[conspire] Non-partisan explanation of the state presidential primary

[Rick Moen]

If you're tired of meaningless drivel from the press about who has "won"
state primary elections in states that are _not winner take all_, here
are a couple of places you can figure out how convention delegates from
California will _really_ be selected:


Republican Party:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/04/30/schneider.california/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)_presidential_primaries,_2008#Delegate_selection
http://www.gop.com/images/2008_Call_FINAL.pdf

In short:  Each of the 53 congressional districts gets three delegates
(159 total "district" delegates), and whichever candidate has the
highest vote count in that district gets all three pledged to him/her.
Add one "bonus" delegate for California having a Republican governor,
pledged to the statewide highest-vote-winning candidate on an at-large
basis.  Add ten at-large delegates for the state as a whole, ditto.  Add
three party-insider delegates, comprising the state Republican chair and
the state's two Republican National Committee members.  173 delegates
total; 170 candidate-pledged, 3 not pledged.  (There are also alternates.)

National convention will be held Sept. 1-4, 2008 in Minneapolis / St.
Paul, Minnesota, to select the party's candidates.


Democratic Party:
http://www.cadem.org/site/c.jrLZK2PyHmF/b.3615511/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_(United_States)_presidential_primaries,_2008#Delegate_selection_rules

In short:  Each of the 53 congressional districts gets between 3 and 6
delegates (241 total "district" delegates), who will be selected pledged
proportionally to the vote count each candidate receives in that
district, provided the candidate receives at least 15% of the vote
within that district.  Add 66 "superdelegates" (party dignitaries) 
comprising 32 Democratic National Committee members, 2 Democratic
Senators, 36 Democratic members of the House of Representatives (less
four who are already superdelegates because they're DNC members).  
Add 5 other "add-on" superdelegates, whose nature I've not figured out
but are probably other party dignitaries.  Add 48 party leaders, pledged
proportionally to the vote count each candidate receives statewide,
provided the candidate receives at least 15% of the statewide vote.  81
at-large regular Democratic voters pledged proportionally to the vote
count each candidate receives statewide, provided the candidate receives
at least 15% of the statewide vote.  441 delegates total; 370
candidate-pledged, 71 not pledged.  (There are also 62 alternatives.)

National convention will be held August 25-28, 2008 in Denver, Colorado,
to select the party's candidates.