Via Instaputz, I just heard about Kos's suggestion that Michigan Democrats take advantage of their open primary by voting for Willard "Mitt" Romney.
The thinking goes like this:
First part: the Democratic primary is meaningless this year, because the party leaders took away the state's delegates as punishment for moving up the day of its primary. Hillary Clinton, Kos says, is the only Democrat listed.
Second part: if Romney loses Michigan, he drops out, so it's better to keep him in the race for the purposes of prolonging the dissension in the Republican Party. It also makes the rest of the viable Republican candidates have to spend more money and it increases the amount of negative ads they'll air about each other.
I don't know if I believe that Romney will drop out if he loses in Michigan, especially if he comes in second. With the amount of money, ego, and lust for power he's demonstrated already, I wouldn't bet on it.
I'm also a little troubled by Kos's argument that Democrats should do this because Republicans in Michigan have a history of similar tactics; e.g., voting as Democrats for George Wallace in 1972. Without getting all high and mighty about it, I can't help but recalling one of Mom's earliest commandments: Two wrongs don't make a right.
But, it's fun to think about, and besides, I do like that poster.
3 comments:
By the time I figure out that... whatever it is you guys call a political system... by the time I figure it out I'll be on my deathbed. Pardon my English, but what in blue blazes hell are you talking about!!!??? I understand that party members elect the leader (just like everywhere else), but you can be a *voting* member of *two* parties?
Aaaaarrrgghhhh....!!!!
In some states the primary voting is "open," meaning you don't need to be a registered with a party in that state to vote in that party's primary, you just need to be a registered voter in the state.
This is the case in Michigan, which also is in a unique position this year; trying to steal the thunder of places like Nevada and South Carolina, they moved their primary up to the 15th without asking the party leaders if they could. On the Democrat side this means that they were stripped of their delegates, meaning that everyone but Hillary has withdrawn from the race. Since you can only vote in one primary per year, the thinking here is that if you were a Michigan Democrat who didn't like Clinton that instead of voting for "uncommitted" in the Democratic primary, that you would try to sabotage the Republicans by voting for the worst candidate in their primary, since you can vote in either one.
Adam: Thanks for filling in on the follow-up.
Kyklops: I usually try to bear in mind that not everyone who drops by here is an American, but I was a little provincial in this post. Sorry about the inside baseball. ;^)
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