There's Nothing Wrong With "Texas Two-Step"

I have never heard so much whining as in the last few days since the holding of the Texas precinct caucuses, known popularly as the Texas Two-Step. It's hard. It's confusing. It's unfair. It's complicated. Now even the head of the Texas Democratic Party has come out in favor of changing the system. What a load of crap!

There is nothing hard, confusing, unfair or complicated about the precinct caucus process. The precinct caucus was designed to identify those people who are willing to give the party some time and effort, so the party can involve them more effectively as party activists and campaign workers. It serves that purpose very well.

It was never meant to include people who only want to show up for a few minutes, cast a vote and leave. The primary was designed for those people. If you have nothing more than a couple of minutes to give, and have no interest in the party's inner-workings, then cast your vote in the primary and stay away from the caucus. The caucus is for those who want to help the party, and it takes a little time.

There were some problems in some precincts on March 4th. But it was not because the caucus system is flawed. It is because the party leadership failed in their duties. They did not sufficiently plan for the large turnout (although any fool could have predicted it). They did not have properly trained party leaders in every precinct, and they did not have sufficient supplies (such as sign-in sheets) in every precinct.

These are not faults with the system, but with party leadership from the county up to the state. There was no appointed temporary chairman and not enough supplies at my precinct caucus, but having been a Precinct Chair in the past, I knew what to do and our precinct ran smoothly.

I have run precinct caucuses in two counties (Tarrant and Potter). I can assure you that there is nothing hard or complicated about the process. The only thing necessary is a minimally-trained chair who is willing to be fair. If you have that, even a shortage of supplies can be overcome (but not excused).

There are changes that need to be made, but not to the process. We need to change our party leadership, and install some leaders who are competent enough to get the job done.