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[KaelGotDwarves]

Here's the link btw.

[scriver]

What would have happened if they ended up on the same number of votes?

[Urist Imiknorris]

Hell would freeze over, Ragnarok would begin, Christ would return again, and so on.

[lemon10]

Well I'm not 8 people, so my vote wouldn't count. 

Dammit, I'm 10 people, so if I just went to the iowa caucus I could have turned it around.

[palsch]

What would have happened if they ended up on the same number of votes?

Pretty much exactly what happens now.

The delegate count is proportional so they are getting 11 each either way. And technically these votes don't count anyway.

Each of the precinct caucuses has now (or should have) selected delegates to be sent to the county conventions to represent their votes. Those delegates will then select representatives to go to the district conventions, who then select representatives to go to the state convention. The state convention then selects the delegates to send to the Republican National Convention. Those delegates are then expected (but not forced) to vote along the lines originally suggested by the caucus votes.

[Mego]

Actually, from what I understand, they are forced to vote according to the caucus/primary results for the first vote, but if there is not a clear majority then, for subsequent votes they can vote for whomever they like.

[RedKing]

Isn't American democracy such a great system? I don't know why other countries aren't more happy to receieve it from us whether they like it or not....


Anywho...wow. 8 votes. Buddy Roemer got more than that. Hell, Hermain Cain got more than that. Lizard People got more than that. Obviously, this is all a plot by the lizard people to deny Rick Santorum his rightful victory. 

In a related tweet:

BuddyRoemer : Five votes separate Buddy Roemer from Lizard People. #notkidding

Buddy Roemer is rapidly becoming my favorite politician EVER.

[palsch]

Actually, from what I understand, they are forced to vote according to the caucus/primary results for the first vote, but if there is not a clear majority then, for subsequent votes they can vote for whomever they like.

Nope. It's the honour system all the way. It kinda helps that it's your neighbour's views you are representing, so not standing by them is usually a dumb thing to do.

I remember that back in 2008 the Clinton campaign were doing their whole desperate flailing thing, letting all the Obama delegates know they could really vote for whoever they wanted. One person who had been an Obama supporter in a Clinton district, but ended up a delegate when no-one else volunteered, wrote in to say thanks for the reminder. Have to try to find that.

EDIT: Article on the Clinton campaign targeting pledged delegates.

RBC post on the wider strategy. Note that it applies at every level of the presidential process, from caucus delegates up to electoral college electors.

[FearfulJesuit]

Aiee! They chose Romney?

I mean, sure, that wasn't unexpected; he's the one guy who knows not to say really stupid things. And that's the problem.

Sigh. I'm going to go live under a rock until the fundies shut the fuck up. I don't need to experience somebody making my belief in God look like divinely sanctioned bigotry.

Wake me up when the Religious Left becomes a viable movement. *closes hatch*

Also, Buddy Roemer for president, yo.

[palsch]

Exit polls make for interesting reading.

If I were working the Santorum campaign (FSM forbid) I'd be emphasising the party affiliation numbers, then making the whole campaign an anti-abortion, values based pile of pabulum about morals. And then slitting my wrists.

[RedKing]

Well....25% of people chose Romney. 75% chose Anyone Other Than Romney, in varying flavors. That still doesn't bode well for Mitt's chances. He should do a lot better in New Hampshire, cause it's home turf and less inclined towards the social conservatives. What I'll be watching is to see where he places in SC. A really sour showing in SC (and say, a really strong one for Santorum) could indicate that it's shaping up into a two-way battle between Romney and Santorum as the Anti-Romney. My take is that a large part of the GOP is desperate for an Anti-Romney, but every time they think they've found one, he (or she) opens their mouth and after a massive collective facepalm, they search for the next one. Romney has stayed where he is by basically not saying a damn thing. Which is smart from the standpoint of "when your rivals are committing political suicide, step aside and let them" but it's also why his polling percentages among the GOP haven't changed in *four years*. He's polling about 23% now, he was polling about 23% before the 2008 Iowa primaries.

[FearfulJesuit]

Go Go Santorum, then. (for the primaries). I'm a socialist and I approve this message.

Actually, when you think about it, this is why the American electoral system is absurd; a socialist is supporting Rick Santorum in the primaries.

[RedKing]

Not really. Even in a Parliamentary system, the top PM candidate is generally known before the election. If the Tories in England decided to pick a complete and utter rotter as their man for PM, you can't tell me Labour wouldn't be thrilled.

I suppose the difference is that in the US states with open primaries, you can cross the line and *try* to get the most unpalatable candidate elected. Which is why many states don't have open primaries or make you have been registered with a given party for X amount of time before you can vote in their primary. Used to be, as an Independent in NC I couldn't vote in ANY primaries. Thankfully that was changed, and now I can wreak all the havoc I want! Muhahahahaha.....

....except that we're nearly the last in the nation on the primary schedule. So the races are usually decided by the time they get here. Clinton/Obama was a rare exception and it felt good to actually make a difference in that one.

[FearfulJesuit]

Now, aren't the Iowa caucus delegates going to be winner-take-all, so that Romney and Santorum basically split delegates?

[RedKing]

See above. Yes, no and probably. In theory, they'll split the delegate pool, but in practice anything is possible.