The Chinese have a curse: "May you live in interesting times." 

If the Republicans of Linn County, Iowa opened up a fortune cookie, that is probably what it would say.

We are at least going to have some interesting Caucuses.

The Iowa Caucuses USUALLY are an assembly of neighbors gathering in their neighborhoods, called "precincts," to determine their representatives in the state party structure.

Or at least they were, before it occurred to some that they could be perverted into a media event for the ego gratification of a few leaders.

Rather than meeting in our own precincts, most of Linn County, or at least the precincts in the county seat, Cedar Rapids, will be concentrated into "Mega-Caucuses."

You can find the information as to where YOUR Precinct is HERE.

You can find the information as to where that precinct will gather for its Caucus HERE.

I am hoping the Presidential presentations will at least be given to the entire room.

However, I see no way that that could work for the election of next two years' county Central Committeepersons, or the election of delegates for the County, District, and State Conventions.

Therefore, I'm really not looking forward to being in a room with maybe 1,500 to 2,000 people, in possibly 15 different groups, plopped one next to another next to another, each trying to have its own elections for a Caucus Chair, Caucus Secretary, Central Committeepersons, and Convention Delegates.

I am also not looking forward to the registration process that this will require.

I myself believe that the reaction of Linn County Republicans MAY resemble, in large measure, the picture at the start of this post. 

Another thing that is going to be VERY interesting will be the certification of delegates for the District and State Conventions.

You see, every county is allocated delegates based on the last general election.

In the upcoming year's District and State Conventions, Linn County will be allocated 167 delegates.  

Now, it is nice we will have that many votes,

BUT, 

We also must pay $50 to the state party for each seat. 

Regardless of how many delegate slots are actually filled.

What does this mean?

If we do not come up with $8350 to send to Republican Party of Iowa,

NO ONE gets to vote at the District and State Convention.

Our delegates will not even be SEATED.