



March 17, 2012 from KCUR



Cassville, Mo., is a little town on the edge of the Ozark Mountains. During the Civil War, the Confederate state legislature convened here. Tuesday, the Republican presidential caucus was the big draw. Most of the rest of the state will hold its caucuses Saturday morning.



Confusion On Caucus Night



The first caucus was a messy process. More than 250 people showed up, most planning to vote directly for the candidates. That was not to be.



David Cole, the chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, told caucus-goers that they would be voting on delegates to attend district and state conventions. Those meetings are weeks from now, where Missouri's actual voting delegates will be decided. The delegates picked in this caucus won't be bound to any particular candidate, and they have to be elected in slates.



The county GOP happened to have a slate prepared, as did the Tea Party. But most folks were blindsided by the rules. Cole apologized to the angry crowd that they weren't aware of the process.



More: By Frank MorrisMarch 17, 2012 from KCURCassville, Mo., is a little town on the edge of the Ozark Mountains. During the Civil War, the Confederate state legislature convened here. Tuesday, the Republican presidential caucus was the big draw. Most of the rest of the state will hold its caucuses Saturday morning.The first caucus was a messy process. More than 250 people showed up, most planning to vote directly for the candidates. That was not to be.David Cole, the chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, told caucus-goers that they would be voting on delegates to attend district and state conventions. Those meetings are weeks from now, where Missouri's actual voting delegates will be decided. The delegates picked in this caucus won't be bound to any particular candidate, and they have to be elected in slates.The county GOP happened to have a slate prepared, as did the Tea Party. But most folks were blindsided by the rules. Cole apologized to the angry crowd that they weren't aware of the process.More: http://www.npr.org/2012/03/17/148799478/confusion-wins-in-missouris-chaotic-caucus-process?ft=1&f=7