Republicans want Jillary

This update on the Indianapolis Star's site tells me all I need to know about who can and can't win in November...

7:57 AM -- Voters reveal their choices

Voters in metro area polling places revealed their ballot strategies this morning.
Banker Ike Coney, 59, said he voted for Sen. Barack Obama and Democractic governor candidate Jim Schellinger

“This is the first year that we have a choice, I think,” Coney said after voting in a Johnson County polling place at Center Grove Middle School.

Sales represtantive Bob Rose selected a Democrat ballot with the general election in mind.

Rose said he voted for Hillary Clinton and Jill Long Thompson, the other Democrat running for governor. Rose said he supports Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels and things Long Thompson will be a weaker opponent.

It was clear that voters in this staunch Republican area were crossing over in the primary.

Precinct inspector Rose Hinesley implored Republicans at the middle school to pick a GOP ballot.

Posted by: Charlotte

Comments

I have done my homework. I can read the English language. If the language states you must choose to vote for a majority of the party hodling the primary, and there are two parties holding the primary (and there are)then you must for a majority of the party(ies) holding the primary.

You people need to think about what you are saying. Let's say I vote for 50% Dem and 50% Rep on the general. According to you guys, for the last office choice I must vote the way I voted in the primary to be legal; thereby, negating my right as a voter to vote my conscience!? You guys want me to believe the law states this crap? I don't think so. I would rather choose to believe my interpretation, especially since I know it is correct.

[Petty Cash]

"....Once again, you do not choose a party at the primary election."

Once again, 1:23, r-e-a-l slowly so you can gete it:

Yes, you do in fact choose a party at the primary, by choosing its ballot. And by law you are supposed to vote for/support a majority of that party's candidates. David Roach's party, if he has one, didn't have a ballot at the polls yesterday, or you could've chosen it. His post is its own silly story, but I digress.

Your ballot choice yesterday, by fiat, defines your party affiliation until the next primary. Unless, of course, you choose the nonpartisan school board ballot only, or unless there's a referendum question and you choose ot vote only on it.

And again, I don't necessarily like it, but it is the law. And long-standing tradition. Please refrain from rewriting Indiana election law on this blog or anywhere else.

It makes you look, uh, chaotic, for lack of a better word.

Actually I've got a better word but it's not very polite. :-)

If the Republicans knew what was best, they probably wouldn't be in this weakened state.

[david c roach]

indiana election law also provides for penalties for disclosing who you voted for by 3rd parties. so if you choose a r or d ballot, and it is public record, then isnt the state guilty? it sure isnt a secret anymore, and i'm sure there are thousands of hoosiers who have been subjected to retaliation/retribution by employers, and others- in many indirect, unethical, illegal ways.
that is why so few hoosier citizens turn out for primaries. We should all be allowed to select our party ballots in secret, with only voluntary disclosure, to aid in partisan mailing lists, and citizen board positions.
I have voted in alternating primaries, and vote for whomever i damn well please, the laws be damned.
ditto for if i'm ever chosen for jury duty- especially marijuana/alcohol lawbreakers. I will use my right of "jury nullification" to acquit, unless the crime is particularly heinous. dui? no one hurt? your a free man!. caught with a ton of marijuana? as long as its not selling to kids, and only to consenting adults- not minors- well, pal, you are a free amn! (and meet me later, we'll get stoned, and flip off the cops, courts,ETC.) STICK IT TO THE MAN!!!
AND SCATTER DOPE SEEDS EVERYWHERE, LIKE "JOHNNY MARIJUANA-SEED"- there will be so many dope plants growing in so many places- like a field of dandelions- that the "MAN" will drop dead from exhaustion, from pulling up al the pot; or the "MAN" will have to poison the planet, to try to eradicate them- which WE the PEOPLE will nver allow. and why do you need a handgun permit to exercise your constitutional rights( with the few reasonable restrictions)?
f*ck the laws. the government does..

Sorry, 1:23 but it IS the law. A goofy unenforceable law, but it is the law. You are correct that you choose a ballot not a party at the primary, but the law clearly states that in so doing, you are (or may be asked to if challenged) to pledge that your vote will be for the majority of that party ballot in the general election. It is an archaic and idiotic unenforceable law, but it is on the books. The spirit of what you post is fine, but you need to do your homework.

[TDWisDead]

OPERATION CHAOS IS A VICTORY!

I just wanted to take a moment to gloat about our PERFECTLY LEGAL victory yesterday, despite the State GOP speaking out against us R-party folk who exercised our right to take a Dem Ballot.

Don't bother responding to this post in hopes that I will read it because I don't have the interest or the time. Dems are largely childish or short-sighted when making decisions, so don't bother chastising me for doing the same. You threw out the rules a long time ago, but we'll do it better! : )

Eat it.

"You choose a party at a primary election, if you choose. Once you do, that's your choice for a majority of the candidates in the fall...by law. Never-enforced law, but law nonetheless."

Once again, you do not choose a party at the primary election. YOU CHOOSE A BALLOT! This does not mean you MUST CHOOSE A MAJORITY OF DEMOCRATS in the general election or A MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS in the general election if you choose either of these ballots.

A VOTE IS YOUR DECISION BASED ON YOUR CRITERIA FOR WHO WOULD DO THE BEST JOB IN OFFICE! NO LAW HAS EVER BEEN WRITTEN THAT TAKES THIS ABILITY AWAY FROM VOTERS! The interpretation put forth by those people stating a person who chooses a R or D ballot must vote a majority R or D in the general would do just that.

True. Beth White et al did a good job with a big election with lots of room for Chaos.

[Petty Cash]

Bleeding Blue, and 95% of my fellow Hoosiers:

No one "registers" as a Republican or Democrat. You register as a voter.

You choose a party at a primary election, if you choose. Once you do, that's your choice for a majority of the candidates in the fall...by law. Never-enforced law, but law nonetheless.

No one is mentioning, either, despite some pretty snooty predictions to the contrary, that Marion County ran a pretty damned smooth election yesterday. Attaboys to Beth White and all who helped.

[bleeding blue]

How does one "register" as an R or D other than by looking at past primary elections and ballot preferences?

I don't know if *all* of the R dittohead misfits wanted JLT. I personally know of one who thought Schellinger was the weaker candidate and voted for him.

Petty Cash, your comments about the media coverage (or lack thereof) are right on. They all seemed star-struck, wanting to follow the Big Shots, probably throwing their business cards at all the network trucks that they could. The attention and coverage of the gubernatorial race was horrible.

"IC 3-10-1-6 Eligible Voters
Sec. 6. A voter may vote at a primary election:

(1) if the voter, at the last general election, voted for a majority of the regular nominees of the political party holding the primary election; or

(2) if the voter did not vote at the last general election, but intends to vote at the next general election for a majority of the regular nominees of the political party holding the primary election;

as long as the voter was registered as a voter at the last general election or has registered since then."

There's your law - i'm waiting for your admission of ignorance.

Ok, nimrod, you tell me what two parties are participants in the primary election?

That is right, Republicans and Democrats. The only reason we have primaries are because of the Republicans and Democrats. There is nothing in this law that supports your case.

I can walk in, and ask for a Democrat Ballot if I am a registered Republican, or vice versa, because I know what the law says. I am going to vote for a "majority of the regular nominees holding the primaries."
Get a degree in reading English.

[Be careful what you wish for...]

Ok, so the R's want JLT instead of Jim, and unfortunately, the R's probably swung the race to her. I am very disappointed in their weak dog tactics. Remember, our goal is to remove the bald midget in the Governor's Residence, oops I mean Carmel. If the R's want JLT, let's give them JLT.

[Petty Cash]

Of all the posts I've read here over many months, Frank Ricketts's was the most idiotic.

A man of the cloth admitting, with his real name, that he lusted after a woman to whom he was not married? If he's such a learned pastor, isn't he familiar with the scriptures on that particular point?

And my particular rant for the election: our led-by-the-nose local lazy media, had a difficult time giving us results on one of the most important races: governor.

Thery were all over Hillary's rally and Barack's rally. Don't they realize, that we get national news for that kind of stuff? Six reporters at the same rally, helicopter shots, ad naseum nonsense...when a simple report would've sufficed. Re-dispatch some of that talent to the gubernatorial race, folks. Geeeesh. It isn't hard. Media Managament 101.

We nominated a candidate for governor yesterday. Or at least I think we did. It was very important.

But try getting a decent update. Instead I get a crawler on the TV about 100 100 House races, most unopposed. (YAWN)

I long for a hungrier media. But I will keep longing, I'm afraid.

IC 3-10-1-6 Eligible Voters
Sec. 6. A voter may vote at a primary election:

(1) if the voter, at the last general election, voted for a majority of the regular nominees of the political party holding the primary election; or

(2) if the voter did not vote at the last general election, but intends to vote at the next general election for a majority of the regular nominees of the political party holding the primary election;

as long as the voter was registered as a voter at the last general election or has registered since then.

There's your law - i'm waiting for your admission of ignorance.

"Does anyone have a problem with an inspector imploring someone to vote Republican? What I think is funny is that, if you are a Republican, you can challenge someone who is a Republican when they ask for a Democrat ballot. THEN, that voter can still vote D, but only if you ask them to sign an affidavit saying they intend to vote for a majority of D candidates in November. NO real Republican would take that pledge. But only imploring and not challenging, R's make sure that Rush Limbaugh and Operation Chaos succeed." and,
"Sounds like Ernie is back and being an idiot again.

Actually, Ernie, it is a crime. If you vote in the Dem primary, you are pledging to support a majority of Democrat candidates in the General this year.

So yes, they are breaking the law, but it's an unenforceable law."

For the last time...When you vote in the PRIMARY ELECTION YOU CAN VOTE FOR WHATEVER TICKET YOU WANT! WHEN YOU ARE ASKED AT THE POLL TO CHECK THE BOX R OR D YOU ARE NOT CLAIMING REGISTRATION IN EITHER PARTY, YOU ARE SIMPLY DECLARING THE BALLOT YOU WISH TO RECEIVE!

I have worked as a sheriff and judge in the elections since 1988. If I catch another poll worker attempting to prevent someone from receiving a Democratic ballot or a Republican ballot because the poll worker believes the person is registered as the opposite party, I will call the police. The poll worker is the one committing the crime.
I cannot believe the level of ignorance exhibited on this blog. If it is a law, post it and enlighten the rest of us. I will admit my ignorance the same way I have publicly labeled those believing otherwise as ignorant.

[Lance]

"Actually, Ernie, it is a crime. If you vote in the Dem primary, you are pledging to support a majority of Democrat candidates in the General this year.

So yes, they are breaking the law, but it's an unenforceable law."

If it's unenforcable the powers that be (Indiana Democrat leadership? National Democrat leadership? State lawmakers? I certainly don't know) need to change the primary system in this state so only registered D's can vote in the D primary (ditto for R's). The "pledge" aspect is totally ridiculous on both sides - what if the party you're "pledging" to support in November has a candidate win that turns out to be a real scumbag? What if you love the candidate you're voting for, but can't stand the ones they're running against in the primary? Are you still obligated to vote for them, even though you don't think it's the right thing to do? Until someone buttons up the law, I don't think anybody, D or R, has much of a right to complain about the primary process or who a person votes for in it.

[hah]

Jladd: despicable... or truthful? Seems to me it's the latter.

I'm quite proud of David O for a smart, well-run campaign. I only hope this isn't the last time we see him in politics.

[JLadd]

Dr. Woody Myers is a winner in the sense that he did not go negative. Dr. O and his adds on the other hand were despicable towards Myers and Carson. I think many of us were quite surprised.

Don't know if the comment about the Knuckle-Knocked thread was sarcastic or not, but the truth is that thread has been important for the men and women in IDOC. It has also helped convince a lot of lifelong republicans to vote democrat in order to get MMM out.

[Kate]

@ Frank Ricketts

Today was a primary election where the political parties select their candidates for the general election in November. If your party preference is a closely guarded secret, don't vote in the primaries, just vote in the general. The need to choose a party's ballot to vote in a primary is not "the intricate workings of the political machine in Marion County", it's the basic democratic process throughout the United States of America.

As long as there are comments posted on the "Knuckle Knocked Out" post, nothing else matters.

No kidding, I think whoever runs this blog now must have been busy blowing up balloons at the Schellinger headquarters. If I paid for advertising on this site I would not be happy.

I hope you guys were working the polls today. This blog was MIA on the biggest day of the year.

Carson and Burton look like they might be the winners. God help us.
Carson--why I am not a Democrat!
Burton--why I am not a Republican!
Mitch must be postively giggling with glee. He counts on stupid voters, and looks like he'll have plenty of them in November.

[Frank Ricketts]

I went to vote today in the Indiana primary and was dismayed at the whole process. Now, I must admit, being an Apostolic Pentecostal Pastor more than likely influenced my views, but as the saying goes - we are what we eat.

Knowing that the world is controlled by the God of this world, I still expected - well - more.

I was called several times on the phone by Obama’s camp attempting to persuade me to vow my allegiance to the great Democratic (at least in their eyes) machine. I did not even bothering to answer the phone because of the spill I was sure to receive. Sometimes we think if we ignore the problem it will go away. Not so in this case.

I thought (rather erroneously) that the primary pressure would suffice with these calls. Funny how these calls happen in the middle of more important events you have planned and try to execute.

I walked to the polling place (a church located three blocks from me) and met a nice man carrying Obama leaflets. To his credit and my relief, he did not attempt to persuade me about my political affiliations.

I walked into the entrance and immediately I saw something that the Dems must have thought of in their preparations for the day. A very good looking woman was sitting in a folding chair about one foot from the actual room for voting. Someone must have taken a Psych class at school. Anyways, she had a bright red polka dot dress on and her cleavage was exposed for all the world to see and her dress was just barely below her knees. Now, you might condemn this Pastor for even looking at her, but I dare say I would challenge any man that would say they did not see her.

I thought - good trick. Woe be unto any man that crosses paths with this siren at this voting place. You have to hand it to the Dems, they know how to reel them in.

I told her that I would not reveal what political affliation I had and of course the nice woman turned into the hateful ogre that lived under the bridge. Remember that fairy tale that your Dad used to tell you? It’s real folks.

Having passed the gauntlet of persuasive conversation, I stepped into the safe haven of the voting place or so I thought. I was met by a kind and gentle worker that asked for my ID. Here in Indiana a law was passed that you must present ID to vote. I was then asked if I was a Republican or a Democrat.

I immediately looked behind me expecting the lovely woman sitting by the door wielding a pair of scissors in a rendition of the movie “Psycho”. Well sometimes our imagination is our worst enemy. Of course no blood spurted, no screams were heard, and no music played.

Have you ever had one of those moments when the air seems to leave the area, it is so silent that a pin, if dropped could be heard a mile away, and an expectation of a great event is about to happen? No - then you are missing something. If you have, then you know what I am talking about.

I said - quite slowly and taking time to speak clearly - “I don’t know why I have to tell you my political affiliation.”

Air is sucked out of the room so fast, it’s a wonder everyone didn’t expire from lack of oxygen. I didn’t hear one pin, I heard a least a thousand. Here’s the best part. I dared to ask a question. Me, a lowly, unimportant voter asked A QUESTION.

The smile on the woman’s face turned to dismay and i could see the anger wanting to vent. I felt like Alice in Wonderland and she was the Queen screaming, “Off with his head!” I must admit I was feeling for body parts about now.

Fortunate for me, no armed guards arrived to escort me to some dungeon somewhere (even though the Police roll call is just one block from the church). My wife has told me that controversy follows me like a lost puppy looking for a kind scrap.

I was told unless I affirmed my party (Democrat or Republican) i would not be allowed to vote for the primary (in all fairness, they meant Presidental and so forth). They did tell me that I could vote for the school board. Talk about putting a carrot in front of the poor cart pulling horse.

I was explained the intricate workings of the political machine in Marion County, Indiana, after which she looked at me with a message in her eyes - “Make my day!”

Sometimes we have to pull our punches and accept defeat. I ditfully told her my perference and was escorted to a voting table. I placed my paper (no electronic 21st century for us Hooisers) into a copier looking machine and exited the building.

I must say that I was excited about my vote. I had - for the briefest moment - a moment in history. I was not happy about the whole process, but at least I voted. I gave a piece of my mind.

No smaller GOP races that mattered here... and you guys are nuts if you think it's bad that people can vote for whomever they want to!

If you were smart, you'd welcome Rs with open arms and hope they turn into Is and perhaps be of some help in future races.

Anyone see CD7 results yet?

[Steph Mineart]

It's stupid because you're screwing the Republican party in smaller races. But hey, do what you want.

[Lady]

You're not just pledging to vote for a majority of Ds in the general this year, you're swearing you voted for a majority of Ds in November 2006, if you voted then.

[tdwblog@gmail.com]

Sounds like Ernie is back and being an idiot again.

Actually, Ernie, it is a crime. If you vote in the Dem primary, you are pledging to support a majority of Democrat candidates in the General this year.

So yes, they are breaking the law, but it's an unenforceable law.

Read it again, dummy. Then call and attorney to explain it to you. Not a crime. Again, I can vote for whomever the hell I want to.

[Lady]

Why don't you re-read the code. It's definitely a crime in some cases.

Not a crime. I can vote for whomever the hell I want to. Read the code.

[Switzerland]

God bless those Center Grove crossovers. Bye bye, Dan Burton.

Maybe Republicans are fed up with the party and are joining the Democrats.

Indiana may no longer be a red state that Republicans abuse and Washington ignores.

"I just don't understand how so many Republicans are interested in committing felonies."

What is good for the Democrats is good for Republicans.

[Willllllson10264]

Go Hillary! Go Myers! Go Jill T
Who is Carson? I voted for who? Where am I? What's an Obama? I'm so confused. Who am I?

[Darle Willums]

I'm so dizzy I can't figure out how to vote!

[Looking at the Stats]

It doesn't matter who the 'sabotaging repubs' vote for. O'Bama is the nominee anyway you slice it!

[Looking at the Stats]

It doesn't matter who the 'sabotaging repubs' vote for. O'Bama is the nominee anyway you slice it!

[Ipopa]

Does anyone have a problem with an inspector imploring someone to vote Republican? What I think is funny is that, if you are a Republican, you can challenge someone who is a Republican when they ask for a Democrat ballot. THEN, that voter can still vote D, but only if you ask them to sign an affidavit saying they intend to vote for a majority of D candidates in November. NO real Republican would take that pledge. But only imploring and not challenging, R's make sure that Rush Limbaugh and Operation Chaos succeed.

[Lady]

I just don't understand how so many Republicans are interested in committing felonies.

Yeah, voting in a primary that matters is stupid stuff...

This R voted for:

Obama (better campaign and a needed move beyond some of the traditional two-party, zero-sum bashing, including Rush)

Jill (sorry Jen, but this was a crossover for the biggest loser and helps Mitch win again)

David O. (a vote for goofy-loking smart guys and a vote against Carson) though this was a tougher choice...

Left the rest of the ballot blank... look for large drop-offs in down ticket races tonight.

[Steph Mineart]

I interpreted that as her saying that Hillary and Jill can't win in November, but I could be wrong. And cross over voting is rather dumb and jeopardizes some of the small races on the Republican side. But hey, if they want to do stupid stuff...

[Willson]

Hillary will win by a margin of 15 points. Myers will win the 7th in a very close race.

[Former Hoosier]

Mitch is running again? Come on Indiana, make the right choice this time for both the Presidential Nominee and the Governor!

[Lance]

"This update on the Indianapolis Star's site tells me all I need to know about who can and can't win in November..."

So what exactly are you saying here? That because Republicans are crossing over, they can't win any of the races with Democrat primaries? If that is what you're saying, I sure don't understand the reasoning behind it.

[confidence]

Must really have confidence in Mitchy if they feel the need to water down the opposition.