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If you're anything like Chicagoist, you're counting the days (only 382!) 'til Shrub is out and new leadership is in. And hey, America, let's not screw it up this time.
Although you may be chomping at the bit as Iowans get the chance to weigh in on the presidential candidates today, your chance is coming soon. Thanks to some clever maneuvering by Mike Madigan in 2007, Illinois primaries were moved up from March 15 to Feb. 5, largely in an effort to help out Barack's chances of winning the nomination.
If you're inclined to be an active citizen, you'll be able to cast a vote come Feb. 5, but only if you're registered by Jan. 8.. Come primary day, and you'll be able to select one party's ballot (Republican, Democrat, or, thanks to the magic of Rich Whitney, Green), and select your choices from said party. Chicagoist offices had a lively discussion this morning about the merits of open and closed primaries, discovering that some people have the curious strategy of selecting a ballot of the party they're against and voting for their underdog in an attempt to skew support. How many of you do this? Any other primary day voting strategies?
At any rate, regardless of whether you vote for our Hometown Hero or attempt to screw over the other team, at least put that right to vote to good use. If these nominations and the election are as important to you as they are to us, pop on over to Rock the Vote to register or peruse the much more tedious County Clerk site.
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The website, supposedly a site about Chicago, tends to a place for Chicagoist writers and commenters to sound off on matters of national politics.
Democrats. Liberals. That's what Chicagoist writers are. Do you think that the whole city is made up of Democrats and Liberals? Take a look at that twenty-something woman descending the El stairs. Or that guy with the wild hair buying groceries at Dominicks. Or that guy working the crane at that construction site.
Guess what? A whole lot of them are Republicans. Are they idiots? Maybe you think they are. Are they selfish rich people? Again, maybe you think they are.
I have had occasions to hear Lefties remark in surprise when a young person mentions that they vote Republican. "How could you?" the Lefty remarks. After all, the sanctimonious Lefty can't imagine anyone with a heart voting Republican. And it's especially funny when the Democrats lose. They just can't believe it, shouting "How could people be so stupid!?"
As a good friend of mine once said, "There's nothing sadder than a young Republican."
Who pissed in your Corn Flakes, Ward? You sound like you're on reactionary autopilot.
The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners Web site allows Chicago residents to check their registration status. Thought this should be mentioned since the Cook County Clerk's Web pageonly allows suburban Cook County voters to check their registration.
I've voted in primaries on other parties ballots other than my own. But, I've only done this when I felt that my own party's race was as good as over, and additionally that my vote would have more influence in determining the opponent on the other side.
Ward Up: You make a good point.
Too bad you make that point with the old "I am a GOP martyr in a Dem city" angle that is really, really tiresome. Why does every fucking Republican in this country seem to think they are suffering like Christ? Poor you.
Guess what? The writers here are pretty honest about their politics, and they have no obligation to do otherwise. They do not pretend to be serious journalists, and I don't understand what you are bitching about.
And before you ask, no, I am not a Dem, not by a longshot, and have often voted GOP.
Grow the fuck up.
Stephen - There's a special circle in hell for people who help rig elections, which is exactly what you do when you vote in a primary for a candidate you think your guy can beat.
where is bush appearing monday? does anyone know?
That's not rigging an election, Ferdy. It's called "strategic" or "tactical" voting and it's a pretty common practice. And it's legal, though not proven effective.
Plenty of people vote for the candidate they think will win - not the candidate they truly like or wish to have in office. How is this any different?
How it's different is that it's gate-crashing. You're not supporting the party or its platform; you're trying to wreck its chances. Maybe it's legal, but it certainly isn't fair to the many party members who elect delegates and lobby them for platform issues about which they care. It's just another rotten tactic, whether or not it works, to force agendas on those who have a right to determine their own parties' decisions.
If Chicago was any bluer it'd be shift back to the red end of the color spectrum.
And I'm a registered republican that consistently votes liberal across the board. I don't vote in primaries, because... who cares. Whoever the GOP elects is just gonna be some puppet to the religious right anyway. That is, if they want to ever be reelected.
I do it mainly because I don't want the Democrats to spend postage and valuable time trying to get me out to vote (when I already will, regardless of the situation). I'd rather have the Republicans spend all their money trying to convince me to vote for some other random rich white person and have their paid "volunteers" waste their valuable phone time trying to explain to where "how do I vote again?" or "¿Cómo voto?"
Ferdy - I think proclaiming that there is a "special circle in hell for people who help rig elections" is a little extreme. Child molesters? Yes. CTA officials/the Strogers? Yes. People who vote for candidates not from their own party? Not so much.
To talk about elections in this country being "fair" is a farce. Seriously. The entire primary system? How do Iowa and New Hampshire get to set the tone for the entire country? The electoral college? Do we think it actually makes sense that someone can win the entire election by carrying California, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida? Or maybe we can talk about elections being held on Tuesdays, a day that the vast majority of the country has to go to work on.
If you want to get upset about the state of elections in the US, get upset about real issues. Not extremes on either side of the political spectrum trying to "gate-crash".
Also, ferdy... you're in Chicago. The American Capital of Dirty Political tricks.
There still aren't districts reporting for the 1960 Presidential Election yet.
Matilda- honestly, can't you come up with a better argument against chicagoland republicans than the traditional "I am a GOP martyr in a Dem city" bullshit. What, no republican can say 'I'm a republican' without it being legit since this is a corrupt, arrogant, and selfish democratic city?!
And I do LOVE Ward up's points, especially the one when a republican wins an election and the dems go 'what, how can that happen!' and my favorite is when they say "I don't know anybody who voted republican or for Bush, the election must have been rigged."!! - pretty much proves a lot of points you want to make about liberals.
Go ahead Matilda begin the 'your a sheep...closed minded...you don't know me...' expected type knee jerk reactions from such liberals as yourself.
"get upset about real issues"
The real issues you are advocating, are all entirely relative to who is saying these issues are THE issues!
Laura - Crossing over in a primary is just part and parcel of why government is getting worse and worse. It reflects the attitude of "take no prisoners" that has ruined consensus government in this country. I do take that very seriously. If you think "not so much" (another phrase that should expire from usage soon), fine, but don't tell me what to feel. I don't think I'm overreacting at all.
Ferdy - of you are going to tell people they are going to a special circle of hell for voting, I feel fine telling you what to "feel."
Laura - Generally I like you, but if you want to take a well-established phrase and blow it out of proportion, then you're the one who needs to lighten up, not me.
Huck: Give me a break.
Ward is playing the GOP martyr game, just as many have before. Ward shocked, shocked, shocked that Chicagoist writers lean to the left, even though Ward has been here for a while. I call bullshit on that one.
Me a lib? Uh, OK. If you really believe that, you would be amazed at my views on guns and defense and federal budgets and education, sweetheart.
Ferdy: Give me a break as well. Politics is just that--politics. If you want to be pure, keep on keeping on, but don't act like people who vote for certain candidates are akin to Satan.
I don't think anyone is shocked that Chicagoist is leftist; its the attitude that 'everybody else is too' type of bullshit. In fact, Ward says 'do you think the rest of chicago is democrat...', not 'wow, chicagoist is liberal, what the heck?!..."
Matilda, give me a statement a GOPer could make, stating that person is a GOPer in Chicago, without getting accused of playing the martyr game.
"Im voting Republican..."- You damn Martyr!
"I like conservatives..."- Screw you, you fuckin Martyr
"Reagan was a good President..."- Death to you, you fuckin Martyr
Huck, that three-headed strawman just kind of illustrated Matilda's point.
"give me a statement a GOPer could make, stating that person is a GOPer in Chicago, without getting accused of playing the martyr game"
"that three-headed strawman just kind of illustrated Matilda's point."
Holy shit, is this a joke?
That depends. Were you?
...joking, that is.
"Reagan was a good President..."- Death to you, you fuckin Martyr
I wouldn't call them a martyr, maybe 'simple', 'blind' and completely ignorant of history or U.S./C.I.A involvement in the world at the time.
You two both conveniently ignore that this blog gives local and statewide dems a lot of (deserving) crap too, in fact you guys had to skim past the Blago and Daley criticism just to get here. You two should get together and start your own blog. Persecuted WASPist?