Michael Hughes is excited.
A man with a passion for politics, he’s keyed up to take part in his first federal race – next Saturday’s statewide Democratic caucuses.
“I love politics,” he says enthusiastically.
This year’s caucuses are the only say Washington voters will have in choosing the Democratic nominee for president, since the state canceled the primary in December because the Democrats and Republicans elected to chose their nominee through caucuses.
Hughes, meanwhile, predicts the Feb. 7 caucuses, where delegates to the Democratic National Convention will be chosen, will be lively.
“People like the idea of a town hall meeting, and that’s what a caucus is,” said Hughes, a Democratic precinct committee officer for the Mill Creek area. “People can come together and talk about the issues and where the country’s going. I think this is what democracy is all about. It’ll bring people together in a way primaries can’t.”
The Feb. 7 event for Mill Creek-area Democrats is tentatively set to begin at 10 a.m. at Heatherwood Middle School. As of The Enterprise deadline, the Everett School District had not yet finalized the party’s rental of the school, according to 44th District Democratic chair Mark Hintz.
While Hintz admitted to being unsure of the turnout Feb. 7, Hughes says he’s expecting “quite a turnout.” Hughes attributes that prediction for two reasons: The campaign of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean has gotten people who feel disenfranchised interested again in national politics; and a strong sentiment against President Bush and his administration.
“Caucuses in the past have been very small, but we are expecting a big turnout,” Hintz said. “How big, I have no idea.”
Hughes predicted that Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Dean would do well in Washington, mainly because they, along with longshot Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, have done the most campaigning in the state. At Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary, Kerry and Dean finished first and second, respectively. At the Iowa caucuses, Kerry won the most delegates while Dean came in third.
Hughes, meanwhile, says he is backing Dean, although he said he would back Kerry if the senator were to win the nomination.
“He’s refreshing,” Hughes said of Dean. “He has a candid voice and is looking at what the core values of the Democratic party should be. He connects with a lot of people who just want to feel like they’re being listened to. He doesn’t seem to be a media-spun candidate. He speaks like the average citizen.”
Hintz said the only candidate with a set appearance in the area before the caucuses is Kucinich, who has confirmed to attend a Democratic candidate breakfast at the Everett Howard Johnson Inn on Thursday, Feb. 5.
Eight states have primaries or caucuses on Tuesday, Feb. 3, while Michigan will have its Democratic caucuses the same day as Washington.
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