The question here is about the primary. VA doesn\'t have a primary, so how YOU declare yourself has different considerations then Jocelyn.
I guess the to answer Jocelyns original question. As the primary approaches, she should look at the field, decide which side has the candidate she wants to support, then declare herself to that party... if she wants to vote in that primary. If not, stay an independent until the next go around.
Yeah that was the conclusion I already came to.
And thanks Dweasel for telling me what a primary is and what it is for. I really had no idea. :rolleyes:
Ok, so I am also a registered independent in NH. What is this fine print and what do I have to do to vote in the primaries?
It is pretty misleading in the beginning (hence my original post) but if you don\'t jump the gun and read it all the way through it explains it all pretty clearly.
http://www.sos.nh.gov/vote.htm
Sorry if it sounded patronizing Jocelyn. Just trying to lay out the logic of my argumant......
excuse me, what??? virginia doesn\'t have a primary??? [shakes head sadly]... and for the record, every state has a primary (or caucus). virginia\'s is 2/18/08.
Pfft! Phase 4 primary. Like it matters by then.
Just kidding. Good way to learn about something, research it while your trying to argue a point on .info.
hey, we
were part of Super Tuesday, dammit!!! [hangs head low]
and i agree, there\'s nothing better than learning stuff so you can argue better!
i\'m not sure i understand the problem. you don\'t want to be affiliated with a particular party....or any party for that matter, but you want to have a say in who that....or any party nominates for president. i would say that if your not a member of that....or any party, that it\'s not really any of your business other than passing interest. the idea of wanting to vote in a parties primary strikes me as being the opposite of an independant. you may as well just change your affiliation every election to whichever parties primary interests you the most. why bother registering independant at all? is it just to say that you are? should you be able to vote on BOTH primaries? like i said.....i\'m confused.
i think its like this~ since her primary choice is affiliated to a party, she needs to register as a member of that party to be able to support her choice. then she will switch back to independent, since she\'s not a supporter of either party, just the individual candidate.
i would say that if your not a member of that....or any party, that it\'s not really any of your business other than passing interest.
so, just because you don\'t agree with one party over the other, you only have a "passing interest" in politics and the outcomes aren\'t "any of your business"?? i could agree with this if there were more than two viable parties. but since all of the real candidates are essentially forced to come out of one of two camps, people who don\'t agree with the camps still have every interest (arguably even more than a party person) in who wins the primary. otherwise that seems tremendously close-minded.
can you tell i\'m feeling fiesty today???
never said "passing interest in politics". just refering to a "passing interest" in a primary election involving a group that "you" (the figurative you) don\'t belong to. the validity of the two party system is another debate all together. i ask again....does the independant want the right to vote in both primaries? if the third party gets enough support, it also will have a primary (i hope this comes to pass) and then we can all jump around depending on which candidate interests us that year.
i ask again....does the independant want the right to vote in both primaries?
Yes. Yes I do. :thumbsup:
No. No. No. This whole thread was started on a misunderstanding on my part. I read the NH voting registration page not very thoroughly (it is a pretty confusing page.) I was irritated not by the fact that I have to be affiliated with a party to vote in the primaries, but by my misconceprion that I was unable to switch affiliations because I had missed a deadline. The wording is confusing, and it seemed as though I had missed the deadlinde to switch affiliations for the primary. This irritated me because an unregistered voter can walk into the voting place on the very day of the vote and register. I thought that this was bullshit that they could register at last minute but I was past a deadline to change affiliations. Turns out that that is not the case. get it? My bad.
damn....just when i thought i had an articulate, well thought out argument that was winning!
Meh I just didn\'t word my original post very well. I just re-read it and is is pretty misleading. This is what happens when I am pissed and post without proof reading.
never said "passing interest in politics". just refering to a "passing interest" in a primary election involving a group that "you" (the figurative you) don\'t belong to. the validity of the two party system is another debate all together. i ask again....does the independant want the right to vote in both primaries? if the third party gets enough support, it also will have a primary (i hope this comes to pass) and then we can all jump around depending on which candidate interests us that year.
ok, just to continue a now hypothetical debate, why shouldn\'t everyone be able to vote for every party\'s primary? wouldn\'t that cull the best candidates from all parties, instead of having to choose between the candidates the parties chose for us?
ok, just to continue a now hypothetical debate, why shouldn\'t everyone be able to vote for every party\'s primary? wouldn\'t that cull the best candidates from all parties, instead of having to choose between the candidates the parties chose for us?
Because I would vote for the worst candidate from the opposing party
which really doesn\'t happen as much as you\'d think, but ok.
then why not allow undecideds/independents in? people known to be from the opposing side would be excluded to get rid of the crappy candidate votes.
maybe i\'m just being too idealistic, but living in a state where party affiliation isn\'t required, i\'m just confused why folks are so dead set for giving the two party system more power? don\'t folks want better candidates and more choices?
which really doesn\'t happen as much as you\'d think, but ok.
then why not allow undecideds/independents in? people known to be from the opposing side would be excluded to get rid of the crappy candidate votes.
maybe i\'m just being too idealistic, but living in a state where party affiliation isn\'t required, i\'m just confused why folks are so dead set for giving the two party system more power? don\'t folks want better candidates and more choices?
The more I think about this, the more I think you might be right.