How to kill a Republican

[HYHYBT]

The problem is, that with the two-party system, we're always voting for the lesser of two evils.

That wouldn't be so bad. The trouble is that sometimes we vote for the *greater* of two evils

[Nekojin]

There is though nothing stopping you from changing affiliation at any time... I register as independent for the most part, and if there is a primary that I care about I will change my registration a few weeks before the election, then change back to independent once it is done.

But doing so isn't a trivial matter for most people. Hell, many people don't even know how to change their political affiliation, short of finding one of those dudes with clipboards that crop up close to election time.

[smileyeagle1021]

Affiliating with one party or another allows you to vote in that party's primaries - except in states that have Open Primaries, in which case you can do that no matter who you're registered with. That said, there are very few states with Open Primaries.

There is though nothing stopping you from changing affiliation at any time... I register as independent for the most part, and if there is a primary that I care about I will change my registration a few weeks before the election, then change back to independent once it is done.

I'm just waiting for a time when there is a libertarian that has a snowballs chance in hell... I like the liberal social agenda but the conservative fiscal agenda (mostly, there are parts I disagree with both), and unfortunately, neither party is willing to field a candidate with those qualities (though I imagine that is probable what the largest number of Americans would prefer).

[Nekojin]

Really? So there's literally a sort of penalty for not swearing allegience to one team or the other? That's a little bit farked up to be honest and partially explains why you're so mired in a two party system.

That's entirely correct. The largest thing keeping us mired in a two-party system, though, is the First Past The Post (FPTP) voting system.

Up here I just vote for, well, whomever I want regardless and you don't exactly vote specifically for a leader. Unless you're in his or her riding anyhow. Up here you vote for the party/mp. Then whomever ends up with the most MPs and thus seats in Parliment gets to be leader.

We're not really much for "lifelong <insert party>" up here. I have at one point or another over the years support all 4 major parties ( excluding the Bloc of course <spit> ). Liberal, Conservative, NDP and Green. Just depends on how has the best ideas in any given cycle.

I suspect rather strongly that we wouldn't have quite the same problems if we switched to another system. Corruption is an inherent flaw in any system of governance, and minimizing the corruption should be a high priority; the biggest problem is keeping the watchmen from voting away their own failsafes.

[protege]

Look, I've been a Republican for a long time. On many fundamental principles, I agree with them. I want a smaller government. I want lower taxes. I'm pro-life. But I don't think I can deal with them anymore.

Jaden, I agree with you. The reason I registered as a Republican...is simply because I don't like the (at least locally) Democrats and their "good old boys network." They've been controlling local leadership since the 1930s. During all that time, we've lost a shitload of jobs, our taxes have gone up, and our government (again, locally) has bloated to epic proportions. At the time, I felt that becoming part of the other party would allow for some change. It's not that I "hate" the Democrats, I just don't agree with what they've done.

Even though I'm part of that party, I've always tried to vote for the *candidate* rather than along party lines. We should get rid of the "D" and "R" levers, and voters should be forced to vote for whoever suits their ideals. But, we all know that'll never happen. It's all too easy to vote for one's team, and ignore the issues altogether. Partisan bullshit, in other words.

The problem is, that with the two-party system, we're always voting for the lesser of two evils. Look at what we have now--neither candidate is what I'd call "perfect," but unless an Independent candidate gets some serious funding and air time, we don't really have alternatives.

[Jaden]

You can vote for whomever you like in any general election, you just don't get to decide who's running on that party's ticket. It's to keep people who oppose that party from sabotaging the primaries, like if a bunch of Republicans or Democrats swarmed the opposing party's primary ballot and gave a ton of votes to a candidate they know would never win just to strengthen their chances in the general election.

[Gravekeeper]

Affiliating with one party or another allows you to vote in that party's primaries-

Really? So there's literally a sort of penalty for not swearing allegience to one team or the other? That's a little bit farked up to be honest and partially explains why you're so mired in a two party system.

Up here I just vote for, well, whomever I want regardless and you don't exactly vote specifically for a leader. Unless you're in his or her riding anyhow. Up here you vote for the party/mp. Then whomever ends up with the most MPs and thus seats in Parliment gets to be leader.

We're not really much for "lifelong <insert party>" up here. I have at one point or another over the years support all 4 major parties ( excluding the Bloc of course <spit> ). Liberal, Conservative, NDP and Green. Just depends on how has the best ideas in any given cycle.

[HYHYBT]

Here, you don't exactly *register* as either party; in a primary election, such as we had this past week, you ask for the Republican, Democrat, or Independent ballot, and in the general election it doesn't matter.

What I didn't realize until this time around was that there are other differences between them than the selection of candidates. Actually, today's Devil's Panties is about that very thing, or maybe it was yesterday's. One thing that I noticed on there that I cannot think of any good reason for was a question about whether Georgia should require registering for a specific party 30 days before the primary if you want to vote in it. (I took the Republican ballot because there are some local races I care about in which there are no Democrats even running. The Independent ballot, which *ought* to have everything which appears on either of the other two, instead contains only that which they have in common.)

[Nekojin]

You can register Independent. It's what I did. I vote for candidates based on issues that are important to me, not whether they are Republican or Democrat.

Affiliating with one party or another allows you to vote in that party's primaries - except in states that have Open Primaries, in which case you can do that no matter who you're registered with. That said, there are very few states with Open Primaries.

Some independent voters register with the party that's closest to their views, and try to vote in the guy who is the closest fit. Some register with the party that's farthest from their views, and try to vote in the guy who is the worst choice, so that they'll be easily defeated in the final election. Neither method is completely satisfactory, and neither method works quite as well as hoped.

[Duelist925]

Rock salt. You can disperse them with rock salt or iron. But you still need to find and burn their tax returns to truly get rid of them.

I find scattering flax seed (or pennies) around to keep them busy until the sun rises works fairly well.

[Greenday]

Do you actually have to affiliate with one party or another?

You can register Independent. It's what I did. I vote for candidates based on issues that are important to me, not whether they are Republican or Democrat.

[Gravekeeper]

Huh, I figured how to kill a republican involved wooden stakes, a beheading, fire, and Holy Water?

Rock salt. You can disperse them with rock salt or iron. But you still need to find and burn their tax returns to truly get rid of them.

[Rapscallion]

I'm reserving that for an aunt of mine. Can never be too certain sometimes.

Rapscallion

[bara]

Huh, I figured how to kill a republican involved wooden stakes, a beheading, fire, and Holy Water?

[Rapscallion]

Have you considering becoming a floating voter? Do you actually have to affiliate with one party or another?

In time the republican party may become ... part of reality again, I guess. As a floating voter, you could vote where you feel your vote would be doing more good.

Rapscallion