I attended the Kandiyohi County Republican precinct caucuses at the Willmar Middle School last night. A slightly smaller crowd than the one from 2008 but lively none the less. I think my precinct, Ward 1, Precinct 2, had the fewest people there, 7, but we had a good discussion on candidates, took the straw poll vote, and it was about the same as the rest of the state, Rick Santorum on top. I wonder if people voted FOR Santorum or AGAINST the front-runners like Gingrich and Romney because of all the mud they've thrown at each other and all the skeletons they've publicly dragged out of each other's closets during this primary season. Ron Paul came in 2nd, which he said he was happy with. Most people like his fiscal and social stand, but are frightened by his foreign policy of non-intervention. The idea of the U.S. minding it's own business is an appealing one, considering the one war in Iraq that's ended and the one still going on in Afghanistan. But with a new leader in North Korea, Egypt, Lybia and Syria in Turmoil and the nuclear sabre-rattling hater of Isreal, Iran, getting ready to send their Radio Shack missles over the border, I'm not sure we can be totally hands-off at this time. Some propose changing Minnesota's method of presidential candidate selection from caucuses to a primary, and I think there is some validity to that, but caucuses are still a good way to talk to your neighbors and get involved on the grass roots level. It was nice to see a lot of people under the age of 60 at last night's caucuses also.
