2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

To the caller who was having to re-register as a Dem, here's an example of why it's better that way: The primaries are to choose the candidate for the particular party. In Texas where the primaries are open, people will cross over to vote for the opponent of the candidate perceived to be stronger in the general election in November than the candidate of the other party. Here's a good example from this year's Texas primary: Republicans voted in droves (I have no documentation, only anecdotal evidence) for Hillary Clinton because they perceive that Sen. Obama would be a stronger opponent to the Republicans in November. Luckily for Sen. Obama, Texas also has a caucus that occurs after the primary, and he came out of the Texas elections with more Texas delegates than Sen. Clinton, a fact rarely noted in the news reports of that state's results.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
view in context