Media observers Matt Palevsky and Bess Kalb witnessed the caucus at Brody High School in Des Moines and caught an example of what they termed “mob mentality” on the part of the front-runners’ supporters.

Writing at “Off the Bus” on the huffingtonpost.com, they have an article and video footage from the event, including the voice vote that denied Joe Biden supporters from attaining viability and a delegate to represent them.

The precinct chair explained to one of Biden’s supporters:

“We don’t have time to get the Biden folks back into a group … There are old women in there that need to get home.”

70 delegates were needed to become viable and Biden’s supporters alleged that they were miscounted and not given an opportunity to count all their supporters. The precinct secretary ended their caucus for Biden when he declared “Time’s up!” and forced the group to scramble for their second choices.
Biden supporter Kevin Owens explains his frustration with the process:

Owens said, “I want the second tier to be heard because the national media is ruling the election and that’s wrong.”

Framing the vote in terms of “more time” and “letting Biden have more time” the precinct chair puts the matter to a voice vote in this video:

So-called “first-tier” candidates’ supporters easily shouted down the proposal to allow Biden’s people to reconvene.

Palevsky had this to say about the event:

This vignette is meant to show the chaos inherent in the caucus system and illustrate how well-intentioned people can corrupt the democratic process.

Read the rest of the article at: Biden Stripped of Caucus Delegates: What the Faucus? Palevsky and Kalb were in Iowa covering the caucuses for The Real News.com, an on-line video news network.