The Maine Caucus

My sister, Patti, took part in the Maine caucus on Sunday.  She went into the small town of Hope, Maine, population 1300.  She registered as a Democrat, and then was put into a group.  The group was made up of people who were for Obama, people for Clinton, and those who were undecided.  People in each group spoke, and one by one, each undecided voter, made a decision of which candidate to vote for.  One man simply couldn't make up his mind, and was unable to vote.  By the end of the Hope caucus, ninety-eight people voted, the most in history.  Seventy-two people voted for Barack Obama, sending three delegates to the convention for him.  One delegate will be sent for Hilary Clinton.  Patti was impressed by the whole system, and by the ability of those who spoke to express their point of view intelligently and powerfully. 

 Hope, Maine is white and rural.  There is an elementary school, a library, a town hall, a general store, and a historical society.  That is pretty much downtown Hope. It is small town America, as found in the wonderful state of Maine. 

 I visit Patti in the summer, and I've always been impressed by the beautiful home that her husband, David, designed and built, on their lovely, scenic property, complete with a workshop for him and a stable for Patti's horses.  I was never envious of her life style, because I love living close to shopping and with all the conveniences of suburban Cleveland.  However, I certainly felt a pang of envy on Sunday night, because walking into a voting booth on March 4th, and touching the screen or marking a ballot, just doesn't compare to the events that took place in the Maine Democratic Caucus last Sunday.