"Democrats, do you want this primary season to be over, or do you want it to be hilarious?"

January 14, 2008 7:02 PM

Michigan Democrats for Romneyis an effort by mischievous Michigan Democrats to take advantage of the uncompetitive January 15th "beauty contest" primary on the Democratic side by encouraging Democratic voters to vote for Mitt Romney in the Republican primary so that Romney won't drop out of the primary race after making his last stand in Michigan. Similar hijinks by Michigan Republicans in 1972 led to George Wallace's victory in the Democratic presidential primary that year.
posted by jonp72 (62 comments total)

I rarely wish I still lived in Michigan, but tomorrow will be one of those days.
posted by aaronetc at 7:07 PM on January 14, 2008

How come Hilary is the only democrat in Michigan? Is she getting punished by the DNC for running there?
posted by afu at 7:08 PM on January 14, 2008

Many kossacks gonna feel real dumb if this sets off a chain of events that helps him stumble into the Presidency. Be kinda funny, though.
posted by hackly_fracture at 7:13 PM on January 14, 2008

Michigan has no delegates. Hillary isn't campaigning there... so her being on the ballot and others withdrawing is more or less meaningless.
posted by phrontist at 7:14 PM on January 14, 2008

afu, the for making the decision to vote early by disqualifying them from sending any delegates to the convention.
posted by rollbiz at 7:15 PM on January 14, 2008

Ooops, the DNC punished the party for moving their primary. I got myself in some kind of HTML deep shit right there.
posted by rollbiz at 7:16 PM on January 14, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Michig-insignifcant.
posted by localhuman at 7:16 PM on January 14, 2008

Wow. The DNC punished the state Dems for moving their primary. Holy shit.

Y'all enjoy your little discussion. I'm obviously working on making my MarkovFilter even crazier. Or I'm just really, really tired...
posted by rollbiz at 7:23 PM on January 14, 2008

Many kossacks gonna feel real dumb if this sets off a chain of events that helps him stumble into the Presidency.

That's what makes me nervous about even goof-voting for Romney; the Republican nomination still looks like a complete crapshoot, and I'm askairt of inadvertently helping one of the jerks win. So tomorrow presents quite a quandary.

Nevertheless, I'm just so dang proud to reside in a state that has raised the already absurd pointlessness of the political process to an art form. Thanks for the disenfranchisement, kids!
posted by FelliniBlank at 7:35 PM on January 14, 2008

A worm's-eye view from the conservative side of the Mitten: It'll be McCain tomorrow.

The Republican establishment hereabouts has tagged him as the only one who can actually win in the general election. The economic conservatives hate and fear Huckabee. The religious conservatives (hardline Protestants, mostly) will not abide a Mormon, especially one whom they suspect of being a crypto-liberal. That leaves the geezer.

For every Kossack who will ironically pull the lever for Romney, there are ten independents who, being frustrated with the Democratic establishment and a meaningless primary vote for Clinton, will choose what they perceive as the least bad (but still marginally "meaningful") choice in this primary: McCain.

My projection (probably way off but I've had a few beers, so what the hell): Mcain by 5 pts.
posted by Chrischris at 7:43 PM on January 14, 2008

Looks live everyone's playing the game. Obama's team is trying to get Republicans to be Democrat for a day.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:47 PM on January 14, 2008

I'm a democrat, but I can't imagine Romney being worse than Bush. Bush makes me long for Reagan.
posted by mecran01 at 7:48 PM on January 14, 2008

CheeseDigestsAll, that's one Obama volunteer, not his "team."
posted by gerryblog at 7:53 PM on January 14, 2008

rollbiz said: Wow. The DNC punished the state Dems for moving their primary. Holy shit.

Is Florida being punished in the same way?
posted by amyms at 7:59 PM on January 14, 2008

I really wish Michigan Democrats would quit with the highjinks and think ahead. If I lived there, I'd be casting an "uncommitted" ballot on the Democratic side. That way, if the situation with the state leadership is somehow reconciled and their delegates are allowed to vote at the convention, they won't all be firmly in the Clinton column. Not to mention that having Hillary suffer an overwhelming loss to "uncommitted" would be a pretty embarrassing p.r. blow. And if there's anything progressive Democrats need now, it's Clinton suffering embarrassing p.r. blows.

But probably the worst thing about the Kossack strategy is that it invites Republicans to play the same games in open Democratic primaries. Ick.
posted by Rhaomi at 8:03 PM on January 14, 2008

Many kossacks gonna feel real dumb if this sets off a chain of events that helps Romney stumble into the Presidency.

I'm old enough to remember liberals celebrating when Reagan won the Republican nomination, thinking he'd get creamed in November.
posted by msalt at 8:03 PM on January 14, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Is Florida being punished in the same way?

The DNC voted to punish both Michigan and Florida by refusing to seat their delegates at next summer's Democratic National Convention.
posted by speug at 8:04 PM on January 14, 2008

it isn't a good idea to pick up a rattlesnake unless you're absolutely sure it's dead.
posted by bruce at 8:05 PM on January 14, 2008 [4 favorites has favorites]

Is Florida being punished in the same way?

The DNC voted to punish both Michigan and Florida by refusing to seat their delegates at next summer's Democratic National Convention.

Thanks, speug, I found this recent related AskMe question too.
posted by amyms at 8:13 PM on January 14, 2008

i'm staying home - a low turnout on the democratic side just might send the national party a message they need to hear
posted by pyramid termite at 8:22 PM on January 14, 2008

I would be delighted if Romney the could disappear from the political stage. Dude is some kind a evil cyborg with plastic hair.
posted by Skygazer at 8:32 PM on January 14, 2008

Dude is some kind a evil cyborg with plastic hair.

You do realize that this is rougly 80% of the Republican leadership.

The other 20% being pudgy bald child-molesters with narrow, sinister eyes.
posted by Avenger at 8:45 PM on January 14, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Mitt Headroom
posted by kirkaracha at 9:04 PM on January 14, 2008

From an Obama spokesman: We'’ve learned that one individual who volunteers for the campaign was making the flyer and we’ve instructed him to stop creating and distributing it. But make no mistake, we want as many independents and Republicans to become Democrats...

The objection to the first flyer was that it attacked Hillary, not that it was targeted at cross-over voters. They have a new flyer that suggests the same strategy without mentioning Clinton.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 9:19 PM on January 14, 2008

The Real (Flip) Romney.

I was for abortion before I was against it.

I was for gay rights before I was against them. [Damn varmints].

I was for gun control before I was against it.

Flip-flopper? Opportunist? You decide.
posted by ericb at 9:35 PM on January 14, 2008

Oops. The [Damn varmints] should be after "I was for gun control before I was against it."

But(t) in Romney's new "world view," I suspect he'd call me a "varmint," so as to curry a conservative vote.
posted by ericb at 9:39 PM on January 14, 2008

Magic Underpants
posted by anomie at 9:44 PM on January 14, 2008

I should add that that's a video and that it may be a tiny bit NSFW
posted by anomie at 9:45 PM on January 14, 2008

I wouldn't do this. The truth is, the election looks like it could be ugly - it's possible that negative attack ads, rumors, or bigotry could sink either Obama or Clinton entirely, allowing pretty much any Republican to win. Better to let them put up McCain, who is a grade-A tool but at least not an idiot or a fundy, than to push a candidate who is an even bigger tool and may or may not be a fundamentalist (he sure is playing one on TV.)
posted by Mitrovarr at 10:33 PM on January 14, 2008

a low turnout on the democratic side just might send the national party a message they need to hear

Hello darkness, my old friend... I've come to talk with you again...
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:22 PM on January 14, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

That's what makes me nervous about even goof-voting for Romney; the Republican nomination still looks like a complete crapshoot, and I'm askairt of inadvertently helping one of the jerks win.
...
will choose what they perceive as the least bad (but still marginally "meaningful") choice in this primary: McCain.

Romney seems like the "least worse" person to be president, honestly. Giuliani is a psycho who will bomb Iran. Huckabee is just too dumb. And McCain? McCain recently said we ought to spend 10,000 years in Iraq. Yes ten thousand. Literally. He said that would be "fine". A vote for McCain is a vote for escalation in Iraq and a ruined America.

But hey, you know, the press just looooves him so why not right?! Just a few trillion dollars every decade.
posted by delmoi at 11:53 PM on January 14, 2008

Judge orders NBC to allow Kucinich into debate.

This primary has totally gone off the rails.
posted by delmoi at 11:59 PM on January 14, 2008

Reporter: Giuliani tossed my crying baby 'like a football'.
posted by delmoi at 12:03 AM on January 15, 2008

(oops, that link goes to an article about something posted on mefi already, the headline writer just went for a more provocative headline)
posted by delmoi at 12:04 AM on January 15, 2008

Magic Underpants

My underpants are filled with lots of magic and I'm not even a Mormon.
posted by Skygazer at 12:09 AM on January 15, 2008

My underpants are filled with lots of magic and I'm not even a Mormon.

Heed the words of Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) in The Bucket List: "Never trust a fart."

Or, as others might comment: "Oops ... ignore the panty pudding."
posted by ericb at 12:21 AM on January 15, 2008

Rhaomi, the Republicans have already been playing these kinds of games in Democratic primaries for years.
posted by kyrademon at 3:18 AM on January 15, 2008

An Illinois winger/blogger has filed a criminal complaint against Kos for "encouraging voter fraud".
posted by scalefree at 4:53 AM on January 15, 2008

I don't really see the danger in accidentally helping Willard win. All of their guys are about equally evil. With the possible exception of Giuliani, who is 1.5 * evil.
posted by DU at 4:58 AM on January 15, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

For whatever it's worth, the Republican Party withdrew half of Michigan's delegates due to the scheduling war. So don't think they're less uptight about Michigan having moved the primary; they're simply not punishing as severely.

The Democratic Party is encouraging members to vote 'Uncommitted' today, to have a pool of superdelegates available to commit to somebody who's not Kucinich (the only Dem candidate who's campaigned in Michigan) in case the Party changes its mind between tomorrow and the national convention. And Kucinich is on the ballot here, regardless of what CNN says.
posted by ardgedee at 6:27 AM on January 15, 2008

I'm probably going to vote for RuPaul. I still remember all of those Republicans who voted for Wallace and Jackson in earlier Michigan primaries. I couldn't stomach voting for Romney.

There are easily 3 times as many Paul signs around here as all others combined.

The funniest one just says "Who is Ron Paul ?"
posted by rfs at 6:28 AM on January 15, 2008

Reporter: Giuliani tossed my crying baby 'like a football'.

so that's where the hail mary pass got started
posted by pyramid termite at 6:43 AM on January 15, 2008

delmoi writes "Romney seems like the 'least worse' person to be president, honestly. Giuliani is a psycho who will bomb Iran. Huckabee is just too dumb. And McCain? McCain recently said we ought to spend 10,000 years in Iraq. Yes ten thousand. Literally. He said that would be 'fine'. A vote for McCain is a vote for escalation in Iraq and a ruined America."

My prediction: if it's a contest between McCain and Clinton, McCain wins, because he'll pull off most of the independent votes. In a contest between McCain and Obama, Obama wins, because he has a stronger pull for the independent votes than McCain. Romney would be much easier to beat in the general. I hope he gets the nomination, because almost any Democrat could beat him. I don't like Clinton - she's better than McCain, but a Clinton administration is not going to do anything to end political divisiveness, which may make getting anything done difficult.
posted by krinklyfig at 10:52 AM on January 15, 2008

Reporter: Giuliani tossed my crying baby 'like a football'.

Those are some ca-raaaaay-zeeee ears on that baby.
posted by Dr-Baa at 11:43 AM on January 15, 2008

Huckabee is just too dumb.

Not so sure about that. And he's VERY smooth on TV.
posted by msalt at 12:16 PM on January 15, 2008

Ericb: Heed the words of Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) in The Bucket List: "Never trust a fart."

Not exactly the magic I was alluding too, but erm...point taken.
posted by Skygazer at 12:51 PM on January 15, 2008

Huckabee: Amend Constitution to be in 'God's standards'
posted by homunculus at 3:07 PM on January 15, 2008

Kucinich: The Best Positions by far. So Why Are They Trying To Bar Him?
posted by homunculus at 5:21 PM on January 15, 2008

Corporations Win Over Democracy: Kucinich Loses Bid to Debate

Oh well.
posted by homunculus at 5:53 PM on January 15, 2008

Looks like they succeeded.
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 7:58 PM on January 15, 2008

Stay classy, Rush.
posted by homunculus at 9:24 PM on January 15, 2008

Romney won, but the exit polls strongly suggest that crossover votes had little to do with his victory. Self-identified Democrats who voted in the GOP primary went for McCain (41%) over Romney (33%)... to a lesser extent, so did independents (35% to 29%).

On the other hand, self-identified liberals did go for Romney over McCain, 33% to 30%, but were also fairly likely to break for Huckabee or Ron Paul. So either there were lots of mischievous lefties who disagreed with the Kos strategery, or lots of folks who are deeply confused about either their own beliefs or the candidates'. (Actually, the same polls show that McCain supporters were disproportionately likely to pick Iraq as their most important issue and to disapprove of the war, which tends to support the "confusion" hypothesis.)
posted by nicepersonality at 11:45 PM on January 15, 2008

No Republican anchor in sight: Romney's win in Michigan points to a Republican party that is adrift.
posted by ericb at 8:10 AM on January 16, 2008

Associated Press: Mitt Won, Authenticity Lost

"Mitt Romney's victory in Michigan was a defeat for authenticity in politics.

The former Massachusetts governor pandered to voters, distorted his opponents' record and continued to show why he's the most malleable — and least credible — major presidential candidate.

And it worked."

posted by ericb at 9:43 AM on January 16, 2008

I don't think people understand how the flip-flopper charge works. The argument is only valid on the republican side against a candidate on the left who flips from a liberal position on an issue to a conservative position on an issue. The argument is predicated on the assumption that the original position is the authentic one, and the new position is the opportunistic one.

The charge does not work on the democratic side against a republican who flips from a liberal standpoint to the conservative standpoint, because the allegedly authentic position agrees with the democratic position.

The problem you have in Romney is that you think he's unelectable because (a) that's what the polls say now, and (b) because he's a Mormon. Assuming republicans are as prejudiced as you think, they are going to vote for a Mormon before they vote for a black guy named Hussein who they think might be a muslim. And they sure as hell are going to vote for a mormon before they vote for Hillary.

And they are going to vote, because local and state elections are still important to them.

Magic underpants charges are funny, but jews cut off the tips of their infant sons' penises at parties and christians pray to a corpse nailed upright at the head of the altar. Nancy Reagan was into astrology. All religions are pretty retarded when scrutinized closely. At least the magic underwear has the benefit of not requiring anyone to bleed. As far as religions go, it's rated PG.

And take a look at Romney's background. He ran companies successfully. His educational background makes him overqualified for the job. Romney is a major problem. Ignore the polling data which is based just as much on name recognition as anything else.
posted by Pastabagel at 11:44 AM on January 16, 2008

Um. This could backfire and end up with the American people voting that asshole into the presidential office. God knows they've done stupider things before. If we're going to have to have a Republican in office I'd rather it be McCain or Huckabee.
posted by Jess the Mess at 2:04 PM on January 16, 2008

Democracy Now! Re-Hosts NBC Las Vegas Debate to Include Kucinich After NBC Wins Appeal to Exclude Him
posted by homunculus at 2:26 PM on January 16, 2008

Huck Pollsters: McCain Supports "Experiments on Unborn Children"
posted by homunculus at 3:46 PM on January 17, 2008

Huckabee Directly Equates Homosexuality With Bestiality
posted by homunculus at 2:39 PM on January 18, 2008

Similar hijinks by Michigan Republicans in 1972 led to George Wallace's victory in the Democratic presidential primary that year.

Yeah. It was hyjinks. Surely Michiganers are too enlightened to have voted for a troglodyte like Wallace otherwise. Surely conservative Michiganers wouldn't prefer the anti-federal, bigoted-yet-populist Dixiecrat that "stood at the schoolhouse" door to the uncharismatic, big government, shit-filled Nixon or the only other alternative options offered by the DNC to oust him, a choice from a gaggle of shrill leftists. Where are the '68 numbers on that link?
posted by Pollomacho at 3:24 PM on January 18, 2008

Surely Michiganers are too enlightened to have voted for a troglodyte like Wallace otherwise.

*snorts*

ps - that's michiganders, thank you
posted by pyramid termite at 9:28 AM on January 19, 2008

The War On Change
posted by homunculus at 3:43 PM on January 19, 2008