Yesterday, I went to fulfill my obligation and responsibility as a citizen — I hit the Early Voting booth for the Texas Republican primary.
No, that wasn’t the Bad Thing.
As the lady fired up the Magic Voting Elf Box, I was in a deep funk. McCain is going to win the Republican nomination. Damn it.
So, there I was, getting ready to poke Dr Paul’s name when I realized that the list of names for the Republican nomination for President was … longer than I had expected.
Because the ballot was built before anyone dropped out of the race.
So, I cocked a giant snook in the direction of the Media and the Republican National Committee and happily punched the electronic box next to Fred Thompson’s name.
Yes, I realize that I have wasted that vote. Yes, I realize that I voted for a man who dropped out of the race several weeks ago.
Sod it, I don’t care.
I voted my conscience and picked the candidate who would best represent my interests in the White House.
LawDog
That’s the first time I’ve heard of anyone doing that, aside from me. Good job, ‘Dog.
I woulda done the same thing.
As it is, I have to hope for a ‘write-in’ space on my ballot.
Thankfully, Oregon is a ‘vote by mail’ state, so there’s a chance I will have just that opportunity.
I voted for Fred in the Calif primary and found my wife (who is less politically oriented than I am) did, too.
It looked like Fred got close to 50,000 votes in this state after he dropped out (though many may have been absentee ballots).
It won’t help anything other than making me feel better.
I mean to do the same thing.
I’ve allways wanted to have a choice for “none of the above”. If that choice gets a majority, the office would go empty untill a new election could provide a simple majority for one of the choices…
You can say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.
Fred got 1.96% of the vote in CA (according to Fox’s reporting).
My wife and I were two of those votes.
We both felt that we had done our part by voting our conscience.
In the Fall? We are still discussing it. We may well write-in Thompson/Romney.
I know that Kim du Toit has a different take and I respect that, but just cannot seem to pinch my nose closed tightly enough.
Maybe I will just get used to the stench….
Amen! Blessings Be! Prayers to Shiva!
I did the same in Oklahoma, and intend to write it in, come November!
I almost wish there was a way to ‘conscript’ a president for a term.
But then again, that person would probably also be a worthless sawed-off excuse for a leader who managed to purchase his popular vote with promises of social equality and equity.
P.Blacksmith
I can possibly see myself doing the same.
He was still on the ballot here in MA. Damn shame he dropped out. He got 0.2% or 942 votes. (one vote of which was mine). He has some good solid ideas and was one of the few who actually had a “plan”! I still remain unsure about what to do in the fall.
From Mr. Blue:
I did the same on my Florida absentee- a day before Fred dropped out. But, I’m happy I did.
We did the same thing here…kind of like pissing into the wind… you feel better, but you might get splattered a tad.
All you folks who are going to vote foe Thompson, I like him too, I hope you enjoy a Obama/Clinton presidency. What we ought to be working on is a repeal of McCain-Feingold.
You did EXACTLY what I did in Wisconsin on Tuesday.
This primary is a “free kick”–it doesn’t make any difference–
You’d be amazed at the crap I’m getting for that, by the way, from “Republican” types, e.g.:
http://dad29.blogspot.com/2008/02/croc-vs-dad-will-old-age-and-treachery.html (see combox)
and
http://crocodilecage.com/2008/02/response-to-dad29-principles-are-what.html
Buncha hooples. Bah.
Mr. Dog, sir, you are not alone in this. (By a long shot I’d say based on some of the other comments!) Here is my report on my participation in the primary here in the PDR of mAss: http://herrbgone.livejournal.com/72827.html
Come November I will most likely be holding my nose and filling in the box for McCain – but only because the alternative is too horrible to contemplate… Kim du Toit has a new coffee mug in his CafePress stuff that features this campaign slogan: “Because I love my country more than I hate McCain.” I think that pretty well sums it up.
I was going to vote for Fred here in Connecticut, but our primary was when Romney still had a chance, so I filled in the bubble for him.
If our primary had been yesterday, or not yet held, I would vote for Fred.
Maybe McCain will have the smarts to ask him to fill the VP spot? Hope springs eternal.
I still think voting for Alan Keyes has great entertainment value. Harvard educated, African- American, Evangelical…
I mailed my California absentee ballot for Fred a few days after he dropped out. I live in Placer County, which is one of the reddest counties in the country. It’s due east of the extemely blue Sacramento County.
BTW, if the part of California west of the San Andreas Fault would hurry up and fall in the ocean there wouldn’t be much blue left here.
I’ve thought about that.
I’m considering taking Matt’s view, and voting in the Demo primary as a spoiler. Just don’t know which to spoil, both are bad ju ju.
So few options, so much time.
Mr Fixit
Since i mailed in my ballot for WA state (currently in germany with the Army) I also voted for Fred.
Good job, LD
I have to wait for the PA primary and I plan pn doing the same thing. If his name is not there, then I am going to write it in.
That is a way to send a message to the RNC.
But I will hold my nose in November and vote against Whom ever wins the Dem convention.
Jimmy Carter would be better than those two…
I will do the same here in Indiana.
If I can.I hope if Fred’s name is not there.Maybe Mitt’s will be.
Good on ya.
I don’t think you wasted your vote.
McCain pretty much has this thing wrapped up, so voting for him (or Huck) wouldn’t really matter one way or another. However, if a significant number of people end up voting for people who are clearly no longer in the race in order to register their displeasure, the GOP might get a clue. Maybe.
My wife and I both voted for Thompson in Virginia, even though he had been out a while.
I walked out of teh booth feeling good about myself — whereas walking in I was oppressed by a feeling of dread.
However, in November, I’m going to walk into the booth chanting “Supreme Court judges” in my head, and push the button for McCain.
Because I agree with Kim du Toit. I love my country more than I hate McCain.
I’m about to top you.
I’m going to vote in the Democratic primary.
LD, I agree with you, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing in our primary if Fred’s still on the ballot.
McCain doesn’t need/deserve my vote right now. I’m still working on a mechanical device that can pinch my nose tight enough that I can vote for him in November. The ol’ fingers, they just can’t do the job….
‘Dog, I prefer Ron Paul (and wish you had voted for him), but good on ya’ for voting your conscience. I sparked a good thread on THR back in ’04 after I confessed to being unable to support either of the critters we had running (I won’t elevate them to the status of “dogs”), and I got a fair bit of criticism for not playing the game.
If I’m ever fortunate enough to meet you, I’ll buy the beer.
I was gratified to see Fred! on the sample ballot my husband brought home today.
Plan on voting for him early – but not often.
We had a caucus here … there’s a reason caucus sounds a lot like the Spanish word for excrement 🙁
“We had a caucus here … there’s a reason caucus sounds a lot like the Spanish word for excrement :(“
I understand tequila is made from a variety of caucus, too. Clearly a plot is afoot to unman us with the liberal deployment of poop and wit-addling spirits.
If we’d had Fred on our ballot, I would have done it. Unfortunately my only choices were Mitt, Rudy, McCain, and Ron Paul. I went with Ron Paul hoping to send some sort of message.
How can voting for who you think is best be a “bad thing”? Personally I think that Ron paul would have been better but in the end it is the same thing (as you said JM is going to get it) as the RNC and the media have already decided who we will be allowed to vote for.
Dog, that is exactly what I plan to do as well. I figure that the GOP is going to look at those numbers and grasp that they need to do some serious fence mending with it’s base between now and November. Maybe we’ll get lucky and McCain will figure out he needs to put somebody like JC Watts on the ticket as his Veep.
I figure the best thing that can happen for us is this:
Obama wins the majority vote, but clinton pays off enough super delegates to be given the annointment. the Dem party fractures amidst accusations of voter disenfranchisement (rightfully so) and the party implodes. Meanwhile McCain appoints a conservative as a VP to mend fences and then dies from a massive widowmaker in the first 100 days in office giving the presidency to a conservative.
Hey a man can dream can’t he?
I like the “None of the Above” idea. I think, though, that if “NotA” wins the election, then the incumbent should remain in office until a second election can be held – with none of the candidates from the previous ballot eligible to participate in the new one. Continue as necessary….
Great minds often think alike. I voted for FRED yesterday. Come Nov. will probably gag and hold my nose and vote for that #$%^& mccain jerk.
Good man, LD. I intend to do the same thing. Mainly because I don’t like being told who I can and can’t vote for but come November I’ll vote for McCain no nose holding needed.
While I’m not exactly *fond* of McCain, he’s also not evil incarnate as some on the conservative side (and I am a conservative) make him out to be.
Hey LawDog, I did the same thing in the Louisianna Republican primary. I just couldn’t stand voting for anyone else still in the race.
Now I don’t feel so bad! In Alabama, the ballot said “indicate your preference for the Republican presidential nominee.”
Well, my PREFERENCE is for Fred Thompson, so that’s what they got.
It’ kinda like kicking a car that won’t start. Doesn’t really help, but it does make you feel better!
I did the same thing in Jersey…one of 3113 people.
Trainer – I was another one. The wife stayed home, none of the choices on either side appealed enough to her.
“I voted my conscience and picked the candidate who would best represent my interests in the White House.”
Did a bad thing my arse, sir.
tweaker
If you’re equipped with a fully-functional conscience, then voting it is a necessity.
Good for you.
Cast the same vote in Florida.
Did the same thing in WA, two days after he dropped out (we mail in our ballots here). Wouldn’t you know, I can’t find a single source that lists any votes for him at all here.
Great Job!!! Unfortunately, Montana uses a Caucus so I don’t get a vote. Thanks for doing my bidding.
http://www.lindasog.com/archives/2008/02/ruh_roh_1.html
Lindasog has an interesting take on our dilemma.
Hey, Oz. Found what you were looking for-
http://news.aol.com/elections/primary/state/wa/democrats
Fred got ~1% in wa.us.
I suspect he would have done better if he’d still been in it.
I did the same here in WA. 🙂
Dog, how could you do such a thing? I’m gonna vote for the Hil tomorrow, no way in hades will she beat McCain (the skunk), so I’m gonna do my Republican best to see that she is the Dem’s candidate.