> Doug Mann wrote: > > Not only did many Greens attend the DFL precinct caucuses, at least one > attended both the DFL and Green Party caucuses. One of the delegates who > I saw at the DFL city endorsing convention also attended a Green Party > caucus. It appears that the Green Party caucus meeting that I attended > adjourned early enough for someone to be a late-comer at a DFL precinct > caucus meeting and participate in the delegate selection process. > In full disclosure I am a proud member of the DFL. I support multiple political parties including the Green and Independence party movements. In fact, I support most of the Green Party platform. I also believe it is healthy for our political system for any interested person to have a group of like-minded individuals with whom they can associate and, if their numbers are great enough, elect the candidate of their choice to office.
I am also proud that the DFL is an open political party that welcomes visitors and observers to its caucuses and conventions. I regularly encourage people to attend the precinct caucus of the political party with which they choose to associate. However, with that all said. Precinct caucuses are a party function, and participation is limited to members of that political party. If a person chooses to attend and participate in a Green Party caucus, they must not also participate in a DFL caucus. If they wish to observe - fine, but they must not "participate in the delegate selection process." Similar to our primaries where you don't get to vote for candidates of multiple political parties because the winner of the primary will go on the represent the party in the general election. At the caucus we participated in a binding vote for a presidential candidate. A person voting at multiple caucuses is paramount to casting multiple votes on a primary ballot. The caucus is also the first step in the process of defining the platform of the party. If a person participates in multiple parties' caucus they are in essence influencing the very philosophy of each party, which negates the very purpose of having multiple political parties. My final reason that Greens should not participate in DFL caucus and vise versa is that it is illegal. Minnesota Statutes section 202A.16, subdivision 4: "No person may vote or participate at more than one party's caucuses in any one year." http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/stats/202A/16.html Randall Cutting Seward REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
