Monday, April 28, 2008

The Guam primary

The New York Times calls the Guam Democratic primary on May 3rd., the island's "moment in the sun." (Subscription required) This may be true but will it matter?

The NYT reports:

With four delegates up for grabs in caucuses on May 3, Guam is a player in the Democratic primaries for the first time. Though island residents cannot vote in the general election, they can help choose a presidential nominee. In fact, Guamanians need not be registered voters to participate.

This strikes me as a huge opportunity for Guam to draw attention to its political status as well as push Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for changes. The candidates can't campaign for support without responding to local concerns.

Today, Guam is represented in Congress by a non-voting delegate. It is marginalized politically because it has no political power. The Democrat primary is an opportunity for the people of this island to tell the country what Guam is about.

***
Note:

Guam is some 14 hours ahead of the East Coast. Which means when it is Saturday, May 3rd at 7 p.m. on Gaum, it will be 5 a.m. on Saturday, May 3rd in Washington. See: Guam Time Converter