Dec. 4, 1999

Iowa Democratic and Republican parties make final preparations for caucus night

By Raenelle Kwock
CyberCaucus 2000 News Service
Drake University

DES MOINES, Iowa--Before media coverage arrive and party members participate in the Iowa caucuses Jan. 24, 2000, both the Democratic and Republican parties of Iowa are in the midst of making final preparations.

The nation has not seen a candidate like Texas Gov. George W. Bush dominate the polls and receive the most money. So the Republican Party has the choice of increasing or decreasing Bush's lead, while the Democratic Party must choose between two similar candidates. These caucuses are critical for all of the candidates.

Melanie Cloud, caucus director for the Democratic Party of Iowa, said she is working with all 99 county chairmen, and those chairmen will work with 2,142 precincts.

"Train them, so they can train precinct chairs," she said, when asked what she does with the county chairmen.

She said she holds mock caucuses, so the county chairmen know how to run a caucus from beginning to end, and they pass on that information.

On the other side of the political spectrum, the Republican Party of Iowa is also reviewing procedures, so everyone knows what will be happening that night. Ann Dougherty, communications director for the Republican Party of Iowa, said the organization director is working with the county and precinct chairmen now.

"Most of what we do is parallel to what [the Democratic Party] do[es]," she said.

Caucuses are neighborhood meetings that take place in all precincts. The two parties conduct their own meetings, in which they discuss any matters relating to the party and declare who they would likely want as president. Anyone who is 18 and over, and a member of the Democratic or Republican party may participate.

Cloud said about 25 television, 50 print and 20 radio organizations worldwide will be at the party's reporting center, the Hotel Fort Des Moines. The media are interested in the Democratic race, because it's so close between Gore and Bradley, and they're fascinated, she said.

Dougherty said the national and international media, including 15 people from Tokyo, will be at the Republican reporting center, the Knapp Center. There have been 200 media requests so far, she said, but they will have closer to 300 media people by January.

"We have to reach out and tell them," she said.

Cloud said she is not predicting how many Democratic members will show up, but they are expecting a higher caucus attendance because it's so competitive this year.

In 1988, it was competitive because seven people were running; in 1992, Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa was running and everyone knew he was going to win; in 1996, it was re-election and not a lot of media showed up, she said.

Voters should participate in the caucuses because whoever wins gets all the media and attention, she said.

"We're the first state to decide who's going to get the nomination for president," Cloud said.

The caucus process has been appealing, she said, because resolutions are voted on at the precincts, delegates from the precinct are elected to the county level and those interested in a county level leadership position are elected.

"It's such a fascinating process," she said.

The importance of the caucus goes back to the 1970s, she said, and it's not that Iowa has any more voters, but the media focuses on Iowa and New Hampshire because they are the first to decide who may become elected.

Dougherty said the caucus is necessary to help each candidate because each needs a grass-roots organization at each precinct, so other voters know they can vote for that person.

It allows candidates to come and meet with people and voters at their own homes, she said, and the media get to see one-to-one relationships with people. "We get to see real personalities ...," she said.

She said bigger states rely on advertising and political consultations, but with the caucus, people are given the opportunity to make a better decision than reading an advertisement.

Cloud, originally from Kansas and 1998 Drake graduate, has been working for the Democratic Party since June 1999. The 1996 presidential race took place during her freshmen year, she said, and her interest continues to grow since seeing the president seven times in Iowa.

"I'm ecstatic," she said, when asked about the Iowa caucuses.

Dougherty, a Sioux City resident, has been working for the Republican Party since March 1999. Her life has been impacted by seeing candidates when she was younger, she said, and Iowans have pride in the caucuses.

"It's neat to see all the attention on Iowa," she said.