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Do we need to rethink the primary process?
11/5/08 | republicanprofessor

Posted on 11/05/2008 3:44:44 AM PST by Republicanprofessor

Should we reconsider the primaries? I live in NH and did not vote for McCain. Ironically, I did not even go to see him during the primaries because I didn’t see him as a viable candidate. The independents crossed over to vote for McCain and I was upset that my candidate did not win that first NH primary.

However, as the process continues, I thought that perhaps McCain had a better chance against Obama; a conservative like Romney might not have done well at all. I had hoped that more independents would support McCain, but now I am not so sure. Of course, I applauded the choice of Sarah Pailin as VP and hope to see her in the next election. How can we better get our message and our candidates to the public at large?

As we second-guess ourselves, is it time to reconsider the primary process? Should we still allow independents to cross over and vote in “our” primary or not? I would love to hear what others are thinking about this.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: primary
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1 posted on 11/05/2008 3:44:44 AM PST by Republicanprofessor
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To: Republicanprofessor

Yes, the primary process is what got us a weak candidate (thanks in no small part to those who were hysterical about the prospect of She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named being the RAT choice).

I think the problem would be lessened if all the primaries were held on the same day. That would keep a front runner in one state from getting all the press advertising.


2 posted on 11/05/2008 3:48:23 AM PST by wolfpat (If you don't like the Patriot Act, you're really gonna hate Sharia Law.)
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To: Republicanprofessor

The liberal MSM picked him..


3 posted on 11/05/2008 3:48:34 AM PST by VU4G10
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To: Republicanprofessor

Anyone who thinks Romney, Thompson, Giuliani, or Huckabee were gonna beat Obama being outspent 6 to 1 and getting 80% negative press compared to the fawning adoring coverage Obama received is crazy.

No Republican will ever win unless they can go around the media and connect to the people like Reagen and even Bush did.


4 posted on 11/05/2008 3:48:49 AM PST by acsuc99 (T)
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To: Republicanprofessor
Yes. We should have either 3 regional primary days or one national primary day. Personally, McCain was my 5th choice (Tancredo, then Hunter, then Thompson, then Romney), but by the time our primary was held, he was the only choice. So I did not get to participate in the process at all.

And while we're at it, the RNC should push for a national voter id card, with a thumbprint. There was too much voter fraud in most recent elections.

5 posted on 11/05/2008 3:49:40 AM PST by Heartland Mom ("In all things God works for the good of those who love Him.")
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To: Republicanprofessor

Yes. The open primary thing needs to go away.


6 posted on 11/05/2008 3:50:15 AM PST by jospehm20
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To: Republicanprofessor

We let the Democrats choose our candidate. McCain lost this election when he passed McCain-Feingold. He was Bob Dole redux, except this time we had a real conservative to buck him up in Sarah Palin, instead of Jack Kemp.


7 posted on 11/05/2008 3:51:31 AM PST by MuttTheHoople (Bombing Billy Ayers-the Timothy McVeigh of his generation)
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To: acsuc99

No candidate will ever again accept the limitations of public financing, so the 6:1 spending ratio will not exist in the future. McCain has only himself to blame for being so naive.


8 posted on 11/05/2008 3:53:23 AM PST by wildandcrazyrussian
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To: Republicanprofessor

Should we change the primary process?

ABSOLUTELY!

First, no state should allow anyone other than REGISTERED REPUBLICANS to vote in the REPUBLICAN PRIMARY!

Allowing Democrats and Independents to vote in the Republican primary is nothing more than dilution of our ranks.

Second, states should be formed into four groups with approximately equal populations in the same geographic area. Each group takes turns going first. This makes campaigning easier and more efficient.


9 posted on 11/05/2008 3:54:45 AM PST by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
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To: Republicanprofessor

We need to educate the electorate on Marxism and why it SUCKS....it is a failed, evil political ideology.


10 posted on 11/05/2008 3:57:35 AM PST by Khepri (It's the audacity, stupid!)
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To: Republicanprofessor

We absolutely have to restructure the primary process!

It was set up to help RINO’s.

Conservatives should vote first, & no crossovers should be allowed to choose our candidate.

Can’t help but note that the guy who ushered McCain through the primary process abandoned McCain & the party as soon as the primaries were over.

Will conservatives remember it?


11 posted on 11/05/2008 3:58:56 AM PST by fetal heart beats by 21st day (Defending human life is not a federalist issue. It is the business of all of humanity.)
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To: Republicanprofessor
" ... a conservative like Romney ... "


Therein lies the problem.

This country is crammed full of useful idiots who think politicians like Romney are conservative.

There is an over abundance of socialistic people running for office now. It's called the Democrat Party.

Why should anyone go for Democrat lite, (the RINO Party) when they can have the full enchilada.

12 posted on 11/05/2008 3:59:00 AM PST by G.Mason
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To: Republicanprofessor
Stop the second guessing. We lost because we did not put a good enough candidate up against Obama. I still believe that we need true conservatives that can “Lead”. The American people want a leader. Obama proved it, his whole campaign is based on slogans of Change and Yes We Can. Not what I consider as a Leadership platform, but he was able to initiate enough interest that people went for it.
If we had a true conservative “leader”, who could engage the voting public on our conservative principles; smaller government, lower taxes, national security, etc. the principled issues would win over the emotional issues everytime.
I see many people who voted for Obama becoming upset rather quickly when things don't change??? I don't know what they expect, and I don't think they do either.
While our cross over voting process may confuse things somewhat; a true conservative leader would be able capture the enthusiasm of his/her own party as well as Independents and others. While the process may not be perfect; I think its our candidates that need upgrading
13 posted on 11/05/2008 4:01:09 AM PST by Billy Bud (Leadership)
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To: Republicanprofessor

If anyone can go back and see what Howard Dean said about the Iowa caucus even before that presidential campaign began you will see that it’s the dem primary process that needs to be cleaned out.


14 posted on 11/05/2008 4:01:32 AM PST by Carley (Vote McCain/Palin.....Change babies can live with.)
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To: Republicanprofessor
Part of the answer is yes, but there is another part that needs to be explored.

The 0bama win is not necessarily due to our weak candidate. The base was energized and I am comfortable they came out to vote too.

What we need to focus on going forward is how the other party effectively found new voters and got them to the polls. You see they, the new voters, have had a positive reinforcement for their actions. Their candidate won and won big. This is no longer a one time event. We have to work over the next 2 years to win voters back, we have to educate the new voters, and we have to find new voters.

We are no longer just a minority party, but we have been effectively marginalized. And it is only going to get tougher...

15 posted on 11/05/2008 4:02:30 AM PST by EBH (The Day the Music Died)
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To: jospehm20

It’s about states rights. Do you you want the feds to decide how each state runs it’s primary?

Get involved at the local level. Only grass roots involvement is going to change this corrupt system.


16 posted on 11/05/2008 4:02:52 AM PST by Carley (Vote McCain/Palin.....Change babies can live with.)
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To: Heartland Mom

Voting reform needs to be one of the GOP’s top ten objectives.


17 posted on 11/05/2008 4:03:26 AM PST by Mad_as_heck (The MSM - America's (domestic) public enemy #1.)
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To: Republicanprofessor

We need to rethink the 19th Amendment.


18 posted on 11/05/2008 4:03:54 AM PST by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: VU4G10
We need to rethink as much as we want, but it we need to actually change the things we can.

1) We need to eliminate fraud by implementing voter ID laws nationwide

2) We need to express to the party that from now on, we want real conservatives as candidates. No more McCain, Bush garbage.

3) Campaign finance needs a much stricter set of rules with some serious oversight. We can no longer let the campaigns police themselves; look what it produced this time. I think it's important to recognize that we lost because we have had bad leadership and representation. We have had liberals running our party. Democrats unknowingly just voted in the same thing they despised the most, only 10X worse.

I am convinced that this loss has positive long term implications. Firstly, the next election will swing back towards conservatism depending on how badly this huge round of liberals tax us and run down business owners in the name of "fairness" (more like vengeance). Democrats preach about fear mongering, but soon we will see the real results of high taxes and free handouts. We will see our energy costs soar in the name of global warming and the scam taxes already in the works by congress. We just elected a president the rest of the world (including our enemies) wanted. In my opinion, he was funded by international groups (including our enemies).

I keep thinking back and remembering "read my lips". Obama will have a "read my lips" day in about 3 years from now and it will pale in comparison to what Bush faced. He has pledged to destroy the coal industry as we know it, and is quite obviously oblivious to how a free market operates and reacts to his ideals, or he simply doesn't care.

I'm certain they will be blaming all of their shortcomings for years on GW, but I have a pretty good feeling that will go over about like a lead zeppelin.

Keep your heads up, renew your gun permits now and buy that evil looking rifle you always wanted before it gets banned again. Just sit back and watch the show. Keep all your links and videos for future use, you all have some serious nose rubbing to do a few years from now. It's going to be fun, assuming we still have uncensored internet in 3 years.

19 posted on 11/05/2008 4:06:38 AM PST by FunkyZero
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To: Khepri

My friend, the education begins in 7 weeks. Just sit back and laugh. That’s all you really need to do.


20 posted on 11/05/2008 4:08:19 AM PST by FunkyZero
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