Maine has recently tried both primaries and caucuses. Last weekend's caucus turned out more than 46,000 Democratic voters. The previous record turnout was in 2004 when 17,000 Democrats participated.

About 175,000 Democrats voted in the 2004 General Election, for a turnout of more than 70%. Therefore the caucus turnout was about 18%.

Whichever way one looks at it, caucus participation has substantially improved in Maine during the last four years, thanks primarily to the abysmal record of the Bush Administration.

Conventional wisdom, as reflected in the above posts, might need to be adjusted.

Of course there is still room for improvement, but all the tinkering in the world by party and election officials doesn't affect turnout as much as good candidates, reaction against the previous administration, and specific issues. All three were on voters minds in the caucuses last Sunday, and those of us responsible for running them tried hard to adapt to the demand.

Charley Noble