Utah Caucus

With the primary election in full swing now and the Utah caucus just around the corner, I'm seeing a few posts on social media about the caucus.  I don't actually live in Utah now, we moved to California last year.  Because I experienced the caucus while in Utah and am currently experiencing a state without one, I felt it was important to share my observations and feelings.

I have no voice now.  I'm just a number.  At the caucus I got to see neighbors I've never met before.  We got to talk about the politics that are important to our lives right now.  There was discussion about how we felt about them.  I got to vote for someone who was really interested in what I had to say.  I got to vet a delegate to make sure that s/he really did align with my feelings.  It was an awesome, uniting and empowering experience.  I've been living in California for almost a year now and there is no polite or proper way to get into a political discussion with any of my neighbors, especially not on such a large scale.  I have no idea who shares my opinions or sees things a different way.  I miss the caucus.  It was a safe place to discuss really important issues.

As I understand it, one of the frustrations with the caucus is that the public at large doesn't get to vote on the candidates because they are weeded out at the convention and there isn't a "true" primary.  In my experience, as a regular citizen, I don't vet candidates like a delegate does.  I've been a state and county delegate and I've also been a regular citizen.  As a delegate I really did feel the weight of my responsibility.   I was at every debate and meet and great that I could go to, even the candidates who didn't have a chance.  I truly vetted the candidates and shared the things that I learned with those who had an interest.  To be honest it wasn't many.  Most seemed to feel that they voted for me to do a job and let me do it.  So from my personal experience, I think it would truly hurt Utah to cut out the caucus and delegates and put all those candidates on a primary ballot.  We, as a people, are busy.  Rightfully so.  We have families, work, school, church, friends, occasions, etc.  We don't have time to vet all the candidates that can be on a ballot.  The candidates don't have the funds to reach all of us either.  So who wins.  S/he who has the most money.  S/he who gets coverage on social media or has the catchiest sound byte.  The may or may not be the best for Utah. 

If we lived in calmer times when people had the leisure and desire to get together and politely discuss politics and governance, I may say there isn't a need for a caucus, but I doubt it and we don't.  Whatever is going on in Utah, please keep the caucus.  Someday I want to move back and I hope I will still have a voice.