Do caucuses help or hurt elections?

Webb: Neighborhood political party caucuses are Tuesday night. If you care about who governs Utah, you ought to attend.

Utah's election system features just the right blend of grass-roots activism and broad-based voting opportunity. Utah candidates run an election gantlet that includes a series of tough organizational and communications tests. The result is elected officials who are battle-hardened and refined, ready for the rigors and challenges of public office.

Contrary to Frank's assertions below, Utah's caucus system works very well. The system gives average citizens some clout. It gives people who care and are informed about politics a significant voice. It provides candidates of average income a chance to win a party nomination.

Frank's suggestion to eliminate caucuses and go straight to primary elections is wrong on several counts. It would reduce incentives for candidates to organize at grass-roots levels. It would encourage expensive mass media spending by wealthy candidates on 30-second sound bites.

Party caucuses encourage political participation, including participation by special interest groups. But that's good, not bad. This year, Utah's caucuses are in absolutely no danger of being controlled or dominated by any single special interest group.

Here's who is out there organizing feverishly, trying to get their friends and supporters to Republican party caucuses: Nine GOP gubernatorial candidates, several congressional candidates, dozens of legislative candidates, the Utah Education Association, school choice supporters, various other education groups, gun activists, Utah Realtors, the Utah Bankers Association, the Utah League of Credit Unions, Utah conservative groups, a moderate Republican group, several large businesses, and sportsmen groups.

With all of that effort, I expect a record turnout at the caucuses, and no single group or candidate is going to dominate.

The best thing about the caucus system is that the 3,500 delegates from every neighborhood in the state carefully screen and scrutinize the candidates. The delegates look them in the eye, weigh their stature, charisma, positions on issues, integrity, electability and values. The phonies, the egoists and the shallow get weeded out. You can't fool the delegates.