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Live-Blogging My Colorado Caucus

6:20 pm: I'm at Morey Middle School in Denver. I got here early, around 5:50 pm. There were Obama signs everywhere and lots of Obama volunteers and I didn't see any for Hillary. At least 10 caucuses are meeting here.

I got in line. Within 10 minutes, there was a huge line behind me. Almost everyone is an Obama supporter.

We're all directed to go to the auditorium for a pre-caucus meeting where they will explain the rules. Then people will go to where their caucus is meeting. I get to stay in the auditorium as mine is meeting in here. They say there are several hundred people waiting to get in. A tv camera crew just arrived. [More....]

My precinct has 9 delegates that will be divided up.

Update: The place is overwhelmed. They prepared for a ton of voters, but not like this. We're just about to get started but the lines are still really long.

This is like a deja vu of Iowa, almost identical looking high school auditorium, there are just a lot more people. I'd estimate 500 to 600 people in the auditorium so far.

Update 7:10 pm: They are about to read the rules now for being selected a delegate. They want to have inclusion of women and minorities but there are no specific quotas. Uncomitted delegates are allowed.

There must be at least 1,000 people in this room now. They have filled the balcony and are lined up on the sides of the auditorium. The group is on the young side and very ethnically diverse. If I had to guess I'd say they are overwhelmingly for Obama.

Everyone is pretty quiet as the rules are being read. I'm the only one with a laptop that I can see. Lots of people around me are asking me to check results of other states.

There are Hillary signs and supporters here now. This crowd is very well behaved. They are all concentrating intently on the rules.

There will be a straw poll in the precincts (once we get there.) It's a "make believe." After the real vote, someone from each precinct goes back to the auditorium and reports the vote total. Then they will elect the delegates.

We also vote for Senator and then for county delegates. Break time, there are so many people they have to regroup to see where they will put everyone.

People are screaming now. "Yes we can" from the Obama folks, while the Hillary supporters holding up signs.

Update: The leaders are back. They tell the people in the balcony they can scream but they have to stop stomping. They've reassigned caucus locations within the building. Two caucuses will be meeting in the stairwells. They say four years ago the auditorium was only 1/4 full. It's at serious overflow now.

The fire department must have nixed the stairwell plan. They have opened the gym instead.

7:30 pm, and we're still in the auditorium. Everyone says they know what precinct they are in. Sounds like we're about to break out. I'm so glad I don't have to leave my seat. It's going to be a madhouse when 1,000 people start leaving here.

Update: 8:00: My caucus got moved up to the balcony. People are cranky, they want to leave and no vote has been taken. The Obama supporters in my caucus way outnumber Hillary supporters. Hillary staffers are just shooting for a percentage of the 9 delegates the caucus have.

I'm leaving as soon as they take the vote, so this is my last live update. The final vote: 31 for Hillary, 78 for Obama and 2 uncommitted. Hillary won 3 of the 9 delegates.

Update: The New York Times Opinionator blog picked up my live-blogging.

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  • Display: Sort:
    Hey (none / 0) (#1)
    by Kathy on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 07:59:21 PM EST
    I'm first!

    I am saying that I do not agree with GA shaking out 25/75 for Obama per exit polling.  I think she'll do better than that.

    Kathy, cub reporter (8:59)

    You're scaring me Jeralyn. (none / 0) (#2)
    by phat on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:09:17 PM EST
    We've got our first caucus ever on Saturday and I don't really feel like being overwhelmed.

    phat

    Jeralyn (none / 0) (#3)
    by Kathy on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 08:59:53 PM EST
    I tried to get folks over here, but we are ripping it up on the other threads.  Thanks for posting about your caucus, though, because I am sneaking back here and really enjoying it.

    ps (none / 0) (#4)
    by Kathy on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 09:00:16 PM EST
    If you want results, MSNBC is being more aggressive in predictions.

    I am back from my Colorado caucus (none / 0) (#6)
    by echinopsia on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 10:03:03 PM EST
    Much the same scenario as Jeralyn. I was at Fairmont elementary school on 3rd Ave in the Baker neighborhood.

    I was surprised at the largely white and young turnout. This nabe borders the barrio but is also upscale on the eastern side.

    Obama wins for organization - they had prexinct leaders wholed the proceed ings by default since no one else knew what was going on. I did not see any party officials.

    Ended up with four delegates for Obama and three for Hillary from my precinct. I am a Hillary delegate.

    Just got a call from another friend (none / 0) (#7)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 10:05:34 PM EST
    who was a mile from me at a different school. Same story...overflowing crowd, mostly young and white. Her caucus was 75 Obama, 25 Hillary, 2 uncommitted.

    Knight Academy (none / 0) (#8)
    by gaitor on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 10:21:49 PM EST
    Just got back from caucus at Knight Academy. It sounds like mine was much better organized than what you described. The tone of the Obama supporters in my room surprised me--they were more angry than hopeful. Clinton speakers spoke about Hillary and why she will make a great President and candidate in the general. Obama supporters talked about how angry they are at everyone and everything democrat. It seems to me that his campaign and his supporters are awfully divisive for a candidate running on unity.

    We ended up going 3 delegates to Clinton (I am one of them) and 4 delegates to Obama.

    I sat next to you (none / 0) (#9)
    by Trips on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 11:41:24 PM EST
    Hello, thought I'd create an account and say thanks for humoring me tonight at the caucus when I bumped into you and said "Hey, aren't you Jeralyn?" and then started asking you all about the numbers coming  in on your lappy in while you were live blogging. Very gracious of you. 527 represent.


    Thanks Trips (none / 0) (#10)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 11:55:55 PM EST
    It was a fun caucus if a little chaotic and I was happy to share the results. Hope you stick around!

    sure was fun (none / 0) (#11)
    by Trips on Wed Feb 06, 2008 at 12:13:32 AM EST
    I put a bit of the balcony scene up on youtube, the clip begins right before they're declaring the final vote so I guess I got lucky...anyway, might give people reading an idea of the setting in a Colorado caucus.

    It doesn't want to embed in the comments so here's a link.