A6» METRO» FEBRUARY 7, 2008 » THE METROPOLITAN

Early caucus inspires turnout Who won which

states »
Alabama Massachu-
Obama (D) setts
By andrew flohr-spence Huckabee (R) Clinton (D)
spencand@mscd.edu
Romney (R)
Alaska
Something was different about
Obama (D) Minnesota
Colorado’s Republican caucus this
Obama (D)
year: People actually showed up and
Arizona Romney (R)
took part.
Clinton (D)
When Kelly Maher, one of the
McCain (R) Missouri
co-organizers who emceed the Den-
Obama (D)
ver District 5 Republican caucus,
Arkansas McCain (R)
asked who was there for the first
Clinton (D)
time, most of the hands in the room
Huckabee (R) Montana
went up. “Oh, wow,” Maher said.
Romney (R)
“This is great.”
California
“This turnout is unprecedented.
Clinton (D) New Jersey
I am very excited,” said Denver Re-
McCain (R) Clinton (D)
publican County Chairperson Mary
McCain (R)
Smith who was on hand at the event
Colorado
held in the Tivoli Turnhalle.
Obama (D) New York
Smith said she has been in-
Romney (R) Clinton (D)
volved with the Republican caucus
McCain (R)
for many years and had never seen
Connecticut
such numbers.
Photo by johanna snow/snowj@mscd.edu Obama (D) North Dakota
She pointed to Colorado moving
Kelly Maher explains the voting process on Tuesday night in the Tivoli Turnhalle for the Republican Caucus. This year’s McCain (R) Obama (D)
its caucus up to Super Tuesday as
Super Tuesday is expected to have a record number of voters and is vital in determining who will go on to run in the Romney (R)
one of the reasons for the high turn-
presidential race. Delaware
out. “Imagine: People want to have a
Obama (D) Oklahoma
say in the process, before they are al- get to the convention, however, the several Denver precincts not repre- Falkenberg said the big change
McCain (R) Clinton (D)
ready spoken for,” she said. Colorado delegates do not have to vote the sented, because nobody from the for him was the size of the gathering.
McCain (R)
had previously held its caucus on the way the state did now. precincts shows up. This year she “It used to be a small number
Georgia
third Tuesday in March — long after Smith said another factor add- thought all of the precincts would be of people that met in the individual
Obama (D) Tennessee
Super Tuesday when typically the ing to the turnout was the strong represented, she said. precincts, often in living rooms and
Huckabee (R) Clinton (D)
presidential candidates have already feelings about the candidates this “It really seems like 100 times churches,” he said. “It was much
Huckabee (R)
been decided. year. “I think there is a real sense the usual number,” Klein said. “It’s more personal.”
Idaho
The idea behind the system is that people need to dig in and take a whole different atmosphere than Metro criminal justice major
Obama (D) Utah
that Colorado Republicans have a part in the process.” usual.” Randy Atkinson, who was attending
Obama (D)
chance to voice their pick for who Cheryl Klein, one of the district Bill Falkenberg agreed, and he his first caucus towed along by his
Illinois Romney (R)
should be their party’s candidate. co-captains who organized the Tivoli should know. mother, said he wanted to see how
Obama (D)
The decision of the caucus is a non- event, said at the 2002 caucus that Falkenberg said he had taken part the whole process worked.
McCain (R) West Virginia
binding straw poll that informs the she attended, only 20 to 30 people in at least eight Colorado Republican “I figure I should go once in my
Huckabee (R)
state’s Republican Party delegates showed up. caucuses since moving to Denver in life find out what it’s all about,” he
Kansas
when they go to the Republican Na- This year she estimated the turn- 1939. “I come out to make sure the said. As for if he would return next
Obama (D)
tional Convention (Held this year in out to be well over 200. candidate I want to vote for is on the time? “Yeah sure — I don’t know.”
Minnesota, Sept. 1-4). When they Klein said that usually there are ballot in November.”
States left
Happy Democrats embrace slow process to decide »
DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI March 4 (D)
COLUMBIA March 11 (D) March 4 (R)
By joe vaccarelli
jvaccare@mscd.edu
people show up for our precinct, and Precinct 517 was sound like change to me.” Feb. 12 (D) March 11 (R) south dakota
tonight we had more than 100,”
Hanna Weston said.
one precinct that After the debate, the two un-
decided voters split, one going for
Feb. 12 (R)
HAWaii
montana
June 3 (D)
June 3 (D)
June 3 (R)
Almost 800 people came out to The caucus began at 7 p.m. as participated that Obama, the other for Clinton. Feb. 19 (D) NEBRASKA texas
have their voice heard Tuesday night each precinct elected a chairman, evening. After the The final count in precinct 517 idaho Feb. 9 (D) March 4 (D)
at the Democratic Caucus at Green-
lee Middle School in Denver.
then a straw poll was taken to de-
termine how many voters supported
straw poll, 517 had was 29 for Obama and 13 for Clin-
ton. The precinct held eight del-
May 27 (R)
indiana
May 13 (R)
NEW MEXICO
March 4 (R)
vermont
The school housed 10 precincts each candidate and if anyone was 28 members for egates, six going to Obama, which May 6 (D) June 3 (R) March 4 (D)
from the Denver area. The auditori- undecided. After the straw poll, peo- Sen. Barack Obama, will be cast at the Denver County As- May 6 (R) NORTH March 4 (R)
um and cafeteria became so crowd-
ed that certain precincts had to be
ple could speak up and try to sway
the undecided voters to their side.
12 for Sen. Hill- sembly on March 8.
It was a slow process, but most
Kansas
Feb. 9 (R)
CAROLINA
May 6 (D)
Virginia
Feb. 12 (D)
moved to other rooms. Precinct 517 was one precinct ary Clinton and seemed happy just to participate. KENTUCKY May 6 (R) Feb. 12 (R)
The crowd was a fairly equal mix that participated that evening. After two undecided. “I was really excited about it,” May 20 (D) OHIO washington
of young, middle-aged and elderly the straw poll, 517 had 28 members said Sara Jordan, a junior at CU- May 20 (R) March 4 (D) Feb. 9 (D)
people who turned up to support for Sen. Barack Obama, 12 for Sen. them,” an Obama supporter said. Boulder. “It was a little unorganized, LOUISIANA March 4 (R) Feb. 19 (R)
their candidate. Hillary Clinton and two undecided. The Iraq war was also a topic, but it was still nice to be involved.” Feb. 9 (D) OREGON west virginia
“It’s very exciting to be here,” Both sides then tried to persuade with both sides supporting their can- Once all the caucuses were com- Feb. 9 (R) May 20 (D) May 13 (D)
Sen. Hillary Clinton supporter Jill the two undecided members to join didates’ view. plete, the final tally was 584 votes for MAINE May 20 (R) wisconsin
Conrad said. “We have a choice be- their side. The main focus of the dis- Clinton supporters stated that Obama, 201 for Clinton and three Feb. 10(D) pennsylvania Feb. 19 (D)
tween two qualified candidates and cussion was health care. her timetable for an exit plan is bet- remained undecided. MARYLAND April 22 (D) Feb. 19 (R)
we can choose who we support based “Both solutions don’t seem ter and more realistic than Obama’s Even after the results were in, Feb. 12 (D) April 22 (R) wyoming
on substance.” good,” one undecided voter said. plan to pull the troops out now. the biggest topic was the large voter Feb. 12 (R) Rhode island March 8 (D)
People turned out in droves, The Obama side tried to con- The floor was also open for rogue turnout.
which was no surprise as Democrats vince him that their man was not in comments from the gallery. “I was pleasantly surprised,” Days left to DNC »
expected more than twice the turn- the pocket of special interest groups. “Obama’s kung-fu style is supe- said Ethan McKinley, a precinct cap-
202
out of the 2004 caucus. “Hillary has taken money from rior to Hillary’s,” one man said. “And tain for Obama. “There was a lot of
“Our last caucus we had five lobbyists and has to be loyal to Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton doesn’t energy in the room.”