Voting strategically?

[Subdivisions]

I was just watching a segment on CNN. They were talking about Republic cross-over voting in Texas. One guy, a houston businessman, said the Thugs have abandoned is life-long ideals and so he was supporting a Democrat (Obama) for the first time. But another guy voted for Hillary, in early voting, saying: "I voted for Hillary because I think she'll be easier to defeat in the general election".

Now I'm wondering: In this environment where McCain is the presumed thuglic nominee, how much of this "strategic" voting do you think is going on out there in those states that have held and will hold primaries between the point McCain became the presumptive nominee and the time we determine ours?

Have you ever voted strategically in this scenario?

Disclaimer: This is NOT a post in support of one cadidate or another and, since I do not want to see it devolve into a pissing match in GD-P, I am posting it here in GD as a general political question and discussion. Please keep your responses on the topic of STRATEGIC VOTING and not on the candidates themselves.

[Donnachaidh]

1. WRONG forum n/t

[blondeatlast]

2. I think it's a given in open primary states but I truly doubt (though have no way

of knowing) that it is very common to cross party lines. Average voters just aren't that aware of the strategy, I imagine.

As a lifelong Dem, I've done it in the Dem primaries to maneuver likely candidate I favored over my ideal one when it was clear the ideal had no chance, though.

[Justitia]

3. Everything I have read over the years says "strategic voting" %s are very, very small & have never

affected the outcome of any election.

The concept has been around since the nation first started voting, but it's really a non-issue.

What is amusing is to read how popular Libertarians in TX become whenever there's no Dem running against a repub in a certain race. On the very same ballot, the numbers don't add up - almost like Libertarians ONLY vote when they have a repub opponent (not when there is a Dem opponent) - wink, wink! This is frequently reported in the newspapers.

Yup, it's me!

I am a phantom Libertarian or Constitutionalist or Whig or Know Nothing or WhateverElse when there is no Dem available to counter the repub.
I NEVER miss an opportunity to vote against a republican.

:evilgrin:

[blondeatlast]

5. I always thought the numbers were pretty small but have no stats to back it up.

Most people just aren't that politically aware enough to figure that out, IMHO.

[On the Road]

4. In 1988,

I found I was still registered Republican in a closed primary even though I had changed parties. So I voted for Buchanan just as a way of weakening Bush.