I swear I don't write vanities often......may 3 my entire almost 9 years....(hard to believe so long already). Anyway, I am serious question and possible problem with a trend that I see happening among my FRiends.
First of all we are all upset with the RINOs. I understand it big time.
I hear many FRiends are being Independent to show the GOPe that they are sick of being ignored or worse. I totally get that too.
However, due to my FRiends turning Independent, it makes them ineligible to vote in the primaries.
I believe this is why we are not getting rid of the GOPe candidates and our Tea Party folks are losing.
When the Conservatives turn Independent, we lose that guaranteed vote for the primary.
I think that is a big problem!
My wish is for an edit button....so sorry about some of the grammar.
MD has closed primaries. In my opinion, the primary is more important than the general election because there are often many choices. In closed primary states, it’s worth being a registered party preference. In open primaries, anyone can vote any way they want. I used to think that was better but that was when I voted for the occasional democrat.
No longer. After the shenanigans this week, open prairies must go.
I go back and forth every time I register.
I denounced the GOP and being a Republican after the rules changes at last convention.
I am an Independent and proud of it !!!
I gave up my party membership when Romney was anointed the presidential candidate. In my opinion the presidential primaries were rigged by the liberal establishment. And the rigging continues. Look at the more recent Cochran-McDaniel runoff in Mississippi and tell me that wasn’t the result of dirty tricks and outright voter fraud.
If the Republican Party becomes conservative again, maybe I’ll rejoin. But I doubt it will happen. I want to see the Republican Party wither and die on the vine. To do so, we conservatives have to stop whining and accepting whatever loser the party picks for us. We have to support financially and otherwise those candidates who will represent us.
The biggest problem we face is all these open primary states. I think that if a state passes an open primary law, the party must go to a convention system. The convention is what gave us Mike Lee. We must not allow democrats to pick our candidates. The RNC loves open primaries, and loves having liberal states go first in the Presidential primaries. I don't think conservatives will be able to pull a Reagan in 2016. The GOPe learned its lesson, and has taken steps to prevent it.
I have felt the same way and have maintained my Republican registration so as to vote in the Republican primaries. However, I live in California, and the idiot voters in this state voted for an “open” primary several years ago. After going through the courts, the legislation has been held up by the courts. Now, with an “open” primary, all parties are on the same ballot, and the top two vote getters run against each other for state offices. That means there could be two Democrats and no Republicans running against each other in the general election. For Federal offices, of which there only are two - House and Senate, the top vote getter in each party gets to run in the election.
So, for Californians, the only advantage of remaining a registered Republican is that one MAY get to influence just who the Repub nominee is for a House and Senate seat.
I agree.
We just lost an election in Mississippi because Democrat’s voted in the Republican primary. Why can’t independents ?
I plan on keeping my tax-payer funded election office workers busy by switching back and forth as often as I feel like it.
I downloaded the paperwork to change to ABR (anythingbutrepublican) to send a message. If it looks like there’s a republican candidate that’s worth voting for in next primary, I’ll switch back.
I don’t have much faith - I have the awful feeling that our choices will be between Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney.
In my state, it doesn’t matter either way. You just tell them what ballot you want when you go to vote, they don’t care what you are registered as. I will continue to vote for the most conservative candidate in the primaries, and if that candidate loses, I may vote for the Democrat in the general election, if the GOP continues with their current antics. I want them out of power, and at this point I care little whether they are replaced with Dems or with conservatives. I just want the GOP to feel pain.
The problem in Miss. was that voting in the Repub runoff was not limited to those who had voted in the original Repub primary. I think that in NC, you have to have voted in the Repub primary to get to vote in the Repub runoff.
naps, I understand your point.
BUT,
when I hear of things the GOP is doing in Virginia to screw the Tea Party I just do not care to be associated with f-ing garbage like tha from either party.
In my district the GOP ganged up with the dems to get rid of Colonel Allen West cause he too is a Tea Party less gubmint type instead of the go along get along everyone is making big bucks like the party types are in to.
Is there really ANY difference between the two parties? Both simply want in charge to control patronage,