Good Questions: Sunny Days, Pollsters & Caucusing

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Valerie from Minneapolis has been wondering if this winter has been particularly gloomy. She asks: How many truly sunny days have we had?

We have had nine clear days recorded at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport since Dec. 1. The Minnesota State Climatology Office says the mean is 20 and a half.

There have been 49 cloudy days (mean: 45) and 29 partly-cloudy days (mean: 19.3).

"We've had about 30 inches of snowfall this winter and, of course, there's nothing left," MSCO Climatologist Pete Bouley said. "It all melted, went into the air, added to the moisture - more clouds."

Boulay says more weather systems coming in from the south and fewer areas of arctic high pressure to clear the skies out have also contributed to more cloudy days.

Charles from Golden Valley asks: How do pollsters get our cellphone numbers?

"The same way as they get landline numbers," Rob Daves, public opinion and market research consultant with Daves & Associates, said.

Cellphones, like landlines, have their own pre-fixes -- the three numbers that follow the area code. Researchers will specify a prefix, and then plug in randomly the last four numbers. That method will give them a random cell phone number.

And Jeffery from St. Louis Park wants to know: Why do we caucus in Minnesota?

It is a decision that was made by state legislators in the mid-1990s.

According to Eric Ostermeier, author of the blog "Smart Politics," the history of our presidential caucuses, primaries and conventions have been a "crazy and windy road."

Minnesota's first primary was in 1916. By 1917, it was gone, to be replaced by caucuses and party conventions until the 1950s.

Both the 1952 and 1956 election cycles were primaries. Minnesota was back to the caucus system by the 1960s. With the exception of a primary in 1992, it has been caucuses ever since.

University of Minnesota political science professor Larry Jacobs says the 1995 legislative decision to end primaries likely had to do with keeping more power in the hands of the party, but has since then become a Minnesota tradition.

Minnesota DFL Party Chair Ken Martin and Republican Party Chair Keith Downey said Wednesday they support the caucus system.

"Primaries tend to favor big money, establishment candidates," Martin said. "And caucuses truly allow the grassroots to, in our party, to have a huge say."