Re: Independents
 

Because you've bought in to the notion that a party is something you register for. Why should it be? You don't have to "register" to volunteer, give money or vote in the general election. Why should the party want to restrict this particular form of participation in this way?

It is undemocratic. That doesn't make it inappropriate.

1. Who said anything about "right?"

2. Yes, it should be open to everyone.

Re: Is Ted Cruz Satan? Discuss.
 

What a dumbass. He had no shot here anyway, but why piss us off to show your already lunatic supporters that you hate New York [Jewish] values? So stupid.

This dude got clowned in New York, from the Bronx hand-shakes to the big money sit-downs. Fuck outta here!

TM

Re: Is Ted Cruz Satan? Discuss.
 

https://youtu.be/MCoAwpQagm0?t=50s

Make a nigga say, "Where rewind at?"

Back when you could listen to Mase lyrics (because Biggie wrote them all).

TM

Re: Is Ted Cruz Satan? Discuss.
 

If only NY could have KO'd Cruz without supporting Trump....

Oh well. Drop a house on one witch, get the other with a pail of water....

Re: Is Ted Cruz Satan? Discuss.
 

Asshole has no clue about this country. He lives a small-minded, hellish little world of white country club texans.

Re: Independents
 

Why have primaries at all?

Hell, if we wanted to get rid of our current two-party system, this would do it pretty quickly.

TM

Re: Is Ted Cruz Satan? Discuss.
 

And Goldman Sachs mixers?

TM

Re: Independents
 

Except that there are states (and DC, btw) already do it this way and don't seem to have their parties collapse.

Heck, Minnesota does for non-presidential nominations. There are rumors of cross-over movements, but they never amount to much.

Re: Is Ted Cruz Satan? Discuss.
 

If you're doing GS mixers for diversity, you have a problem.

Re: Independents
 

Right now, Presidentials get tested under about 20 different sets of rules among all kinds of electorates. Every time I look at an alternative, I see the advantage of the diversity of rules.

Over on TM's FB page, one of the Berners was advocating a national primary on a single day, not stopping to think that that would be won by the biggest media buy and most established candidate - no chance for an outsider to build up a head of steam, compete in a bunch of smaller venues before hitting the big time.

If I could make changes, I might get rid of caucuses and I'd put some more diverse but still small states up front (maybe Rhode Island and Louisiana instead of NH and Iowa, for example). But I'd let different states make up their own rules for primaries.

Re: Independents
 

Hm. What's the advantage? Like market-place-of-ideas or something? Otherwise, it's hard to see the advantage in diversity other than tipping the playing field toward the party insiders who know how to work them. That may or may not be an advantage, depending on your point of view.

Yeah, its the sort of thing that sounds good before you think about it too much.

It's not up to me, and states can pick their own rules, but I'd still suggest that the best option is an open primary, perhaps with the order rotating among states.

Re: Independents
 

California does it for non-presidential elections too. But in the presidential primaries, independents can vote in the Dem primary but not the Republican, and no cross-over voters.

Given California's size and the general scheduling of the primaries, I could see a situation where one party has a certain candidate and people cross-over just to vote for the weaker candidate in the other party. Could that happen in big enough numbers to matter? I don't know -- but with the GOP structure, where every district elects three delegates, even a small percentage of cross-over Dems/independents could swamp the registered Republicans in certain districts.

I think party registration should mean something, but more importantly I think that the states have enough differences that there should not be a one-size-fits-all solution.

But I would toss caucuses out the window.

Re: Independents
 

Yes, this. The out-sized influence of Iowa is ridiculous.

Re: Independents
 

Yes. I think we've all had our fill of corn at this point.

TM

Re: Is Ted Cruz Satan? Discuss.
 

Cruz is now mathematically incapable of securing the necessary delegates. And in a brokered convention, its Trump or Kasich (Kasich is the only alternative to Trump, as polling shows him beating Hillary, while polling shows Cruz getting killed by her).

Goodbye, Ted.