If the 2008 Democratic Caucuses were Primaries instead.

[retromike22]

How would the results of the 2008 Democratic Primaries be if there were only primaries and no caucuses?  That is, every state which had a caucus would instead have a primary.  I have to admit I'm still pissed off that we even have caucuses which are biased against the poor.   

[HAnnA MArin County]

I agree. I think we need to eliminate the caucuses. They are too confusing and disenfranchising. I'm a young college graduate and to be honest I don't even know how they work. What, you go into some place and raise your hand when your candidate's name is called? And how do you know if your vote (hand) is counted? If Missouri had a caucus instead of a primary, I probably wouldn't vote either because I don't know how they work.

I do think that there were some caucus states won by Obama that could have been won by Hillary had they had primaries instead. Minnesota is the best example. Then look at the four states that had both primaries AND caucuses and look at the different results:

Idaho Caucus 
Obama ... 16,880 ... 79.54%
Clinton ...   3,652 ... 17.21%

Idaho Primary
Obama ... 23,980 ... 56.03%
Clinton ... 16,122 ... 37.67%

Nebraska Caucus
Obama ... 26,126 ... 67.56%
Clinton ... 12,445 ... 32.18%

Nebraska Primary
Obama ... 46,670 ... 49.06%
Clinton ... 43,979 ... 46.24%

Washington Caucus
Obama ... 21,768 ... 67.56%
Clinton ... 10,038 ... 31.15%

Washington Primary
Obama ... 354,112 ... 51.17%
Clinton ... 315,744 ... 45.63%

Texas Primary
Clinton ... 1,462,734 ... 50.88%
Obama ... 1,362,476 ... 47.39%

Texas Caucus
Obama ... 23,918 ... 56.18%
Clinton ... 18,620 ... 43.73%

My point is that the results would have been much closer, especially in delegates. Obama won several caucus states by more than two-to-one margins, which I know is part of the Clinton campaign's fault for ignoring to organize for them but the DNC really needs to look at how caucuses are quite disenfranchising to a number of people, primarily elderly voters. I think had all states had primaries instead of caucuses, Clinton would have carried Minnesota and possibly Maine (it was pretty close compared to the other caucuses) as well as perhaps North Dakota and Nebraska (the state that lies right smack dab in between both, South Dakota, was a primary won by Clinton - a year ago today ). Kansas would have been much closer as well but Obama still would have carried it because of his roots there (his mother was born there).

[RI]

I think that Clinton could very well have carried Iowa, and if that was the case, she would have walked to the nomination.

[tmthforu94]

Clinton would be our President.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I tend to think that Clinton would have won.
So, please keep caucuses !

[Rob]

I tend to think that Clinton would have won.
So, please keep caucuses !

lol, agreed.

[CultureKing]

some of those caucus vs primary results are misleading though. For example in Washington state the caucus was the only one that counted for delegates, though for the republicans each represented 1/2 of the delegates selected. As such there may have been a number of democrats who switched to vote in the GOP race instead of the Dem. race. Also people really did not care about the primary, it was a beauty contest.

Personally I like the caucus system, it is one of the few times that we are allowed to have open debate and it gives alot more of a chance for voter involvement (especially in determining party positions/planks).

[Antonio the Sixth]

Personally I like the caucus system, it is one of the few times that we are allowed to have open debate and it gives alot more of a chance for voter involvement (especially in determining party positions/planks).

Exactly : people are more able to do a rational and conscious choice. Caucuses are one of the best forms of democracy.

[pogo stick]

Clinton would be our President.

[retromike22]

Here's how I think it would go. Edwards would win Iowa, and would be the populist, white working class candidate that Clinton transformed herself into in the real timeline. Obama would win liberals and blacks. Clinton would win hispanics and the northeast.

After Super Tuesday 2, after narrowly losing Texas to Clinton, Edwards would drop out. Clinton would win the remaining white working class vote.