華盛頓州很有趣，9號舉行一個caucus，19號又來個primary。
在民主黨方面9號的caucus決定了該州所有78席黨代表的分配，
19號的primary是投爽的，類似straw poll那種。這就很詭異了，
一般來講straw poll是在正式分配黨代表前用來測定候選人支持
度的指標，雖然很少候選人會對straw poll很認真，共和黨
舉行的straw poll甚至由Ron Paul獲得壓倒性的優勝；不過哪有
黨代表分完後再來個straw poll的道理?
共和黨方面比較囉嗦，不過也比較合邏輯。9號的caucus決定18席
的黨代表分配，然後19號再來個primary分配其他的19席。
文中Gregoire女士提到現在不表態，到參加caucus時還是一樣得表
態，因為民主黨的caucus不是秘密投票。不過這樣一來重要人士
不想公開表態怎麼辦?乾脆不參加caucus?還是變個裝，戴個面具
再去?
標題:Washington Governor to Endorse Obama
By Jeff Zeleny
新聞來源:The New York Times http://tinyurl.com/2x8cxl (需有正確連結)
SEATTLE – At a rally here later today, Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire
intends to announce her endorsement of Senator Barack Obama’s presidential
candidacy, adding another governor to the ranks of his supporters.
The decision places her at odds with the state’s two senators, Maria
Cantwell and Patty Murray, both of whom have endorsed Senator Hillary Rodham
Clinton. On the eve of the caucuses here, the governor conceded, it was a
difficult choice to make.
“Lots of people said, ‘Just stay out of it,’” Ms. Gregoire said in an
interview with David Ammons, a political reporter for The Associated Press in
Olympia. “But all of my friends are going to caucus on Saturday and will be
asked to make up their mind, so why shouldn’t I? It was time for me to make
up my mind.”
Endorsements, as the results on Super Tuesday indicated, don’t always mean
that the beneficiary will carry the state. (Mr. Obama, for example, lost
Arizona and Massachusetts, both states where he was endorsed by governors and
senators.) But as the Democratic nominating fight devolves into a madcap
chase for delegates, suddenly the endorsements from elected officials could
matter a lot more.
Why? These elected officials also wear the hats of superdelegates, which is
why the endorsement of Iowa Gov. Chet Culver on Thursday was trumpeted by the
Obama campaign, even though the Iowa caucuses are long over.
Here in Seattle today, Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton are campaigning in close
range. Until yesterday, Ms. Gregoire, the state’s second female governor,
had been unclear which candidate she intended to align herself with.
“He is leading us toward a positive feeling of hope in our country and I
love seeing that happen,” Ms. Gregoire said. “I believe the nation faces
significant challenges domestically and internationally and Obama is the
person who has the ability to reach across artificial divides and move our
national forward. Barack is that kind of leader.”
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