i'm thinking of going pubbie...for the PA primary

[bearfartinthewoods]

it would stretch my integrety a bit so i haven't done it yet but i am sooo freaking tired of not being able to be a part of the primary process that i'm torn between voting for DK or switching to pubbie to vote for toomy against ssssspectre for the PA senate seat.

input?

[wtmusic]

1. Let us know what it's like

If you felt dirty, that kind of thing :D

[NoPasaran]

6. It's nothing that a good hard scrub

with that old fashioned lye soap won't fix.

[bearfartinthewoods]

11. the thing is every one will know what i'm doing

dems are scarce around here and switching partys will gain notice. when i switch back, they'll know what i was up to.

[rogerashton]

2. don't do it.

You mean voting FOR Toomey, right? OK, he would PROBABLY be a pushover for Hoeffel, but Joe is gonna win anyway -- and think how you would feel if Joe keeled over from a heart attack or something and Toomey ended up as Senator from PA.

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. Beating Specter will be an uphill battle for Hoeffel

He would have at least an even chance at beating Toomey. But beating Specter in the general election will be very difficult.

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. March 29 is the deadline to to switch parties

[NoPasaran]

4. I've voted in a Texas repuke primary

I was trying to keep my bad state senator from being replaced by an outright knuckledragging troglodyte. And I succeeded although he ended up sponsoring the state legislation to ban recognition of gay marriage so it's not like I really won anything.

[salin]

5. Which has the greater chance of accomplishing the desired

end?

My guess is the DK vote - keeps the Kerry primary race getting news coverage, which is good, and gives more voice to the progressive wing within the party - which gets the party talking more broadly about issues again (from various directions) rather than taking a more cautious approach that reacts to how issues are currently being defined by the republicans. (just a guess) - If so - for this to have an impact... then there needs to be a solid block of dem voters who vote for Kucinich. Is that possible or likely?

My guess on the case of the Toomey vote is that a) Toomey (being more reactionary) would be easier to beat than Spector in the general and b) that even if Toomey loses - a stronger showing for Toomey forces Spector to run more to the right during the campaign (which also makes his defeat by a democrat a tad easier via highlighting differences between candidates... but this is risky as Spector's record is rather moderate so he can play both the more extreme rhetoric to the right _and_ point to his more moderate voting record in the senate to the middle.) I think that the Toomey vote only really has an impact on the race if Toomey has a shot at defeating Spector.

Can't say which I would do - but I would try to look at it - from the possible message sent, and how many voices are needed in that direction (eg bunch of folks voting that way) to make an impact.

I hear ya about not feeling that you have a voice in the elections - our Primary isn't until May.

[redqueen]

7. DK!

We need you! :)

[Mairead]

15. Yes: DK. Please!

[zbdent]

9. Make sure you write in Kerry for Pres on the write-in space

Hell, write in Dem names in all the fields.

[ludwigb]

10. If the difference really is significant, vote Toomey

If you have good reason to believe Toomey would be way easier to beat than Spector, then I think it's a no-brainer.

We need to vote tactically as much as possible. Sure it's a little risky because Toomey *could* win in the end. But it would be awesome to grab that seat, and I for one don't think retaining Spector does much for the liberal cause.

[enough]

12. My husband is talking about doing this.

I'm not sure where it leads.

As far as I know, Toomey has no real chance of beating Specter in the primary. So a vote for him will do nothing but exaggerate the perceived strength of the far right in the Republican party in Pennsylvania.

This does not seem to be a desirable outcome. Particularly if you live, as we do, in an area where EVERYTHING (Townships, Counties, School Boards) is controlled by the Republicans. We need to be doing everything possible to support (or at least not undercut) the moderates among the Republicans here.

And there are a lot of them. I know many lifetime Republicans here who are openly and actively pro-choice and actively environmentally concerned. They are fit to be tied with the direction Bush* is taking their party.

I don't think it helps to do anything to falsely exaggerate the strength of their opposition in the Republican party. These people have a real battle on their hands.



By the way, have you seen Hoeffel's very good ad on Talking Points Memo -- has a great quote from Arlen about Clarence Thomas" "I gave them Clarence Thomas." Love it.

We're going to a Hoeffel "tea" this Sunday.

[bushwakker]

13. Vote Toomey and help Dems take that Senate Seat*

[mrgorth]

14. Don't do it, PLEASE!

I live in PA. What you're doing might actually give Toomey that seat. Hoeffel is not that strong. Can you imagine Toomey and Sanitarium as our senators?

[enough]

16. Another point.

Arlen Specter is a very malleable politician. He does whatever is needed to keep his career alive. He ushered Clarence Thomas into the highest court in the land in order to keep the right wing at bay for another term.

We know that all odds are, he will win the general election. I say this even though I intend to work hard for Joe.

If Specter has an exaggerated idea of the strength of the far right in PA, because of a lot of D's switching to vote for Toomey, he will BEHAVE more far right when his is in office. This has particularly ominous implications for the future makeup of the Supreme Court.