A drawback to open primaries

[TankRizzo]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

I don't know that, have you worked out the math on that...Hillary's wins in OH,TX,CA,AZ,NJ,NY...they had a lot of delegates

She'd have...about 1,000 delegates...Obama would have about 650...afer super tuesday, i dunno what would have happened then, I imagine Obama would have stayed in the race

He then would have won 450 and been ontop at 1100 vs 1000

At the end of this month, Obama would have 1150 to hillary's 1400

So...that really wouldn't have decided anything...even if you took out superdelegates, you'd need 1600 to win the democratic nominatio (2000 if you kept them in)

Either way, didn't solve anything

I think it would have at least ended up with a more decisive winner. If nobody steps in and puts an end to this, it could look like Bush/Gore with Hillary playing the part of Gore.

At some point, somebody is going to have to have a very uncomfortable conversation with her if things keep going the way they are.

[northhunter]

So if both Obama and Hillary were running TV and radio adds in PA urging independents and Republicans to register as Democrats and vote for them would anyone ask "Why do they hate America, why do they hate freedom?
I put it in the form of a question because I can't find a link to what I heard was happening. There is a lot of strategy involved in a primary by both Democrats and Republicans as long as it's legal I can't see anyone getting their panty's in a twist.

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by TankRizzo

I think it would have at least ended up with a more decisive winner. If nobody steps in and puts an end to this, it could look like Bush/Gore with Hillary playing the part of Gore.

At some point, somebody is going to have to have a very uncomfortable conversation with her if things keep going the way they are.

No, i did all that math, just to prove you wrong, but yet it doesn't feel very satisfying

as far as "the talk with hillary" goes, I think both campaigns will disarm sometime in May, but Hillary won't officially drop out because some are worried Obama will make a huge gaffee and polls will show 40 obama 60 mccain...yet 51 hillary 49 mccain

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by northhunter

So if both Obama and Hillary were running TV and radio adds in PA urging independents and Republicans to register as Democrats and vote for them would anyone ask "Why do they hate America, why do they hate freedom?
I put it in the form of a question because I can't find a link to what I heard was happening. There is a lot of strategy involved in a primary by both Democrats and Republicans as long as it's legal I can't see anyone getting their panty's in a twist.

They're trying to get them to register as Democrats and stay that way, many independent friends I have are changing their registration, they voted Dem in 2006, and I bet they'll be too lazy to change their registration back...and generally will be moderate democrats the rest of their life instead of indepedents...which is a nice gain for the Democratic Party

[northhunter]

Somehow I think they'd be happy to have them vote for them in the primary even if they do switch back after. This is starting to get interesting, better make some popcorn.

[goldenponderbob]

Let me see if I have this right; Under a closed system, a true independent has no say in the nomination process?

At last count there seemed to be an enormous number of us around, and we do like having our say. I can put on a democrat hat for a day or two without feeling like I've sold myself out.

An element of my the indepenndent nature goes: I like the word "open" a lot more than the word "closed". Especially as it applies to government & politics.

If one party constantly associated itself with the word "closed" and the other chose to align itself with the word "open", would that have an affect on that party's outcome in November?

I'd hate to discover that hurt feelings of "unwelcome here" manifested into President McCain and four more years of "cops of the world foreign policy".
Just because we chose to choose between O and Hill?

As an independent, I wouldn't mind having the entire process decided in open session at the convention, even though that would exclude my participation.

I think we'd all be better off if all that primary season campaign money didn't have to be raised from folks expecting a return on their investment, albeit subtle enough to pass the "kickback" test.

goldenponderbob

[RMNIXON]

Originally Posted by northhunter

Somehow I think they'd be happy to have them vote for them in the primary even if they do switch back after. This is starting to get interesting, better make some popcorn.