Press editorial: GOP caucus - or circus?

Idaho's population of 1,584,985 is less than the Mexican suburb of Ecatepec de Morelos (pop. 1,685,806). So why are so many presidential contenders tossing their sombreros into the Potato State's ring?

Well, as the saying goes, timing is everything. For once, Idaho is relevant in the sweepstakes that will ultimately determine which Republican faces President Obama in November. With 32 delegates at stake - more than Iowa, New Hampshire or Nevada - Idaho is a prize that has attracted visits from GOP contenders Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.

Four years ago, when Idaho held a May primary after all the shouting was essentially over, only one Republican presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani, made a quick dash through North Idaho. But timing is everything, and with a fierce battle for the nomination under way, Idaho has become a real player in presidential politics.

According to the Idaho GOP site idgop.org, here's how the caucus will work next Tuesday:

The voting will be conducted by secret ballot and takes place in successive rounds. Each round, low vote-getters are eliminated. Voting ends in either of two circumstances: a) one candidate receives a simple majority of at least 50% of the vote; or b) only two final candidates remain on the ballot and the final vote is taken.

Delegates for the Republican National Convention will be apportioned according to the Counties' state convention apportionment and the voting totals from the County Caucuses with the proviso that any candidate who receives more than 50% of the statewide County Caucus delegates total will be awarded all the Idaho delegates for the Republican National Convention.

In other words, if one candidate earns more than 50 percent of the caucus votes for the state, he'll get all 32 delegates. If nobody gets 51 percent, candidates will keep the delegates they won in each county.

The caucuses are closed to everyone except registered Republicans; however, if you choose to participate, you can register as a Republican at your caucus site.

Idaho becomes one of at least 21 states that now rely on a caucus or convention system to select its Republican delegates. Because it's new here, it's confusing. We've heard from some Republican voters who are skeptical about the new manner of selecting the state's Republican presidential nominee - or nominees, depending upon what happens next Tuesday.

We think the proof of the process will be in the pudding. And we're extremely curious to see which way the presidential winds blow in Kootenai County. Ron Paul is lagging in national polls, but the darling of Constitution Party/Libertarian Republicans might not be much of a longshot here in our back yard.