Why Richardson waited..

[SoCalDem]

I keep seeing references to why he did not endorse before texas..

Here's why.. Polls showed Obama winning handily..and the Rush Manifesto had not yet been tried & tested.. I think everyone underestimated the effect..

The fact that HRC won a plurality, with the Rush-spoilers, and yet Obama still won the DELEGATES (which is what we are really counting anyway), shows that ANY usage of the beloved "popular vote" is ridiculous.. From Texas, on, her numbers will certainly be polluted, to some degree by Rush-bots who have NO intention of repeating that vote in November...

I don't think that the Obama campaign thought they needed to get Richardson on-board.

What this devious and dangerous tactic DOES, though, is to point out that we HAVE to change our primaries..

frome here on in, we MUST have CLOSED primaries with an advance registration of at least 6 months.. That would block out the mischief makers (on either side) from skewing a national election..and it might just make all the numbers more relevant without the suspicious voters..

If people want to be Lou Dobbs Independents, then bully for them.. but they should NOT be deciding who is chosen as either party's candidate.

[Araxen]

1. There's no reason to disenfranchise independent voters

They are just as important voters as democrat voters and being able to curry idependent votes in the primaries can translate to independent votes in the GE.

[rug]

2. Agree completely on closed primaries. Then eliminate superdelegates.

Whatever turns out to be the popular vote in the Democratic primaries must be clearly and unimpeachably known.

That is not the case this year.

[SoCalDem]

5. Yep... no more sooooper delegates..

I would like to see them ALL vote NOW.. Let these two candidates see exactly who lines up with whom..and end the nonsense already.. as long as HRC has one shred of hope that she can somehow get them to change their votes and vote for her, she's going to drag this thing out forever..

[Smelting Pot]

3. Six months advance registration...

is too far removed from the actual primary date. That would start the campaigning even earlier than it is now. 30 to 60 days out is more realistic.

[SoCalDem]

6. I'd compromise at 90 days, but it HAS to be far enough removed

to preclude the organized mischief that Rush. et al are gleefully promoting (and succeeding at)..

When we only really have two parties, this whole Independent thing is a misnomer anyway.. Either declare what you are or wait until the general election to vote.. Primaries are about the PARTIES choosing their candidate..

[babylonsister]

4. Because of Rush, I've changed my opinion about this and agree

with you. With 6-month advance registration, all those indies who want to get on board would have ample opportunity to do so.

[HereSince1628]

7. As someone who lives in a state with same day registration ...

I have to say that each state operates under its own rules. You can do what you want in your state. There are some things that are seen as important in some places and not in others.

Surely, open elections risk disingenuous cross-over voting, but historically this isn't a big problem. Voter suppression and low turn out is a scarier more perennial problem for us. Same day registration is a cause for Wisconsin democrats. One primary season with strange voting in another state isn't going to undo that.

We're involved in conflicts with a band of R's whose hyperconservatism sees vote-suppression as legitimate. We are forced to deal with their efforts to deny Dem voters access in all elections; I don't see Dems here making primary voting more difficult than other elections.

[cloudythescribbler]

8. The current timing of Richardson's endorsement, along with passportgate, are FINE ...

The Wright flap, which so many on DU have been all to eager to PROMOTE, rather than respond to as yet another media-defined supposed "gaffe" (Dean's scream, Swiftboaters, Willie Horton, etc), needed and needs to be countered. These alternative news narratives help, especially with Obama's speech getting relatively little attention, including here on DU.

[SoCalDem]

9. I agree..it is fortuitous timing, but the newsettes were all

questioning the timing and why he did not support before Texas..Obviously he and the O campaign did not think it was necessary then :)

I'd like to start seeing more SDs breaking ranks and lining up on either side.. they HAVE to know whom they are supporting, by now...

[JackORoses]

10. keep it open. just make it a law that you have to vote for the same Party in the GE.

[SoCalDem]

11. secret ballots prevent that from happening..and the ballots then

are not separated by party..only primary ballots are... for a reason.. the parties are picking their candidates and have usually stayed out of each other's business (somewhat)

[JackORoses]

13. use same day registration and make it unchangeable for the GE

[SoCalDem]

14. Party does not matter in November.. we all get ONE ballot

Party really only matters in primaries when we are choosing the candidates:)

[against all enemies]

12. He wanted Bill to bring the beer to the Super Bowl party?

[SoCalDem]

15. You might be right

:rofl:

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. I always thought that Richardson was running for VP

But you made good points.

[SoCalDem]

17. I think he'd like to be Sec of State..and he'd be a good one

especially with all the issues we have with South America.. It would be helpful to have a SoS who speaks Spanish fluently and who might actually be welcomed

[KittyWampus]

18. I'd prefer keeping open primaries but punishing parties later on in the GE on how much a district's

votes count toward the electoral vote.

In other words,

If 100 registered Republicans in District A vote crossover for a Democrat in the Primary-

Then District A's votes for the Republican candidate in the General Election should be proportionally less toward that state's electoral vote.

This is sort of related to how Texas gave more weight to counting districts that heavier turn out last year.

[SoCalDem]

19. Ohhh noes... not the mathz again

some people don't like the mathz.:)

[bevoette]

20. i'm an independent in TX and i voted for Obama

i was THRILLED to do it :)

[SoCalDem]

21. Welcome aboard..and I'd bet that you were pissed enough

at junior to have registered in time to vote..obama or no obama.. I would gladly sign up early to avoid the possible loss of a good candidate, due to right wing chicanery..and if I found out that I had missed the deadline, I would still sign up..and work toward their winning the primary so I could vote for them in the fall :)