As of Sunday 2/10, 5:45 PM

Statewide Results 2008 Precinct Caucuses:

Number of Precincts Reporting =93.3 %

McCain =25.4 %

Huckabee =23.8 %

Paul =20.7 %

Romney (suspended campaign)=16.7 %

Other 1.0 %

Uncommitted 12.3 %

Source: Washington State Republican Party: Caucus Results

About half of the Republican delegates will be allocated through the caucus system. The rest are to be determined through the Feb. 19 primary election.

McCain had 3,468 votes for 26%

Huckabee had 3,226 votes for 24%

Ron Paul had 2,799 votes for 21%

**As of Sunday evening, Feb. 10, Huckabee is disputing the results of the Washington Republican Caucuses, claiming that the party, led by Luke Esser, called the race for McCain too soon. Legal action may follow.

Washington State Caucus Results (Democrat)

All of the Democrat’s Washington delegates were allocated through the caucus system. The primary election on Feb. 19 is essentially meaningless for Democrats in terms of delagate allocation.

Obama had 21,696 votes for 68%, which gives him 25 pledged delegates

Clinton had 9,992 votes for 31%, which gives her 12 pledged delegates

With 96% of Democratic precincts in Washington reporting, Barack Obama led with 68%  to 31% for Clinton,

See the biography of Clinton’s former campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle 

Here is a look at several interesting posts by Washington voters who participated in the Feb. 9 Washington State Caucuses. These links represent both Democrats and Republicans, in no particular order.

Several of these caucus-goers comment on the lack of organization and leadership at their caucuses, which I also noticed in my caucus in the Auburn-Federal Way border zone.

My Washington State Caucus Experience--by Mary Jo on February 9th, 2008

One of the Usual Suspects – A long day at the caucus -Steve’s Livejournal,10:45 pm February 9th, 2008

LIVE Inside the Washington Caucuses: The Fighting 37-1838th– the Northwest Progressive Institute Official Blog, Feb. 9, 2008

washington caucus mania–by Beauty and Depravity, Feb. 9, 2008 [eugenecho.com]

One Washington Caucus experience –Posted on Daily Kos, Feb. 9, 2008

My Notes on the Washington Caucus Experience–by rons, Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 05:10:15 PM EST

Washington Caucus Follow-Up!!!–by Elizabeth Madrigal,February 09, 2008 11:57 PM EST (Updated: February 10, 2008 12:03 AM EST)

The Washington Caucus- Feb. 9, 2008

2008 Washington Caucus Report–February 9, 2008 7:16 PM

View from the trenches in Washington State, caucus day–The Other Dave, Feb. 9, 2008

As of this posting, Clinton has only won caucuses in Douglas County, with Obama apparently winning everywhere else in Washington.  One apparent reason is the strong desire by Democrats to actually pick the candidate who can perform best in the November election.  Many feel that Obama has fewer negatives going into a battle with the presumptive Republican nominee, Senator John McCain. 

Many Republicans prefer a November clash with Clinton, largely because GOP strategists know that if Democrats nominate Hillary, that would be like waving a red cape (or blue cape, in the case of  21st Century U.S. politics) at an enraged and wounded bull; the Republican bulls will go all out to prevent a Clinton Restoration.  Obama is a tougher nut to crack for the Republicans.

Washington voters historically tend to be both stubbornly independent and naively idealistic.  This is true of both parties, but usually more so for Democrats, though today, the pragmatists won out over the idealists.  This writer has attended both Democrat and Republican caucuses and functions in the past, and across party lines, caucus-goers tend to not like "establishment" candidates, but they tend to vote for candidates with their hearts, not their heads.

Many Republicans today said they preferred Romney or Huckabee, but acknowledged that McCain had the best shot at winning in November, especially against Hillary.  The average Democrat must have been listening to their GOP neighbors, because regardless of ideology, Obama has the best shot at beating McCain in November.  And Washington voters may have helped put him on the path to be the fighter in that battle.