Kent Bush: Texas Two-Step provides civics lesson

Our political system is just as ridiculous as our founding fathers had hoped.

Federalism was behind the majority of policy making when this nation was born.

When this country was created, most of the men who helped develop the framework under which this nation has operated for more than 225 years believed that a national government should have very limited powers over the states which form the union.

Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore - who was kicked off the bench for not removing a monument including the Ten Commandments from the Supreme Court building - obviously has an interest in state's rights.

"The whole basis of the Constitution was a restriction of power, and the whole basis of the federalist system was that there was not one sovereign centralized power from which all authority flows," Moore said.

That is why the president is selected every four years by an electoral college rather than a simple democratic vote.

It is also why every state assesses taxes on its residents in differing methods and amounts.

It is also why the selection of a presidential candidate for the two main parties can be so confusing.

Some states - ruled by common sense - hold primaries where people are allowed to vote via secret ballots. Others hold caucuses - glorified pep rallies that carry with them the idea of mob rule.

Then there is Texas.

Apparently the adult beverages were flowing freely when the cowboys came together to decide how to award delegates to presidential candidates.

Many clever journalists have coined the method the Texas Two-Step. I think a more accurate phrase is the Texas Tragedy.

Texas is a big state, so they decided they had room for more than one method of awarding delegates.

First they hold a primary, which Hilary Clinton won 51 percent to 48 percent for Barack Obama. It was a huge win for her campaign.

But the huge win will likely cost her delegates. She only gained 65 delegates to Obama's 61 delegates from the primary.

Another 67 will be awarded based on the caucuses held Tuesday evening when the real voting was finished.

Obama - the loser in Texas' primary - is leading in the caucuses. He will likely win more Texas delegates than Clinton despite his loss.

How? Complication, corruption and confusion.

There have been rumors that both candidates seized caucuses and locked out voters from the other side. Many voters didn't realize or didn't care that there was a second step in the process.

And Texas gives more weight to highly populated areas - this year those areas are known as Obama strongholds.

We don't know the final tally yet because the turnout was higher than expected and each caucus had its own idiosyncrasies. But Obama is leading in the caucus count.

This presidential election cycle has been equal parts gripping, grueling and garrulous.

America is getting a real civics lesson.

Hopefully, the protracted campaign has highlighted problems that state governments can address.

Because, thanks to the founding fathers, there is nothing Congress can do about any of it.

Augusta Gazette