Transcript for the Piece Audio version of Texas Two-Step Con't

Swank/Texas Caucus Problems SCRIPT 3/12/08
Texas Democratic Party Communication Director Hector Nieto {Nee-eh-toe} recognizes the Lone Star state?s late role in the primary process.
Nieto Cut 1: ?Texas has never been a significant factor. In order for this to occur, stars had to align for Texas to be in this position right now.? (0:08)

With a race dictated by single digit leads the stage was set for a record-breaking democratic primary that would influence the nation. Voters confused about the Texas two-step process of both primaries and precinct conventions had little to dance about. Registered voter James McNeal negotiated long lines, inaccurate times and a situation that left him frustrated.
McNeal Cut 1: ?An analogy would be in school when you get your test grade back and your teacher just puts the big stack of test papers and everybody just scrambles for their paper.? (0:06)

Last week McNeal?s precinct in Kyle, Texas was clogged with 800 people. 25 attended in 2004. McNeal says the chaos caused at least 300 people to leave before they stated their preference. Nieto acknowledges the problem.
Nieto Cut 2: ?When you have a million people across the state participating in precinct conventions you?re going to have some confusion, you?re going to have people in cramped rooms, you?re going to have people miscommunicating. And believe me those are good problems to have. I mean right now, I assure you the Republican Party wishes they had these problems.? (0:20)

Maybe, but there?s one problem the Republican Party is hardly envious of. That?s the threat of a lawsuit from the League of United Latin American Citizens. Luis Vera is LULAC?s national attorney who says many precincts were unprepared for the large turnout of Latino voters.
Vera Cut 1: ?Many of the packages have absolutely nothing with Spanish Language material to explain to the people in the Spanish language what was going on. Almost a million Latinos, predominately Mexican American that voted in this primary during the day and were prevented for different reasons from voting at night, so that?s what we?re looking at and those are the communications we?re having with the Texas Democratic Party right now.? (0:25)

Nieto Cut 3: ?I know our attorney has spoken or has sent communication to the LULAC attorney.? (0:07)

Again, Democrat Hector Nieto.

Nieto Cut 4: ?In order to start communication as to what is going on and what concerns they had.? (0:07)

Nieto says the Democratic Party hopes to resolve any problems with negotiations. But, political expert Ross Ramsey who edits the Texas Weekly, thinks negotiations may not be enough.
Ramsey Cut 1: ?As a result of these problems, if because you didn?t put enough packets out there or you didn?t do this or didn?t do that or whatever you did, if you didn?t get a result that people trust then you?ve got problems.? (0:14)

The TDP is under tremendous pressure to reform the process.
Ramsey Cut 2: ?Two of the past three chairs of the Democratic Party including the current one, Boyd Richie, have said we need to change this system. That?s as close as they?re going to get to saying this is absolutely nuts, but this is absolutely nuts.? (0:11)

Nieto says it?s not his party?s responsibility to bring this change.
Nieto Cut 5: ?This is going to be something that grassroots organizers will be the ones moving and pushing resolutions like this throughout the state and making sure they get to the floor at the state convention so that thousands of democrats can vote on them.? (0:14)

Some proposed solutions include changing the date of the precinct conventions, simplifying a complex 32-page rule packet and even abolishing the system altogether. Because the state?s influence in this election, any proposed solution to the process could have a national impact.
Ramsey Cut 3: ?If Texas is a really important part of the final answer to which of these candidates gets the most elections, then potentially you?ve got a Florida situation where people are raising hell.? (0:11)

The TDP wants to avoid a repeat of the 2000 presidential election in Florida. That?s when problems over voter representation led to an election outcome determined by the legal system. As for the Texas delegate count and any proposed changes they won?t determined until the state convention in early June.

For Next Generation Radio I?m Adam Swank.