Iowa GOP, Democratic leaders defend caucuses, foresee few changes

JOHNSTON - The leader of a review of the 2016 Iowa Democratic caucuses doubts it will result in major changes to first contest in the presidential nominating process.

In the wake of complaints about packed venues, precinct chairs who were overwhelmed and confusion about the process and results, which began before caucus night was over, the Iowa Democratic Party appointed former congressman and state party chairman Dave Nagle of Waterloo to lead a review.

Like Republicans, who conducted their own caucus review after announcing the wrong winner on caucus night in 2012, Nagle suggested Democrats will put more emphasis on training and preparation as well as finding venues to handle the turnout.

'The problem wasn't the accuracy of the counting at the end of the process, it was the jam at the door trying to get in,” Nagle said during taping of Iowa Public Television's Iowa Press.

He doubts Democrats will drop the use of preference groups, which some see as the most confusing and time-consuming part of the caucuses. Iowa Democratic rules require a candidate to have the support of at least 15 percent of the participants at a caucus to be viable and earn a 'delegate equivalent.” Supporters of a candidate who doesn't meet that threshold can join another candidate's group.

The use of preference groups gives caucus delegates a second choice if their candidate doesn't meet the viability threshold and because they help 'build a consensus on who the candidate or candidates should be that advance,” Nagle said.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' supporters also were critical that, unlike the GOP, which conducts a straw poll at its caucuses, there was no head count taken at the Democratic caucuses.

'That's not our system,” Nagle said, and changing it would require the Democratic National Committee's permission.

Iowa's parties cannot make unilateral changes because they maintain a balancing act with their national parties and their counterparts in New Hampshire, which hosts the first-in-the-nation primary contest eight days after the caucuses.

For example, David Oman, former chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa who this year participated in his 11th caucus cycle, said the Iowa GOP is unlikely to adopt extended voting or the use of satellite caucus locations because that would 'make it look a little more like a primary and that bumps into our pact with the state of New Hampshire, which we have to honor.”

Oman, a member of a panel that reviewed the GOP caucuses in 2012, said as a result of additional emphasis on preparation and training the Iowa caucuses remain the 'gold standard” and a 'celebration of democracy.”

'I came home from our caucus … and I just thought what a remarkable experience,” he said. 'The world is on fire, chaos everywhere, and we had a room for 240 people (with) 440 people - everybody was there but the fire marshal. Everybody had a good time and felt they contributed something to the process.”

Iowa Press can be seen at 7:30 p.m. Friday and noon Sunday on IPTV, at 8:30 a.m. Saturday on IPTV World and online at www.IPTV.org.