The Calm Before the Storm? (or vice versa?)

It does not appear as though a fast-moving winter storm that rolled through Colorado's front range last night will have any sort of significant impact on voter turnout for this evening's presidential caucuses, at least here in CO. The state is expected to continue churning toward the upper midwest, potentially bringing However, this storm is just the latest of several for communities across the four-corners region. In Chama, New Mexico where 33 inches has fallen since Saturday, Gov. Bill Richardson has called in National Guard support to help clear the snow-blocked roadways and assist stranded residents with collapsed roofs.

Above the city of Fort Collins, we only got about 5-6 inches of the dry, fluffy powder, but parts of the Denver foothills were hit with up to 9 inches. The storm is still expected to bring some snow and heavy winds to parts of Colorado's eastern plains, generally considered a conservative Republican stronghold.

Turnout is expected to be high across most parts of the state. Colorado is one of several states that moved up its party primary elections to increase voter turnout and attract more candidate attention. Republican and Democratic officials are both predicting record-turnouts for tonight's caucus. Yet, I must wait.

And as tough as it is for me to do so, I basically need to sit on my hands until about 6pm (MST) when I will head about two miles down the road to my tiny little caucusing location in Masonville, CO (pictured above). The official proceedings at my local precinct will not start until 7pm (though the micropolitics are scheduled to commence around 6-ish when my neighbors are stopping by for a beer before we head up the road).

Keep updated with timely news at Virtual Vantage Points, and follow "SuperTuesday"on Twitter.


Denver Post
Rocky Mountain News
Photo: Tim Hurst

Giga Tuesday: Live-Blogging the Live-Bloggers

This weekend I was contacted by David Wescott at It's Not a Lecture to participate in a project he and others are working on for Giga Tuesday. Essentially, David and others will be 'live-blogging the live-bloggers' at all day long and well into the night at Virtual Vantage Points. In addition to the team of analysts and blog-monitors he is working with at Virtual Vantage Points, Wescott also recommends that you follow along "SuperTuesday"on Twitter.

Instead of merely following the ubiquitous and mundane exit polls and incomplete returns, Wescott et al are taking punditry to a whole new level. Wescott writes:

"I'm going to look at how communities you wouldn't necessarily think of as inherently political discuss the primary and if they use their blogs or networks to get more involved. I'm particularly interested in the environmental community, which I haven't heard much about in the debates or from mainstream media. I'll be looking at them over the course of the evening and passing along any nuggets of wisdom I find. I'm also going to compare and contrast the discussions from political bloggers in different states, to see if national issues are truly the driving topics or if there are state-based issues playing a leading role."

Cool, huh? Wescott plans on focusing on the environmental community and their take on today's election returns.

The party has already begun at Virtual Vantage Points and at SuperTuesday on Twitter, so be sure to stop in for this first-of-its-kind event. And if you can vote today. Please vote and tell your friends to vote (be sure to thank a pollworker).If you are still undecided and need some last minute help, Jason Phillip has put together some very useful links at Sustainablog that will help you green your vote.

Thanks. And be sure to check back throughout the day for updates at ecopolitology, Virtual Vantage Points and at SuperTuesday on Twitter.

Caucusing on Giga Tuesday? Watch This Video

I'm sorry, but I really don't want two days in one week officially referred to as 'super.' This Sunday, I am hoping that the New England Patriots will beat the N.Y. Giants in the NFL's 'Super Bowl.' Then, just two days later, 20+ states will hold their presidential caucuses & primaries on what is often referred to as 'Super Tuesday.' But, because so many states have moved up their primary dates to attract more attention and increase voter participation, this will be the largest Super Tuesday ever, leading some pundits to refer to it as 'Super Duper Tuesday' or, even worse, 'Tsunami Tuesday.'

Personally, I think 'Tsunami Tuesday' has its obvious drawbacks. And I think 'Super Tuesday' is kind of played. I do not have a problem with days being super. However, labeling them super before they have even happened, just sets us up for disappointment. What if they aren't super at all? Alas, I concede that a name would be useful. My favorite? Giga Tuesday.

So, on Giga Tuesday 2008, I will be joining my neighbors in an exurban enclave of Larimer County, CO. I do not expect there to be a tremendous number of people, which is all the more reason for me to sharpen my micropolitical skills. And as a politologist, I am really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, my first choice has recently dropped out of the race, leaving me as officially undecided (though unofficially, decided). While I did not expect him to win, his platform had very strong environmental policy.

Want to know more about what the heck you are supposed to do in a caucus? Watch this clever, short and simple video that lays out the order of operations, what is expected of you, and what you should expect of the caucus.[Note: this video is produced by the Obama folks for the Colorado Caucus, but is applicable for any of Giga Tuesday's caucuses.

Map Key: Blue denotes Democratic-only caucuses (3), Red denotes Republican-only state conventions (2), and Purple represents states holding elections for both parties

Map Source: Wikipedia