Caucusing: Easy as pie?

Here's where it gets complicated.

The Democratic caucus process requires that a candidate have the support of 15 percent of the total attendees to be "viable" in any given precinct. At the Knoxville pie contest, for example, the total count of mock caucus-goers was 37, so each pie required six supporters (37 multiplied by 0.15) to stay in the game. At first count, only apple and rhubarb met that threshold, so supporters of rival pies had to "realign" into viable factions.

Similarly, at the real caucus in January, supporters of nonviable candidates will have to shift to create stronger groups.

Unless they don't. A campaign that is at risk of losing its viability can band together with another nonviable campaign. (At the pie caucus, the predictable partnership of cherry and blueberry yielded the formation of a single pro-blueberry group.)

Even more complex: nonviable campaigns can also recruit supporters from dominant campaigns by arguing that a few castoffs won't hurt an already-viable group and will rob delegates from rivals. Negotiations like that could provide minor victories statewide for some of the second-tier candidates, which could theoretically result in a surprise third-place showing for the camp that harnesses the system in the most effective way.

But if nonviable campaigns can't garner the needed 15 percent, their supporters will be wooed by those that can. This is where the oft-discussed "second choice" becomes important; caucus-goers usually go into their precinct meetings with a good sense of whether or not their guy (or gal) will stay alive, so most consider their backup candidate.

So, for example, despite the protestations of some members, a few cherry supporters were won over by the well-organized captain of the apple team.

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But wait, there's more. Caucuses, unlike primaries, are neither a one-person-one-vote nor a winner-take-all contest. Each precinct assigns a set number of delegates to the county convention, meaning that several campaigns can tally support in any given locale.

So, in the end in Knoxville, even though the all-American apple pie garnered the most supporters after nabbing a number of former blueberry loyalists, it only won four of the 10 delegate points allotted. The other viable groups -- pineapple, rhubarb and blueberry -- each won two.

In some cases the allotment of delegates can be so mathematically close that a coin-toss is needed.

Confused yet? Veteran caucus organizers are quick to explain to newcomers that they don't have to understand all the rules to participate. But it's undeniable that the campaign that grasps the ins and outs of the caucus process will be in the best position to come out on top at the end of that cold night about a month from now.

And despite the complexity of the caucus procedure, there was one rule that everyone in Knoxville could agree on.

"Please eat a piece of pie before you go."

"But," clarified Henry, "You don't have to eat the pie you caucused for."

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