2018 Caucus Day Open Thread

36
  by: Colorado Pols March 6, 2018 at 6:15 AM MST

Tweet
Share

36 Community Comments, Facebook Comments

  1. Meiner49er says:
    March 6, 2018 at 6:37 AM MST

    Let's start with a big shout out to ALL those (on either side of the aisle) who have given of their time the last month or so to make tonight possible.

    Hate your Party all you want, but your chance to criticize it depends to some extent on the fact that the Party organizes forums like these.

    Please turn out if you are Registered as a way of acknowledging that fact!

    Good luck to all the candidates going through the process, too!

  2. Voyageur says:
    March 6, 2018 at 8:51 AM MST

    All Democratic caucuses are officially stink free zones tonight. Former rep. Lebsock, now a Repub, can no longer attend.

  3. Pseudonymous says:
    March 6, 2018 at 9:13 AM MST

    Collective action.  Who'd a thunk?

    West Virginia lawmakers reach deal to give striking teachers pay raise

    West Virginia lawmakers said Tuesday morning that a deal has been reached to deliver a 5% pay raise for all state employees, including striking teachers, according to the state committee meeting on the matter.

    The deal is intended to end a teachers' strike that has canceled nine consecutive school days across the state. Teachers' union representative Christine Campbell told CNN she anticipates school will back in session Wednesday if the bill is passed Tuesday in the House of Delegates and Senate.

  4. Voyageur says:
    March 6, 2018 at 9:28 AM MST

    A victory over Trumpism in one of our reddest states.

    Praise the lord!

  5. Diogenesdemar says:
    March 6, 2018 at 9:35 AM MST

    FYI, 

    . . . the 50# bag of popcorn was selling for only $23.85 @ Sam’s Club this past weekend . . . 

    https://newrepublic.com/minutes/147295/sam-nunbergs-meltdown-russia-storys-strangest-moment-yet

    . . . can’t tell you all how much I enjoy watching these “best and brightest” that Cheetolini has surrounded himself with!

     

  6. Diogenesdemar says:
    March 6, 2018 at 10:06 AM MST

    Giving new meaning to the term . . . 

    “There are more complexities here than in brain surgery”

    . . . “brain surgeon.”

     

  7. Pseudonymous says:
    March 6, 2018 at 11:14 AM MST

    Think like a capitalist.

    United tried to replace bonuses with a $100,000 lottery

    The lottery, which the airline announced on Friday, would have paid $100,000 to one lucky employee selected at random, and smaller bonuses of $2,000 or $5,000 to about 1,300 more. Other employees would have gotten prizes including 50 vacation packages or 10 Mercedes.

    The overwhelming majority of United's 90,000 workers would have lost bonuses that paid up to $1,500 over the course of the year.

    "Our intention was to introduce a better, more exciting program, but we misjudged how these changes would be received by many of you," said Scott Kirby, president of United Continental (UAL), the holding company for the airline, in an email to employees. "We are pressing the pause button," he wrote.

    • MichaelBowman says:
      March 6, 2018 at 12:35 PM MST

      While he's pressing the pause button would someone round up Katniss Everdeen? 

       

      • Pseudonymous says:
        March 6, 2018 at 1:09 PM MST

        Every so often we get a little peek behind the exploitation curtain.

        • MichaelBowman says:
          March 6, 2018 at 11:01 PM MST

          The math on that proposal is really unbelievable.  Giving every benefit of the math to UAL: 1 employee @ $100,000; assume the 1,300 all get $5,000; 50 vacations @$4,000 and 10 Mercedes @ $100,000: 

          Total: $7.8 million cost to United

          The benefit to United for their employees falling for this #MAGA math? United gets to give up paying bonuses to the balance of the overwhelming majority of their employees.  Let's use 55% of the 90,000 (minus the 1,361 lucky Panem residents  above who won the lottery) and assume the average is $750:

          Total: $36.1 million savings

          Net benefit: $28.3 million

          I smell yet another Trump University Valedictorian

          • Pseudonymous says:
            March 7, 2018 at 6:53 AM MST

            The capitalists are on such a contact high right now, after decades of corporatist legislation, with the tax bill dumping truckloads of money into their Scrooge McDuck vaults, with the banking bill Bennet is sponsoring helping to create a paradise of deregulation, that they no longer even feel the need to try to keep the cat in the bag.

            This is the essential distillation of capitalism– maybe like the capitalist essential oil.  Convince workers that there are deeply limited resources available to them, then tear them away from their natural allies in the fight to get more (the other oppressed workers) by pitting them against each other (hello race metaphor) by making have-nots and have-slightly-mores.  While the workers are fighting among themselves over the crumbs you've dropped, the fat cats in the corporate office are probably taking home twice (probably more) than the entire bonus program would have cost.

            This UAL fiasco is like a capitalist passion play.

            • MichaelBowman says:
              March 7, 2018 at 7:55 AM MST

              …and the false assertion that socialism is to blame for bread lines but capitalism isn't to blame for poverty in Detroit (or elsewhere). 

              “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.”

              ~Don Helder Camara, Essential Writings

              (Want to take a guess on what Food Stamp "reform" written by the pro-life majorities will look like in the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization???)

               

  8. Gorky Pulviczek says:
    March 6, 2018 at 12:37 PM MST

    I can't remember if I've seen this referenced here before, but our own illustrious Michael Bennet is a co-sponsor of the Crapo "Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act" which repeals parts of Dodd-Frank.  So when we see another financial meltdown and bailouts a la 2008 we'll have him partially to thank:

    The CBO report says those exemptions make it more likely a bank would collapse and lead federal officials to stabilize it with public funds.

    Not that I think he'll care; he will be well-endowed with thanks from his true constituency on Wall Street.

  9. katdal says:
    March 6, 2018 at 5:10 PM MST

    This thread inspired me to call Senator Bennet's office just a few minutes ago. I talked to a nice young man who tried to explain that the Senate bill he was co-sponsoring was a very narrow one that would help Colorado businesses. I asked what Elizabeth Warren's position was. He couldn't answer. We need to flood his office with phone calls! 

  10. RepealAndReplace says:
    March 6, 2018 at 8:58 PM MST

    The results in my south Jeffco precinct tonight:

    Polis = 4

    Johnston = 1

    • Davie says:
      March 6, 2018 at 9:58 PM MST

      My precinct in Park Hill voted for Polis.  He got two delegates

      In the auditorium (which was almost full), Cary Kennedy gave a rousing one minute pitch.  The crowd roared!  Our HD8 Representative gave a well-received pitch for Jared.

      I wouldn't be surprised if Cary got half the votes tonight.

      John Frank of the Denver Post was circulating taking notes.

      I was happy to see more younger types (late 20's to late 30's) attending, along with us oldsters 🙂

  11. Voyageur says:
    March 6, 2018 at 9:11 PM MST

    Our capitol hill precinct went 6-5 for Cary Kennedy, one for Mike Johnston one uncommitted.  That translated into two delegates for Cary at the county and one for Polis.iii

    • JohnInDenver says:
      March 6, 2018 at 9:17 PM MST

      In my SE Denver precinct meeting, Kennedy got 9 of 17 votes, and eventually 2 delegates. Polis and Johnston won three each, and a flip of the coin meant Polis "won" a delegate. Ginsberg and uncommitted each got 2, below 15% viability for consideration.

      Then, we looked at who would be available to go to the county convention — and found exactly 3 bodies, including one of the Ginsberg voters.

  12. JohnInDenver says:
    March 6, 2018 at 9:20 PM MST

    In other news, Rep. Paul Rosenthal did not do well in the room. The combination of "resolved" charges of his harassment and insensitive interactions with three of those in the room wound up with few people voting for him, and a great deal more interest in the other two candidates.

  13. mamajama55 says:
    March 6, 2018 at 9:47 PM MST

    My NE CO precinct; Kennedy 4, Polis 2. With 4 delegates to county, that's 3 Kennedy, 1 Polis. People liked Underwood and Ginsberg, who had campaigned out here a lot, but governing experience weighted the scales for those who had it.

    The ADA and Healthcare for all resolutions passed. Term limits did not.

    We had great Dem turnout for a red county. I'll be curious to know if the Republicans also had good turnout – or not.

  14. mamajama55 says:
    March 6, 2018 at 10:16 PM MST

    Republican caucus turnout just ain't what it used to be – even in El Paso County. Seems there may be a slight enthusiasm gap. Modster, would you care to 'splain it?

    Cue the 🎻🎻🎻

    • Conserv. Head Banger says:
      March 7, 2018 at 7:02 AM MST

      I decided not to attend my precinct caucus again. I had read that the "solons" (look it up) of the Republican state committee weren't allowing a straw vote for governor. Also, the location got moved from a close by elementary school to miles away at Lakewood High School, which isn't near Green Mountain. 

  15. RepealAndReplace says:
    March 7, 2018 at 6:46 AM MST

    Any word on whether freshly minted-Republican, former state representative Lebsock attempted to participate in his caucus?

    (I know, he hasn't been a member of the Grand Old Party long enough but since when has he been a stickler for following rules.)

  16. Gray in Mountains says:
    March 7, 2018 at 7:13 AM MST

    In my caucus Polis garnered 63%. No other candidate had any professed support. Off year attendance was fairly strong at all 6 Lake County precincts

     

Leave a Reply

Comment from your Facebook account


You may comment with your Colorado Pols account above (click here to register), or via Facebook below.