My View is Changing on Primary Voting

This primary/caucus season is making me take a second look at open primaries. I have ranted in the past about registered voters being able to vote for whoever they desired at the primary level. Some can, but in 28 states others can only vote for the candidates of their political party registration as in my state of PA.

You may call this a flip-flop, but I see my changing attitude coming under “learning as you politically grow over the years.” This year, it is becoming more and more evident to me how open primaries are a detriment to the 2 mainstream political party candidates by allowing citizens from other political parties to vote. Many conservatives are angry over the perceived moderate, Mitt Romney  getting closer to getting the Republican presidential nomination. I hear and read conservatives blaming folks on the GOP side. But think!

There are and were Democrats and Independents in open primary states voting for Mr. Romney. Some because they kind of like him and maybe voting for him in November. Others because they hope it will cause more trouble with conservatives and keep them home or voting for a 3rd party, thus insuring a 2-term victory for Barack Obama. Because of the latter reason, I am glad only registered Republicans could vote in the PA primary.

Now there is just one more thing to consider in relation to voting. There was a poor Republican turnout in PA and in other states so far. What does that tell you about November? It tells me that too many Republicans are going to stay home, vote for someone who will not be winning again, or crossing over to the Democratic side. That does not bode well. Please tell me I am wrong.

Voted

Well, I voted in the closed PA primary. Firstly, I must tell you that I was lax and let my PA ID expire. PA just passed the Voter ID law. I felt so convicted that I spent the afternoon getting an up-to-date ID. Although the law will not be in effect until I vote in November, the poll workers were asking for ID as a practice run. I felt good about being able to show ID when I voted in the evening.

I have already ranted about not having the choice of candidates like the voters have in Iowa and New Hampshire. If the PA primary was held in January or February, I could have voted my heart. In April and after there is really no choice. Voting your heart at this late date for a candidate that clearly has no chance of securing the delegates to get the nomination is futile.

I voted pragmatically for Mitt Romney. I see people voted for Rick Santorum, my true choice, but he is officially out of the race. That is futility, which is not worth it. It is a wasted vote. My 2nd choice, Newt Gingrich does not have a chance. His candidacy along with Santorum’s has resulted in deep debt. That  is really the biggest result of their candidacies. Ron Paul never had a chance. A vote at this point for either one is also a wasted vote.

There were a few candidates vying to be the Republican challenger to Sen. Robert P. Casey’s seat. The candidate that I voted for lost. Tom Smith is the Republican challenger. I will vote for him in November against Sen Casey.  For me, the bottom line is a Republican sweep in November – Presidency, Senate and House.

Rick is Out Before I Could Cast My Vote for Him

Well it is happening again. My PA primary is just too late in the primary/caucus season for me to be able to vote for Republican presidential candidate of choice. All voting for the Republican presidential candidates in primaries and caucuses should be done while most of the candidates still have an equal or at least close to an equal chance to win the Republican nomination. The PA primary should have been in the Super Tuesday or earlier.

I am ranting, because my chosen presidential candidate of heart and not pragmatics, Rick Santorum is out of  the race. I know I did say early on that he was another Mike Huckabee (my Republican presidential candidate of choice in 2008), but later, I wanted to be wrong and see him pull it off in being the Republican presidential nominee. I guess the polling showed that he was not going to win PA.

I though the RNC (Republican National Committee) decision to extend the season by having the delegates apportioned according to the number of votes per candidate for the first part of the season instead of winner take all would allow me a chance to vote for my  candidate of choice in a couple of weeks. But it did not help. Basically Mitt Romney is wrapping up the delegate vote.

My 2nd choice, Newt Gingrich who is still in the race, but does not have a chance, should have dropped out before Rick Santorum. Ron Paul who I found difficult to support never had a chance and I do not know why he even bothers. Here I am still hoping for the day when the PA Primary comes around I will have the same choice of candidates that those in Iowa and New Hampshire have. Pragmatically, that only leaves Mitt Romney who will get my vote in few weeks and in November. I am not happy, but I will not keep my vote home and help give Barack Obama another 4 years.

It’s Looking More Like Romney Will be the 2012 Republican Presidential Nominee

Mitt Romney swept the Washington, D. C., Maryland and Wisconsin primaries last night. Newt Gingrich along with Ron Paul are really out of the competition at this point, but what about Rick Santorum. As much as I like him, I think he maybe out of the competition too! If he loses his (and my) state of PA, it is over.

Mitt Romney is a moderate. So many folks on the conservative side are so leery of him! Some say he is no different from Barack Obama because of  the government health care he help to establish when he was the of Governor of Massachusetts. Mitt Romney is not a real conservative, but he is no Barack Obama either. I can see a Romney economic team implementing business friendly policies over the Obama economic team folks who are very much into deficit spending and government control of the economy policies.

Right now, Santorum is my man, but If Mr. Romney becomes the Republican presidential nominee, I will vote for him against Pres. Obama in November. If Pres. Obama gets another term , there will be little if no constraints on him to go government-run/control crazy, especially if the Senate remains in the Democratic majority and the House goes back to being Democrat.

Sadly, It Looks Like Alan Grayson is on His Way Back to Congress

Remember Alan Grayson? He is the former Democratic United States Representative from Florida’s congressional 8th district. He experience defeat in 2010 to Republican Daniel Webster. He is running again to regain his congressional seat. He is way out there in leftist progressive la la land. Remember his ‘Republicans want you die quickly‘ on the House floor!

There is no more 8th district due to redistricting. Those who voted against Mr. Grayson are now in the newly created 9th and 10th districts. Rep. Webster is running for reelection in the 10th district. Alan Grayson is running in the 9th district against Republican Mark Oxner. Sadly, indications are Mr. Grayson will return to Congress, because the district is heavily Democrat and he is doing well at raising campaign money. Mr. Grayson’s return will be a tragedy. Go here to see endorsements for his return to Congress from other way out lefty progressives such as Bill Maher, Michael Moore, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

I really hope there is a Mark Oxner upset victory in November. I leave you with the Oxner add targeted to Hispanics on Mr. Grayson and progressive support for abortion.

 

I Like Newt, But He Should Bow Out

I became a fan of Newt Gingrich because of his ideas. I was not accepting of his past womanizing and hypocrisy, but viewed his statements of admitting his wrong and seeking the Lord’s forgiveness and redemption in Christ-likeness. Therefore, I did not allow his pass personal indiscretions to get in the way of my consideration for voting for him to be the next President of the United States.

Since Newt Gingrich has hardly won any states and does not even have two hundred delegates this far into the primary/caucus season, it is quite evident that he will not be the Republican presidential challenger to Pres. Obama. His campaign is financially in the red and he laid off a portion of his staff, but Mr. Gingrich says he will remain in the race. I guess he is in the “Never give up” and/or “Never say Die” camps.

Newt Gingrich must be hoping for a brokered convention so he will have a another chance to be elected the Republican presidential nominee. I hope the Republicans do not end up with a brokered convention. I have many Democratic friends and acquaintances who feel that will happen and cannot wait for the event. They love all this indecision among the Republicans and feel that type of convention will emphasize even more indecision and raise up the weakness quotient. To the Democrats, a brokered Republican convention is a gift toward Pres. Obama getting another term.

 I reminds those in the Donkey party that in 2008 there was no clear winner at this point on the Democratic side. There was also no talk of a brokered Democratic convention. Then Sen. Hilary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama were in a tight battle for delegates all the way through June.

I have to say Newt Gingrich should get out of the race. He may gain a delegate or two, but the main thing that will come out of his continued campaign will most likely be more debt. Even if there is a brokered convention, I do not see Newt Gingrich as the victor. Now, he is like Ron Paul who was a little more than a blip in 2008, also in 2012.