Do you vote in the primaries?

[Soriak]

Just something I noticed, but candidates largely have to race to their 'base' to win the nomination, then race back to the center to have a shot at winning the election. How's the voter turnout in the primaries? Largely the 'crazies' with too much free time on their hands, or is this a big deal in general?

Imo it should be just as important as the Presidential election, if not more. After all, this decides the priorities of your party and chooses what type of Democraft/Republican gets to lead the party. If only those with extreme views get to the general election, shouldn't the bigger beef then be with the voters in primaries?

[Tea on tuesday]

As an independent I can't vote in democrat/republican primaries.

[Soriak]

Asking out of curiosity: is there anything that'd prevent independents from registering as democrats or republicans to influence those primaries? Lots of independents out there.

Or, even more extreme: massive numbers of democrats/republicans registering as republicans/democrats?

[Vorph]

Originally Posted by Soriak

Asking out of curiosity: is there anything that'd prevent independents from registering as democrats or republicans to influence those primaries? Lots of independents out there.

Or, even more extreme: massive numbers of democrats/republicans registering as republicans/democrats?

I registered as democrat despite actually being somewhere between republican and libertarian just to vote against Hillary Clinton (Senate... sadly my vote did not swing the election ), so no, there's nothing stopping you. I'm pretty sure you can't flip flop so often that you're voting in all the primaries, but beyond that I have no idea what the limitations are.

[AngryGerbil]

Also, primaries are different in each state. Many require you to register with a party. Missouri however, does not. I can vote for anyone in the primaries from any party on any given election, but of course I only get one vote. You only have to tell the vote-booth person which party ticket you want. In 2000 I voted against George Bush twice. Once by voting for Gore in the main election, and before that by voting for McCain in the primaries.

I usually vote in the primaries but not always. I didn't last time because all of the Democrats were equally shitty and GW was already an incumbent. I likely will this time around though. I'm leaning toward Edwards but if I get the sense that Gulianni might get the Republican nod in Missouri, I'll vote against him on the Republican side....and all this while being a registered Libertarian. Personally, I like the way Missouri does it.

[Vorph]

Wtf! Giuliani is the only Republican worth a shit we've had run in decades.

[AngryGerbil]

Right, but he can win.

Long story short, I absolutely positively do not want the Republican party in power any more. At least not for now. Rudy winning the primaries doesn't help me in that regard. It's the whole "lesser of two evils" thing. Always has been really, always will be sadly.

If it looks like Edwards is a shoe-in for the Democratic nod, instead of voting for him, I'll vote against Rudy and for the most jesus-loving warmongering psychopath on the GOP ticket in the hopes that he gets the GOP nod and goes up against Edwards where he will lose.

[Vorph]

Originally Posted by AngryGerbil

I'll vote against Rudy and for the most jesus-loving warmongering psychopath on the GOP ticket in the hopes that he gets the GOP nod and goes up against Edwards where he will lose.

That guy is going to end up in the White House and it will be all your fault.

[AngryGerbil]

Some people play high stakes poker. I play high stakes voting!

I kid I kid. But you're right and you're wrong. If I followed through with my plan here and it worked out perfectly, except the theocrat guy still wins in the end...I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life and I won't be a happy camper. But ultimately, if we have Edwards (assuming some crazy ass shit doesn't surface about him) who is a relatively sane person lose to a Magical Underpants wearing paranoid-delusional hyperpatriotic fascist, I can hardly take all the blame. That's when we call James and Ham, make sure they're out of town, and then nuke Texas.

The primaries are fun though because it's the only time you'd ever find yourself voting for satan.

[Zeste]

As a Utahn, our ballots only have (R), so...

You can vote any way you want, as long as it's Republican.

[AngryGerbil]

Wool.

Missouri is historically 'purple' but recently red. Ban gay marriage in the state constitution? My state voted in favor of this by %73. Needless to say, I was almost struck dumb. I had no idea I lived amongst so many fierce bigots.

A GWB clone for Governor? (Matt Blunt) Sure why not!

Vote for GWB in both 2000 and 2004? Yeehaw!

Elect a female democrat for senator to usurp one of the most right wing and established GOP 'yes-men' in decades in 2006? ....yes? Yes.

We did.

You can too. Go go Utah!

[Faltigoth]

I agree with Vorph, I like Guiliani the best myself out of the Republican field. McCain strikes me as too much of "more of the same"; the rest of them would (in my opinion) be fodder for Obama/Clinton/Edwards, whoever ends up with the Dem nod.

Guiliani is the kind of guy who, I think, transcends party lines; something the USA desperately needs. He certainly isn't a "super-conservative" or neocon or whatever the hell they are calling them these days. Plus, hell, the world generally thinks highly of him (at least as far as I know) - something else the USA could use pretty hard right about now.

If it came down to Guiliani vs. Obama, shit, I would be torn all to hell. Those two guys, while maybe not the most experienced people, strike me as the most "purple"; I see Obama as the Dem version of Guiliani. He sort of crosses over, has appeal to both sides of the fence.

[voodoochile78]

Disclaimer: I'm 100% partisan in favor of the Democratic Party.

I think Giuliani is fucking terrible from a policy perspective. Furthermore, his entire image of a post-911 hero is pretty much a media concoction (the NY City Fire Department fucking hates him because of how he handled 9/11 and the time leading up to it). Bernard Kerik, who Giuliani appointed as Police Commisioner because they were best buds for 15 years and was eventually nominated to run the Department of Homeland Security, had to withdraw his nomination because he has ties to the motherfucking mafia. There's more, much more, but that's enough of that for now.

Giuliani is my nightmare because he'll probably win both the Republican nomination and the general election. The media fucking love him, and he is the candidate best positioned to say "911 911 911 911 911 911 911 terror terror terror terror terror terror terror terror terror 911 911" without simultaneously having the legacy of George W. Bush yoked around his neck. His true actions before, during and after 9/11 have already been disappeared down the memory hole, so he faces zero danger there from the media.

Sometimes I hear pundits saying that Americans are finally getting tired of being whipped into a state of fear with invocations of 9/11 all the time. Bullshit, I say. It remains a brutally effective tactic and Giuliani will get the most mileage out of it.

My heart reaches out to Republican supporters of Ron Paul. He seems decent enough for a Republican, and he has a true grassroots following. As a former supporter of Howard Dean, I wish you well with your candidate, and will shed a tear for you when the mainstream media finally gets around to ass-reaming your candidate at the bidding of the establishment candidate.

[chaos]

Hearing Giuliani talk about foreign policy is about the most ridiculoust hing I can imagine. This election is all about foreign policy, war, etc and he has absolutely no idea what he is doing in any of those regards. I'm pretty liberal as is most of my family and friends, adn I guaruntee not a single one of us would vote for him. He just doesn't have anything new or original, he's out doing his whole "appeal to the party base" thing now and it's even further distancing any moderates who would have voted for him otherwise.

Mark my words, Romney will win the Republican primary.

[Soriak]

Giuliani isn't going to win the primary - let's be realistic. He's pro abortion, pro gay-rights and a crossdresser... he's more nuts than Kucinich