Kansas Counts!

Kansas is one of the 23 "Super Tuesday" states having primaries or caucuses this coming Tuesday. The Democrats caucus at 7:00 P.M., organized by Senatorial District.

I have not paid attention to this process since the 1972 debacle with McGovern, but this year the races in both parties are tight and interesting, and Kansas actually does matter this time around. In fact, Obama was here last Tuesday speaking in El Dorado, where his maternal grandfather grew up.

This may be the first year since 1952 that a political convention actually determines the nominee of a major party. Growing up in the '50's I was taught that this is the role of a convention, but little did I know then that under the modern system of primaries and pledged delegates, the first ballot would determine every nominee after that. (Not surprisingly, 1952 is also the last time neither of the Presidential candidates was a sitting President or a sitting Vice-President.)