How Did I “Fix” The Caucus?

by
Steve MacDonald

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We had a great time at the caucus yesterday. I’ll be posting a cleaned up version of GrokTALK! later today – we did the 2 hour program from the 39 degree Durgen Pulling Arena.  Then we watched the caucus process unfold from check in to the final vote.

For the record, almost none of the 603 Alliance committee voted. In fact, I think only Skip and I sat in the stands for a candidate and I waited until the end. Fiorina did make a third place showing but it was obvious she lacked the numbers to corral enough attendees to win the majority grassroots voters unless a large number from one of the other two moved before the next vote. So, yeah, I voted for Cruz.

He was higher up on my list than Dr. Carson.

So what did Senator Cruz win?

I bring it up because a number of activists who boycotted the event queried me about “the prize” awarded the winner of the caucus days before. It’s a good question but before I answer let me put it in context. What prize do the Ron Paul or Rand Paul campaigns, or any campaign seek when they rally support to every straw poll or event with a vote and published results? What is the point?

Press?  Media? The perception of momentum or support? The ability to simply say you won? Proof of viability among grassroots voters even if it is only evidence that your grassroots voters got a call or had a rally or made the effort?

What does it say when a grassroots event attracts over 700 registered voters, not just attendees but actual registered voters, who vote for Republicans, and a candidate wins? The same thing?

What does it say when a grassroots event attracts over 700 registered voters, not just attendees but actual registered voters who vote for Republicans, and a candidate or candidates blow the event off completely? Does that say something? Does it say that they don’t think they need you to win? Does it say they don’t think they can win you over? Does it say they are afraid they will lose?

So back to the question. What did the winner get by calling supporters and holding a rally at an event that could have been won by Ben Carson (who also made the effort), Rand Paul (who chose to be up the road at a house party with less than two dozen supporters instead), or someone else?

Whether you think they gain grassroots supporters or not at the very least they gain the support of Diane Bitter, Fran Wendelboe, Jim Kofalt, and other political influencers in New Hampshire who had not declared for any candidate. Fran writes a regular column in a major New Hampshire newspaper. Mike and Mar-Mar Rodgers are also politically connected, respected, and on a short list of people regarded as important “gets” for an endorsement. Skip Murphy and I have been known to opine on matters political, from time to time, on a well-trafficked Conservative grassroots political blog site. And there are others. Senator Cruz got all of them because he showed up.

Everyone on the 603 Committee is now pledged to use their voice, energy, and influence, in support of the caucus winner. And it makes no difference who you think they may have wanted to win. Most of them never cast a vote and even if they had anyone could have won. Anyone could have motivated their supporters to show up in Hopkinton. A few hundred supports from any other candidate or every other candidate makes this an even bigger horse-race with no predictable outcome.

If you were there you would have seen that Ben Carson could have easily won if his team had started reaching out to supporters sooner. If the campaign held a rally or if Dr. Carson made an appearance we might be backing his campaign this morning.

The Fiorina campaign could have tried harder.  Trump could have bused-in some of the thousands that reportedly show up at all of his events.

But I still believe Rand Paul should have won, and as I have pointed out frequently, was always the odds on favorite given the ability of his supporters (In the Free State of New Hampshire) to get people to these sorts of events.

We could be happily supporting Dr. Paul today but  a campaign, in a state where it should have the greatest ability to rally support to a caucus, a campaign with a familial history of understanding the caucus process and how to win, couldn’t be bothered to win over the support of people like Diane Bitter or Fran Wendelboe, Skip Murphy or myself?

All you had to do was show up. If you had won we’d all have happily climbed on board. I’d be writing about Senator Paul today but the reality is that by not participating YOU ensured the outcome.  You actually fixed it, not me.

Some of you wont believe that but such is the nature of politics. I actually have people who have known me for years, some whom I consider friends, accusing me of spending months (all summer long, actually) conspiring to fix the outcome of the event. Either that or they have convinced themselves it was done without my noticing. That’s amusing.

Tell you what. Feel free to email me and tell me how, with regards to the caucus and the outcome, I am a cheater or a rube. I’d love to see you step up and admit either to my face and then explain how it was done. Please. I won’t hold it against you, I’d just like to know the details so I can share them with our readers. How did I do it? How did I fix the caucus?

And try to use a real email and your real name. No disposable emails (or anonymous handles, which is more common–especially in social media– than you may realize). If you are going to advance a case for deception it would be best if you do it without engaging in one yourself.

Author

  • Steve MacDonald

    Steve is a long-time New Hampshire resident, blogger, and a member of the Board of directors of The 603 Alliance. He is the owner of Grok Media LLC and the Managing Editor of GraniteGrok.com, a former board member of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, and a past contributor to the Franklin Center for Public Policy.

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