skgai
02-04-2008, 03:51 PM
If you live in North Dakota and are reading this, know that goinging and voting in the straw poll is not all you do!!! That doesn't determine anything. You have to be elected as a delegate.
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2008/02/04/news/topnews/148044.txt
Big turnouts expected for 'Super Tuesday' in North Dakota
Feb 04, 2008 - 04:05:27 CST
By JONATHAN RIVOLI
Bismarck Tribune
Tuesday is the big day for North Dakota voters, a chance to make their voice heard in the biggest primary contest of them all - "Super Tuesday."
Leaders of both the state Republican and state Democratic parties are expecting big turnouts.
Gary Emineth, chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party said his side is expecting better than 10,000 participants.
Jamie Selzler, executive director of the North Dakota Democratic Party, said Democrats are expecting between 12,000 and 15,000 participants.
Both say the close nature of the races are a chief factor driving turnout.
Over the last seven months - since North Dakota elected to participate in this semi-national primary date - candidates have come and gone, led and fallen.
Last August, Rudy Giuliani and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., led the national polls. Giuliani became the first candidate to pay any serious attention to North Dakota.
Now, Giuliani is out of the race, and the Democratic contest is a tossup between Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
This set of circumstances has led the candidates to fight hard the last month to capture what some would argue is a small prize - at least in terms of delegates.
The North Dakota Democratic Party will send 21 delegates to the national convention in Denver, but only 13 will be committed to the winner of the state's caucuses. A Democratic candidate needs to pick up 2,025 delegates to win the 2008 nomination at the convention.
Even so, Obama in particular has poured resources into North Dakota. The campaign has opened and staffed small campaign offices in Bismarck, Fargo, Minot, and Grand Forks.
They've been collecting endorsements, including those of Sen. Kent Conrad and Rep. Earl Pomeroy, and running television ads.
The Clinton campaign also is now running ads here as well.
On the Republican side, Giuliani's early organizing advantage in the state became for naught when the former New York City mayor dropped out of the race and endorsed Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer, who served as Giuliani's North Dakota state chairman, said the months of organizing here for Giuliani could be a big boost to McCain.
The Mitt Romney campaign began a push in North Dakota last week, with volunteers phone banking out of Bismarck beginning Saturday night.
In terms of delegates, North Dakota is worth a bit more in the Republican race. The state will send 26 delegates to the national convention in Minneapolis, with 23 being bound by the state's caucus results. Republican aspirants need to win 1,191 delegates to secure the nomination.
Because Tuesday's event is being run by the parties - that's why they're officially called caucuses instead of a primary - there's a lot more leeway in how its done.
However, both parties have elected to use a simple paper ballot system that should get voters in and out quickly. Qualified voters ages 18 and older can attend any caucus location in the state, but may only attend one and may not caucus for both parties.
At Democratic sites, caucus goers will be asked to pledge that they have supported Democratic candidates in the past or intend to this fall.
The window to vote for Republicans is small - from 6:30 to 8 p.m. - while Democrats can vote from 2 to 8 p.m. Alist of voting sites is available at www.nd.gov/sos.
Final results will be tallied by both parties by the end of the night.
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2008/02/04/news/topnews/148044.txt
Big turnouts expected for 'Super Tuesday' in North Dakota
Feb 04, 2008 - 04:05:27 CST
By JONATHAN RIVOLI
Bismarck Tribune
Tuesday is the big day for North Dakota voters, a chance to make their voice heard in the biggest primary contest of them all - "Super Tuesday."
Leaders of both the state Republican and state Democratic parties are expecting big turnouts.
Gary Emineth, chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party said his side is expecting better than 10,000 participants.
Jamie Selzler, executive director of the North Dakota Democratic Party, said Democrats are expecting between 12,000 and 15,000 participants.
Both say the close nature of the races are a chief factor driving turnout.
Over the last seven months - since North Dakota elected to participate in this semi-national primary date - candidates have come and gone, led and fallen.
Last August, Rudy Giuliani and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., led the national polls. Giuliani became the first candidate to pay any serious attention to North Dakota.
Now, Giuliani is out of the race, and the Democratic contest is a tossup between Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
This set of circumstances has led the candidates to fight hard the last month to capture what some would argue is a small prize - at least in terms of delegates.
The North Dakota Democratic Party will send 21 delegates to the national convention in Denver, but only 13 will be committed to the winner of the state's caucuses. A Democratic candidate needs to pick up 2,025 delegates to win the 2008 nomination at the convention.
Even so, Obama in particular has poured resources into North Dakota. The campaign has opened and staffed small campaign offices in Bismarck, Fargo, Minot, and Grand Forks.
They've been collecting endorsements, including those of Sen. Kent Conrad and Rep. Earl Pomeroy, and running television ads.
The Clinton campaign also is now running ads here as well.
On the Republican side, Giuliani's early organizing advantage in the state became for naught when the former New York City mayor dropped out of the race and endorsed Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer, who served as Giuliani's North Dakota state chairman, said the months of organizing here for Giuliani could be a big boost to McCain.
The Mitt Romney campaign began a push in North Dakota last week, with volunteers phone banking out of Bismarck beginning Saturday night.
In terms of delegates, North Dakota is worth a bit more in the Republican race. The state will send 26 delegates to the national convention in Minneapolis, with 23 being bound by the state's caucus results. Republican aspirants need to win 1,191 delegates to secure the nomination.
Because Tuesday's event is being run by the parties - that's why they're officially called caucuses instead of a primary - there's a lot more leeway in how its done.
However, both parties have elected to use a simple paper ballot system that should get voters in and out quickly. Qualified voters ages 18 and older can attend any caucus location in the state, but may only attend one and may not caucus for both parties.
At Democratic sites, caucus goers will be asked to pledge that they have supported Democratic candidates in the past or intend to this fall.
The window to vote for Republicans is small - from 6:30 to 8 p.m. - while Democrats can vote from 2 to 8 p.m. Alist of voting sites is available at www.nd.gov/sos.
Final results will be tallied by both parties by the end of the night.