Dems will gather in each of GA's 13 CDs on 4/26 for caucus-style meetings to elect 57 pledged delegates to the national convo. They'll meet in union halls, cafeterias, hotels and, in one case, a comedy theater, for what could be all-day affairs. Of the 57 GA delegates, 40 go to Barack Obama and 17 to Hillary Clinton. More than 300 have signed up to be Obama delegates; more than 50 are seeking a Clinton spot. The delegate-hopefuls "are e-mailing, blogging, cajoling, and in some cases, feeding" fellow Dems to turnout and cast a vote. They're using social networking Web sites like Facebook, to campaign and advertise their credentials and boast of their Obama or Clinton bonafides.
In each district, Dems will split into Clinton and Obama caucuses. Among CD 5 men, state Sen. David Adelman (D) is on the ticket. In other districts there are wives of congressmen, state lawmakers, school board members and other big names competing for open spots. But, 4/26 is not necessarily the last opportunity. When state party leaders gather for their state convo in 5/08, they'll choose an additional 19 pledged delegates from across the state. They'll also chooses 11 party leaders to be pledged delegates. That "has generated some strong feelings" among regular voters who don't understand why they have to compete with top-flight politicos like Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin (D) (Sheinin, Atlanta-Journal Constitution, 4/18).
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