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Ranger29860
02-02-2008, 08:35 PM
So does pual have to win the popular vote to get most delegates or is it broken down diffrently


this is all very confusing.. also if pop vote is not needed who is actually winning?

RufusTDoofus
02-02-2008, 08:37 PM
The popular vote and the number of delegates are unrelated.

RufusTDoofus
02-02-2008, 08:39 PM
Most talking head pundits don't know that Maine's 4 electoral college votes can be split as well. (They can go 3 and 1.)

Ranger29860
02-02-2008, 08:39 PM
cool so whos winning?

RufusTDoofus
02-02-2008, 08:42 PM
There won't be an official number of state delegates announced. Delegates elected today for the the state convention in May are not officially pledged to a specific candidate. Any counts of the number of RP delegates from a particular caucus are unofficial. The form that is submitted to the Maine GOP that lists the delegates only includes the delegate's contact info. It does not include any reference to a preference for a candidate.

Doriath
02-02-2008, 08:55 PM
Here is a good explanation:

http://www.villagesoup.com//Community/story.cfm?storyid=108225


What distinguishes the Maine Republican caucus from Republican caucuses in other states (as well as from Maine's Democratic Party caucus) is that in Maine, voting one's preference for a presidential candidate and electing delegates to the state convention are two discrete activities.

In most presidential caucuses, as well as presidential primaries, voters elect delegates who are obligated to represent a specific presidential candidate at the state convention. (As stated in the related story, delegates to the Republican National Convention are often selected at the state conventions.)

Some states' party rules state that national delegates are "bound" to vote in proportion to who is preferred at the local caucuses, said Bill Chapman, chairman of the Knox County Republican Party.

The Maine Republican Party rules, however, do not bind state convention delegates to support a particular candidate. This means that the vote of presidential preference on Feb. 2 in Knox County will have no obligatory bearing on which candidates the delegates will support at the state convention.

Likewise, Maine's delegates to the Republican National Convention are not bound either. Because the delegates are not bound, the Republican candidate who wins in the presidential preference survey at Maine GOP caucuses will not be able to count that support toward their tally of 1,191 national delegates needed to clinch the nomination, according to The Green Papers website.

Join The Paul Side
02-03-2008, 01:19 AM
So this weekends caucus is just for shits & giggles? :rolleyes:

RufusTDoofus
02-03-2008, 01:27 AM
So this weekends caucus is just for shits & giggles? :rolleyes:

Kinda. The "popular vote" portion of it is more or less just fluff and opportunity for PR. The election of delegates is the important function though not easily condensed into a word sound bite suitable for MSM talking heads.