Saturday, April 03, 2010

Let’s take a poll.

Given the absence of action on the Democratic side in the May primary, how many of you plan to vote on the other side of the aisle, just for the sheer fun of it?

Imagine: I can vote against Mike Sodrel by voting for Travis Hankins, knowing that if by some miracle Sodrel’s money doesn’t triumph in the primary, the extremist nutcase Hankins will be far easier for Baron Hill to topple in the fall.

And: I can vote for Ron Grooms and help dispense with the latest local Palin wannabeen.

Trouble is, I won’t be able to drink Progressive Pints while doing it, but in the fall, SB 75 kicks in, and then … Elector!

10 comments:

Matt Nash said...

I have mentioned doing this and gotten dirty looks from some former party leaders.

My point is I believe chuck freiberger will win in the fall and I will support him. If there is a "backlash" as predicted by some and a republican should win, I would like to have had some input on who it will be.

Going to the polls to pick between Simon/Badger-Byrd is not worth it to me.

ecology warrior said...

I agree with you on Wisehart, she is a lunatic fringe sarah palin wannabe, as to the Baron Hill seat, Hill blew it by rubberstamping for Obama's healthcare bill so really wont matter who the Republican candidate is Hill is history, also point of reference Roger, technically under Indiana election law an election official can challenge anyone's choice in a primary so if a Republican official knows you are a democrat and are purposely voting in the Republican primary for such reasons as you stated your primary vote can be thrown out despite the open primary system in Indiana but as you say Roger, you are an unaffiliated voter right?

Randy said...

I would think that voting in a party primary when you have traditionally voted in the other party's primaries would be a signed declaration that you have no official allegiance to a party. An officeholder or party official might successfully be challenged if they were foolish enough to try that.

In Florida and many other states, you must declare a party affiliation. Independents may not vote in party primaries. Indiana chose differently, so as a matter of public policy, anyone can vote in any primary. That decision by the legislature will inform my decision on which party primary to vote in.

B.W. Smith said...

I'm voting in the Democrat primary. Call me old fashioned, but I still feel a lot of civic pride in voting, even when the stakes are low and the choices few.

Jeff Gillenwater said...

I'm with B.W..

I don't like the idea of voting for people I don't want in office, even as longer-term strategy.

That said, the concept of being officially unattached is attractive. The idea that someone is a member of a particular party based on primary voting is about as productive as having local parties with no known principles.

Paper or plastic? No thanks, I've got my own bag.

bayernfan said...

I'll probably vote for Hill in the fall because, if for no other reason, he voted for the healthcare bill. All Obama and the Democrats did was take a page out of the conservative playbook and said "Fuck you, we're going alone". Republicans loved it when Bush/Cheney did it..they don't like it so much now that it's been done to them. Strange how that stuff works, no?

knighttrain said...

I like the way we do it in Indiana. We do not register as to party but they keep the records, usually five years, so anyone can see the ballot you chose. HOWEVER, why should the taxpayers pay for primaries that are only for Republican and Democratic candidates and voters. It seems like this expense should belong to both parties.

John Manzo said...

I found it offensive when Rush Limbaugh was exhorting Republicans to vote in the Democratic primary to keep tension for the Democrats. I think if you always vote in one party's primary, you should stick to it. If nothing else, people from a party ought to be able to choose their own candidate.

bayernfan said...

This type of thing happens alot in Indiana. I'm originally from Washington County and just a couple of years ago we had a prosecutor who is gay. She was, however, a terrific prosecutor. The Republicans would not accept that a lesbian was the prosecutor, so in the last primary election, hundreds of them took Democrat ballots to vote for the other, much weaker Democratic candidate. He won and then the Republicans switched back to vote for their own candidate and the Republican won in the general. Sucks to game the system and I've never really been a fan of it.

Kathy - said...

I'm registered as a democrat, but I vote for who I think will do the best job, regardless of party. In my opinion, there are good and bad seeds on both sides of the party line.