Nearly 20,000 MA Dems leave Party

[Tom Joad]

Here's the explanation for what's happening in Massachusetts.

http://www.bustle.com/articles/14398...e-same-in-each

If you register Republican you can only vote in the Republican Primary.

If you register Democrat you can only vote in the Democratic Primary.

But if you register Independent you can vote either Primary.

So the rules actually encourage people to register Independent.

In fact, with the rules the way they are, why would anyone want to register as anything other than Independent?

[CarlV]

I miss your posts Mike lol!


Carl

[Ike Bana]

I happened to catch O'Reilly interviewing Brit Hume last night. Here's what Hume reported:

Trump may be winning these primaries, where the activists come out in force...but among Republican voters as a whole, he is catastrophically unpopular. His unfavorable numbers in most polls of Republicans has crept up over 40% in the last few weeks. What does this mean? According to Hume, in 2008 Romney had a 96% approval rating among Republican voters, won the independent vote, and still couldn't beat Obama. Hume says the RNC believes they will be annihilated by Hillary Clinton in a general election against Trump and they are desperate to find a way to get rid of him. And if they can't by the time of the convention they will do everything they can to dump him then, regardless of how many delegates he walks in with.

O'Reilly tried to play it down, of course.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Maryland is so deep blue and its primary so late (April 26) that its primary doesn't make much difference. Accordingly, I've never bothered voting in a primary election as I have better things to do.

Do you think it matters whether Chris Van Hollen or Donna Edwards wins the nomination to replace Babs?

If, as some polls indicate, either Bernie or Hillary will beat Drumpf, do you think it matters which is the nominee?

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by Oerets

I'm gonna vote for Trump in the Primary but Democrat when it matters the most!



Barney

Trump will win your primary without you. Vote in the primary for the Democrat that you'd like to see as President. Then vote for whichever Democrat wins.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by nailer

The people aren't capable of running the country.

"Mobocracy". We were forewarned.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Do you think it matters whether Chris Van Hollen or Donna Edwards wins the nomination to replace Babs?

If, as some polls indicate, either Bernie or Hillary will beat Drumpf, do you think it matters which is the nominee?

You didn't ask me...but I have an opinion. My opinion is that I believe in pretty much everything Sanders says. And the only people I would want less in the job are any of the GOP guys. My choices? Hillary, then Biden, then Obama gets a 3rd term. Sanders talks a great game. But the economy is coming back nicely and I believe that Bernie could very well innhibit the momentum.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by whell

From the Boston Herald:

Nearly 20,000 Bay State Democrats have fled the party this winter, with thousands doing so to join the Republican ranks, according to the state’s top elections official.

Secretary of State William Galvin said more than 16,300 Democrats have shed their party affiliation and become independent voters since Jan. 1, while nearly 3,500 more shifted to the MassGOP ahead of tomorrow’s “Super Tuesday” presidential primary.

Galvin said the state could see as many as 700,000 voting in tomorrow’s Republican primary, a significant number given just 468,000 people are actually registered Republicans. In Massachusetts. unenrolled — otherwise known as independent — voters can cast a ballot in the primary of any party.

My reason for posting this isn't to insinuate that there's trouble strictly in Donkey-ville. The "party elites" in both the Repub and Dem parties have totally misread the electorate.

The exceptions seem to be Sanders and Trump. Sanders won't win the nomination - his party has already stacked the deck against him - but Trump certainly could. If he does, it will voters - Repubs, Dems and Independents - all of whom believe their historical party of choice no longer represents their interests.

Mike, to my mind Trump and Hillary represent everything that is wrong with their respective parties. They are the icons of the bigot-mongering of the right and the corruption of the left, IMO. I cannot stand either one. And, after what I witnessed this morning at the Virginia primary, I am truly worried about the future of this country. When it comes down to a choice between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton...............

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Trump will win your primary without you. Vote in the primary for the Democrat that you'd like to see as President. Then vote for whichever Democrat wins.

This is what I will do.........With puke bag in hand, should it be Hillary.

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

I think this spells far more trouble for the GOP than it does for the Dems. If a significant percentage of those who bailed from their party vote for Trump in the primary, it increases the likelihood of the GOP experiencing a nasty break-up.

I think its equal opportunity disaffection. I think many of the same folks who backed "hope and change" in 2008 are now aligned with Sanders and not Clinton. That's the future of the Dem party, and the Sanders crowd doesn't identify with "the Party". Just like the Trump supporters identify less with the GOP than they do with Trump.

In fact, I think Trump's rise is all about disaffection with the "establishment" candidates and the status quo. The Dems and Independents that Trump may be attracting are, like Trump, less ideological than they are looking for alternatives to the status quo.