1/13/2008 - 1/13/08
The purpose of a presidential primary or caucus is to determine the number of the national delegate votes the top-tier candidates will get. The success of the 2004 New Mexico caucus was an aberration, and our national influence will not be repeated soon.
First, it is not a caucus. It is a primary election run by the Democratic Party totally separate from the Secretary of State's Office and without the security provided by that office. There is no opportunity to engage in dialogue about the candidates, other than with those standing in long lines waiting to check off one name on a ballot.
In Iowa, you meet in a candidate's room, talk among yourselves and you can move to other rooms. The Iowa caucus is not the right answer either because every vote is not equal, for reasons too complicated for this article. In New Mexico the ballots are simply cast and counted. They will cost the party maybe $250,000, where the primary does not cost the party anything.
In 2003, a state law was passed allowing parties to opt out of the primary election and hold their own presidential "caucuses," giving the party control over the date separate from the primary set by law.
The governor and party leadership wanted the early February caucus and the State Central Committee voted for it. I think what was really happening was that the Democratic National Committee and Gov. Bill Richardson wanted New Mexico to have the caucuses as part of a national strategy to drum up early national attention to Democratic candidates. I thought we should go along with the national strategy and I supported it.
Things have changed, and after managing the Taos County caucuses, I no longer agree with it as a concept.
In 2004, we were among the seven Feb. 3 caucuses after the January Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses, so our state results were meaningful in terms of the early national positioning of the candidates.
All of the candidates came repeatedly to New Mexico, and one of the nationally televised debates was held in Albuquerque. Being a county chair, that round was great fun. I met all of the candidates personally in small venues, I went to the debate and I was elected to be a delegate to the national convention in Boston. Any norteño willing to go to Santa Fe could see them too, and shake some hands. That won't happen this time. Now we are among 22 caucuses and primaries on Feb. 5 for a total of 2,075 convention votes, following the four January caucuses in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
New Mexico has 38 delegate votes. Compare that with California's 441, Illinois' 185, Massachusetts' 121 and New York's 280. New Mexico has less than 2 percent of the delegate votes determined that day. Conducting the caucuses is a huge organizational endeavor, and this year, a costly one. The state Democratic Party would better spend that time and money getting a president elected.
It is too late to change it for 2008, but it is not too early to rethink it and get rid of it. Start now by getting elected to the county convention and the state convention in March. That is easy, and the county chairs will be giving information on all of that. Next year, try to get on the state central committee, which is the board of directors for the state party. Check out the state Democratic Party Web site.
They have good information about the national convention process and state calendars and rules. Remember: The party is run by those who show up.
Santa Fean Helen Laura López is a disability lawyer and former two-term chairperson
of the Democratic Party of Taos County.
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