Politics get serious with party caucuses

"Republicans, Democrats meet Tuesday."

“Now that the beauty contest is over, it’s time to get down to some serious politicking in Island County.Tuesday’s presidential preference primary election may have been interesting, but it won’t count for much in how Republicans and Democrats select their delegates to their national conventions. Republicans say they will apportion one-third of their delegates based on the election results, while Democrats are ignoring them entirely in the delegate selection process.As always in Washington, the party caucuses will make the real decisions. And they will take place on the neighborhood level Tuesday, March 7, in Island County and elsewhere in the state. Here’s where to go in you want in on the action.REPUBLICANSAll South Whidbey precincts will meet at the Bayview Senior Center at 8 p.m. March 7. Those precincts are: Clinton, Freeland, Langley 1 and 2, Lone Lake, Sandy Point, Saratoga, Austin, Bush Point, Deer Lake, Double Bluff, Glendale, Possession, Maxwelton and Useless Bay.Republicans in Greenbank and Lagoon Point will meet at the same time at the Progressive Hall in Greenbank.DEMOCRATSAll South Whidbey Democrats will caucus March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Bayview Hall. On Central Whidbey, the site is the Greenbank Farm. The precincts are the same as those listed with the Republican caucus information.At the caucuses, all those declaring themselves Republicans or Democrats at the door are welcome to participate. Individuals are elected from each precinct to attend the county convention where delegates to the state convention are chosen. The state convention will, in turn, choose delegates to the national convention, at which the presidential and vice presidential nominees are selected.”