Caucusing In Paradise, Part II
Hilo, Hawaii -- Everyone knew why they were there. But until the precinct officers unboxed the sign-in sheets and ballots, none of the 200 or so Democrats in this neighborhood knew how their caucus would be run. Three precincts were squeezed into a community center that, in an off-year, would be too big for even one of them. Confused and unsure about what to do, yet eager to do it, voters filled every chair; standees crowded shoulder-to-shoulder around them.
And still more people kept arriving; asking the ones in front of them what was going on inside. By 7 p.m., all the registered Democrats were logged in, all the new Party members were welcomed, and the ballots were distributed. (Printed weeks ahead, they still offered Kucinich and Edwards alongside Clinton and Obama.) Amazingly, no one did any electioneering; few caucus-goers sported candidates' buttons, and there were no speeches at all.
Everyone knew who they had come to vote for, and did so quickly. But only after the first 50 or so of those inside had cast their ballots and left the building could the rest of the crowd come through the door, sign in, and vote.
Democracy was certainly a messy business, in Hawaii Tuesday night.