If you’re like me, you’re probably saying to yourself, “I don’t live in New Hampshire. I don’t live in Iowa, South Carolina, Florida or Michigan either. By the time I get to vote in the Primary election, our nominee will likely be selected by people I don’t know and the mainstream media.”

In the modern, flat world of the Internet, it’s silly to think that our participation in democracy and Party politics is limited by the state we live in. But it is.

For some in those select states and the media, the process works well. After all, it’s easy to direct resources and attention to only a handful of states. But, is this system modern, appropriate and effective? Are we, as respective partisans, ensuring that our “best” nominee is in fact that nominee?

For me, a Republican, I know that I’m going to be spending a better part of 2008 doing everything in my power to ensure that a Republican wins the November election. That’s just the kind of Republican I am.

But what can I do now to ensure that my choice for that nominee counts? What can I do legally and without uprooting my life to another state to participate in my Party’s Primary process?

Look no further than the National Presidential Caucus (www.nationalcaucus.com) for the answer. The National Presidential Caucus is our opportunity, in fact our ONLY opportunity, to participate and make our voices count in the upcoming Primary election process (unless you live in one of the aforementioned states). Registration is now OPEN for any and all Americans who want to their voice count both locally and nationally at www.nationalcaucus.com.

The National Presidential Caucus is looking to build on the phenomenon of the last Presidential election cycle where the Internet enabled nearly 5 million self-appointed citizens to organize and participate in tens of thousands of local political “Meetups,” Town Halls and House Parties for the candidates they cared about – on both sides of the aisle.

These days, every Presidential candidate encourages their supporters to hold house parties because they realize the importance of getting their supporters together for a common cause. It’s been noted that people who participate in house parties and “meetups” tend to donate to campaigns 5-10 times more than those who don’t.

The National Presidential Caucus will now act as the shiny prize for every Presidential candidate to plan and coordinate their supporters around. It’s already built – and all they need to do is encourage participation. It couldn’t be easier.

After all, it’s a lot simpler to send emails than to coordinate brigades of buses!

As former Republican U.S. Senator Warren Rudman of New Hampshire and co-chair of Americans for Campaign Reform recently said, “Democracy works best when large numbers of citizens participate and make their views known. The National Presidential Caucus is a creative initiative to use technology to promote gatherings all across the nation to address the most important issues facing us in these critical times.”

Senator Rudman is right. Let’s take what we know about the Internet, apply it to our Primary process, and start increasing participation in democracy. That’s just commonsense.

Thanks to the Internet, together, our voices can and will be heard in this election.

THE DETAILS

So what will a Caucus on National Caucus Day look like?

A caucus will be a two hour meeting on National Caucus Day, December 7.

There will be a discussion round where participants may each speak to their most important issues and to establish a group consensus on the top 2-3 issues for that caucus. Then, a second round of discussion is held to express candidate preferences.

The caucus organizer then posts the results at www.nationalcaucus.com where all the results from across the nation will be tallied.

Caucuses can meet at any public location and they should be small, no more than 50 people, so that everyone who attends can participate.

Each caucus will be for Republicans, Democrats, or an Open caucus. And all caucus participants must be of voting age.

Visit their website (www.nationalcaucus.com) to find out more about the National Presidential Caucus and how you can join or host a caucus in your town. If you’re interested, join the National Presidential Caucus Facebook Group, too.

DISCLOSURE: The National Presidential Caucus is a client.