Have any of you considered "protest" voting on the Republican primary ballot instead?

[LAGC]

I'm from a very red state, Idaho, and there isn't much of a competition going on between local Dems here, and its an open-ballot, meaning you don't have to declare your party preference in order to vote for either party, but you can only vote in one ballot (Republican or Dem) during the primary. With the Dem ballot looking pretty bleak with not much action, I've been thinking about voting on the "dark side," for the lesser of the evils, just to try and disrupt some of the Republican incumbents' momentum, and stir things up on the other side. There are some libertarian leaning Republicans who I think would be a lot better than those of the mold of Bush, who I think could shake things up over there and cause real trouble. Anything to weaken and split the Republican base in advance of the general election, where I will once again vote the lesser of the evils, by voting against the Republican candidates who do make it there.

Do you think its a waste of my vote in the primary? Voting against the hard-core religious conservatives, could I only be making it easier for whatever Republican does win the primary to win in the general election? Maybe... but again, voting under our current system is all about choosing the lesser of the evils, not who you actually want to ideally see win. It would just seem to be the more pragmatic thing to do.

Thoughts?

[customerserviceguy]

1. Unless there's a real movement

to load up the Repuke party with tea partiers, your vote won't mean much. I do remember when Rush Limpballs called for his "Operation Chaos" to prolong the nomination process, but I don't know of any progressive leaders anywhere calling for anything like that.

[LAGC]

3. Well, I guess it all comes down to where would my vote be most effective.

In the Democratic primary, you have one guy whose from New York who hasn't even campaigned here, and would be decimated in the general election. I think its safe to say he's going to lose against the Idaho native candidate, so my vote there won't make much of a difference. But some of the Republican races are really contested, it could be a very close race in some cases, I just can't help but think that my vote might help make the difference over there...

[Newsjock]

2. I'm voting for Orly Taitz for California secretary of state

Imagine her in the general election. OMGWTFLOL, etc.

[Ozymanithrax]

4. I won't vote for a person unless I want to see that person in office...

I vote for the best person running for the office, not the lesser of evils.

A vote is a terrible thing to waste.

[marybourg]

5. Here in AZ it's difficult to decide who would make

a more beatable candidate: JD Hayworth or McLame. Once it becomes obvious, or I decide who I think is more beatable, I would change my registration to independent and vote in the Republican primary for the weaker candidate. I haven't signed any pledges to vote only in the Dem primary, nor do I think I have any moral obligation to vote only for "best" as against the "worst" candidate. Besides, here in AZ,it would be pretty difficult to do something dumber than what my "leaders" do.

[elocs]

6. Wisconsin has open primaries and if there is no Democratic race

I will and have voted for a Republican, the weaker candidate. I have not wasted my vote.

Politics cannot be done with 2 sets of rules, one for Republicans and one for Democrats. Since by law here I am allowed to vote for whomever I choose in a primary and since Republicans take advantage of that, then I will also.