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shirenomadWell, actually, it took place yesterday afternoon, when I did what I should have done two weeks BEFORE the primary: I re-registered to vote in this county. I bring this up because I took a good long look at the Libertarian checkbox this time. Went by their website and everything. But in the end, I determined I agreed with the Libs and the GOP on about an equal number of points, so I went with the Republicans as usual. My logic runs thusly:
- If I vote Libertarian in November for any position, it'll be because I can't in good conscience vote for either the Democrat or Republican candidate. In other words, not because the Libertarian candidate is particularly good, but because the other two guys are particularly bad. I know the odds of the Lib candidate actually winning anything, so s/he gets my vote only as a protest. When the two big parties can't put forth someone worth my attention and expect my vote anyway because the other choice is just as bad, I like to remind them I have other options.
- I can make this protest regardless of which party I'm registered for. (I have, in fact, done so before.)
- California's a "closed primary" state, so in the primary, I can only vote for nominations in my own party.
- Therefore, registered as a Republican, I have a voice in which candidate the party nominates in the first place. (Well, not this year, but later.) I thus can affect whether at least one of the two guys in November is worth getting my vote in the first place. Granted, the effect is tiny, but then, it's still more powerful than my vote in November, when I "face off" against all voters rather than just the other Republicans.
- If I vote Libertarian in November for any position, it'll be because I can't in good conscience vote for either the Democrat or Republican candidate. In other words, not because the Libertarian candidate is particularly good, but because the other two guys are particularly bad. I know the odds of the Lib candidate actually winning anything, so s/he gets my vote only as a protest. When the two big parties can't put forth someone worth my attention and expect my vote anyway because the other choice is just as bad, I like to remind them I have other options.
- I can make this protest regardless of which party I'm registered for. (I have, in fact, done so before.)
- California's a "closed primary" state, so in the primary, I can only vote for nominations in my own party.
- Therefore, registered as a Republican, I have a voice in which candidate the party nominates in the first place. (Well, not this year, but later.) I thus can affect whether at least one of the two guys in November is worth getting my vote in the first place. Granted, the effect is tiny, but then, it's still more powerful than my vote in November, when I "face off" against all voters rather than just the other Republicans.
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Date: 2006-06-12 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-12 10:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-12 11:23 pm (UTC)Well, obviously my information is dated. I remember when Prop 198 passed, but I completely missed the Supreme Court overturning it. They still make it really easy for you to change party affiliation at the polling place.
Oddly enough, I'm registered as *both* Republican and Democrat. We caught it at the polling place during the last primary. I'm not registered as just Democrat, although I'm still on all the Republican mailing lists, including the book club, which is pushing Ann Coulter's new book this month. *twitch*
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Date: 2006-06-12 09:42 pm (UTC)Me, I'm registered as an Independent in a closed primary state. My friends used to laugh at me because I decided to do that and rubbed it in that I can't vote outside my party. For the longest time, however, I just stated that not identifying with a party was what felt best for me. I may switch over some years later, but if I end up living in a state which has open primaries, I may not have to.