General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Please explain why YOU bypass the Democratic primary? [View all]tabbycat31
(6,336 posts)It is 2014 not 2016. Let's focus on these midterms before presidential discussions even begin. We do not want another 2010.
Second of all, when I vote for a candidate in the primary (which is a token vote, because my state decides their nominees at a convention), I vote for the one who is most likely to defeat a Republican in November. My first choice in the 2008 primaries was John Edwards (dodged a bullet there). He dropped out of the race a week before my state voted, but as much as I liked and agreed with his policies (affair aside), I'm not sure if (pre affair) John Edwards would have beat McCain in November (post-affair John Edwards would have had his ass kicked). I'd rather see ANY Democrat in office over ANY Republican, and if that means that I vote for the most electable candidate, so be it.
I personally HATE purity tests (ask Senator Christine O'Donnell and Senator Todd Akin how those worked on the other side) and I do sacrifice principle for electability. I've worked on elections in now 6 states and have seen this reality up close. I might not agree with it, but these are the cards that we were dealt, and we have to play the game as the rules stand.
Changing the electorate is not something that is a short-term (one cycle) process. It's a project that local and county parties can take on, but it requires years of registering new voters, and educating existing ones. To win in the short-term, first a candidate who appeals to the swing voters (read not a flaming liberal or hardcore teabagger-- this obviously varies by district. San Francisco is a different ballgame than Alabama). And truth be told liberals have a long way to go. I've heard many times (on doors and at the phones) that the Democrat is too liberal, but I have never heard that the Republican is too conservative.