T14:53:55Z")
I notice Joe told them he wanted to see the results before they were released to the public. What’s he afraid of? Maybe he’s the favored child this time around. ---
**Author:** ![timb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@timb](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/timb)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 3:19pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/just-what-is-a-caucus/7055/7 "2020-02-04T15:19:26Z")
I think that 20th Century Joe, may not have done as well in the caucuses, compared to the other main contestants. As far as whether Joe is the “choice” of the old guard Party Dems, he might well be. But I don’t think that the delay in counting the results of the caucuses is part of any grand plan by anybody to do anything. I think that it is probably just a screw-up.     ---
**Author:** ![thatoneguy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/thatoneguy/32/28536_2.png) [@thatoneguy](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/thatoneguy)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 10:12pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/just-what-is-a-caucus/7055/8 "2020-02-04T22:12:47Z")
A little off topic – I remember about 15 years ago watching some comedy show where they were making fun of some black pundit like Al Sharpton talking about “the caucus” and thinking blacks were just complaining about white people again. It’s a funny word. My generation didn’t really learn about government in school so pop culture had to teach us. ---
**Author:** ![ibelieveinlogic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/ibelieveinlogic/32/18_2.png) [@ibelieveinlogic](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/ibelieveinlogic)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 9:41am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/just-what-is-a-caucus/7055/9 "2020-02-05T09:41:38Z")
TimB: “I don’t think that the delay in counting the results of the caucuses is part of any grand plan by anybody to do anything.” Before the last Democrat primary we had a bunch of Republicans register as Democrats. We voted for Bernie. The idea was that he would be the least likely to defeat Trump. We hoped we could get him nominated. Maybe the same thing happened in Iowa with the boy mayor. I mean really, you can’t trust those Repugs, can you? Yes, it was a “dirty trick”, but that’s part of politics. And more will do it this year; no need for us to vote in the Repug primary. ---
**Author:** ![timb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@timb](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/timb)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 12:43pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/just-what-is-a-caucus/7055/10 "2020-02-05T12:43:44Z")
I learned 1st hand about caucuses when I went to one to support Gary Hart, back in the day. I actually became an alternate county delegate for him. But he was, subsequently, run out of the election by a dirty trick, a set up that made him look like a philanderer. So my effort was moot. ---
**Author:** ![timb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@timb](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/timb)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 12:52pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/just-what-is-a-caucus/7055/11 "2020-02-05T12:52:00Z")
Bob, I doubt that the Trumpublicans got together to vote for Pete. Why would they? They probably weren’t thinking of him as a front-runner. If they were going to do what you suggested, why not vote for Bernie, as you guys did? And by the by, who’s to say that some Dems didn’t vote for T rump in the '16 election, thinking he would be a cinch to beat? Dirty tricks are definitely a part of our election processes. Especially dirty tricks on the right. It is a mainstay of how they get and maintain power. So by all means, get your fellow Trumpublicans together and help Mayor Pete. He IS trying to appeal to Americans broadly. It seems right that he should get some Trumpublican votes. ---
**Author:** ![timb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@timb](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/timb)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/just-what-is-a-caucus/7055/12 "2020-02-05T15:32:04Z")
[https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/elections-2020/republicans-urging-gop-voters-to-vote-for-sanders-in-south-carolina-primary-report/ar-BBZEkTj?ocid=spartanntp](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/elections-2020/republicans-urging-gop-voters-to-vote-for-sanders-in-south-carolina-primary-report/ar-BBZEkTj?ocid=spartanntp) Oh well, here we are. This report is current and is about what you were talking about, Bob. But as I suggested, your tricksters are “supporting” Bernie, not Pete.