So many ways to vote, and Iowans chose one of the most bizarre. Now, this state doesn’t have the weirdest way of choosing a leader — that prize would probably be given to Iraq and Saddam Hussein’s 100 percent approval in one of its “elections.”

Still, the complexity surrounding the inner workings of caucus formulas and delegate selection merited an article in Tuesday’s New York Times that compared the process to “the rites of a secret society.”

More than one person has asked this campaign season what’s wrong with a simple primary vote, something about three-fourths of the states will do in the coming months. Short and sweet and simple.

Indeed, primaries are merely the most civilized of methods for picking a champion from among these nine angry Democrats — better the simple vote than the Government of the Student Body “Rock, Paper, Scissors” system, the marooned’s “short straw” technique or the always-straightforward free-for-all.

A cynic might say the caucuses are understood — and often, attended — by so few as to make their results spurious.

Then again, another cynic might say ballot voting’s ease is disproportionate to its responsibility, arguing that countless numbers of uninformed and unintelligent Americans pollute the proverbial system with their votes. Both points are well-taken.

The second cynic is probably closer to the truth, especially at a place like Iowa State. Some don’t have the time and some don’t have the desire to follow the campaign. Many have neither, especially for the only known elimination competition that lasts longer than the NBA playoffs.

Although the news media devote personnel to the study and analysis of the campaign’s issues and popularity contests, some topics just refuse to submit to a consonant summarization.

The snippets of policy views from each of the Democratic candidates you’ll find in each issue of the Daily this week have value, but in most cases the whole story takes just a few more words.

That complexity, in theory, is what makes the caucus system work beautifully. Everyone brings an opinion to the table, and within each precinct there exists two, three, five, 10 individuals who understand the candidates and can objectively share information with the rest of us — the winter-toughened, cow-tipping, bean-walking, aw-shucks simple-minded-yet-politically-serious folk that we are.

ISU Democrats, caucus with vigor Monday night. Your participation in the process and your passion for your candidate are the very first step toward another contentious November election.