Opposing Viewpoints On May 13th Primary's Presidential Impact

by: Kyle Michaelis

Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 17:13:40 PM CDT

Let's be clear from the start: Democrats in Nebraska will see the names of both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on the May 13 primary ballot, but the results officially will be meaningless. Nebraska Democrats held Feb. 9 presidential caucuses that Obama won overwhelmingly, and those are the Nebraska results that count as the two candidates battle for the party's nomination.

But just because the primary amounts to little more than a state opinion poll doesn't mean the results won't end up as part of the big battle of political spin that the Democratic race has in many ways devolved into...Some think it's possible Nebraska's primary could be used in that debate.

"Two names will be on the ballot, they will count the votes, and there will be a winner and a loser," said Vince Powers of Lincoln, Nebraska Democratic national committeeman. "I just don't think the winner is going to say, 'It didn't matter.' "

That would be especially true if Clinton does well, Powers said. Winning the Nebraska primary would support her argument that caucuses are not a fair representation of the electorate and that she recently has gained momentum in the nomination battle.  But others aren't sure whether anyone outside Nebraska will be paying attention to the nonbinding vote.

"I'm sure there will be people making every argument you can imagine," said Steve Achelpohl, Nebraska's Democratic Party chairman. "It's interesting conversation, but it's an irrelevant debate."

Both campaigns are aware of the coming Nebraska primary. Powers contacted both a month ago to make sure. Neither expressed any interest in getting involved. "Their reaction is Nebraska is done," he said....

Nebraska's primary undoubtedly will bring out more Democrats than the more than 38,000 caucus participants. The 2004 Democratic presidential primary counted more than 71,000 voters, even though Sen. John Kerry already had clinched the nomination by then.....

But Randy Adkins, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said he doubted that even a Clinton victory in the Nebraska primary would influence the politicking for superdelegate support...The biggest role of the Nebraska primary vote, he said, likely will be to fuel debate among Democrats over whether they will again use a caucus in 2012 or go back to having a primary....

Powers said he doesn't think anyone can predict whether the Nebraska vote will prove meaningless until it actually happens. "It's been a crazy year," he said. "It's just one more crazy thing that occurs."

You really have to commend Powers for doing what he can to make sure Nebraska Democrats recognize the stakes and make their voice heard a second time in this election.  That doesn't mean Achelpohl is wrong protecting the legitimacy of the caucus.  If anything, the fact that people are even engaging in this discussion is just further evidence of the caucus' success.

On February 9th, the voice of Nebraska Democrats mattered in a presidential race for the first time in decades.  On May 13th, their voice might matter once again in the same election.  That's an unheard-of, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  I just hope Nebraska Democrats take advantage and have some fun with it.