Wisconsin’s primary is next month, and it seems there will still be 4 people in the race. It’s an open primary, which means a liberal like me can go in and vote for any one of these obnoxious guys.
So, who to vote for in my small effort to give Barack Obama the most easily beaten opponent? I’m thinking the realistic choices are Santorum and Gingrich, as Paul is too marginal and Romney is too mainstrean (and IMO is the most difficult opponent for Obama to face).
Any thoughts?
You should stay the hell out of the Republican primary. You’re trying to game the system. Vote in the local Dem primary, or stay home.
Whom.
If it’s an open primary, he’s got every right to vote in it. If the WI GOP doesn’t want people from other parties voting in their primary, it’s easy enough for them to change the rules.
Jim, if your goal is to delay the ultimate GOP selection of Romney, you’d probably want to vote for Santorum who has been the biggest thorn in his side so far. Gingrich has failed to get any real traction outside of the south, and Santorum even swept him there yesterday. I doubt Newt is going to make a strong showing in the badger state.
On the other hand, I went into the TN primary with the same plan as you but when I got to the booth I just couldn’t do it. I ended up voting for Huntsman, even though he had been out of the race for two months by then.
Can you write in Obama?
If Obama won the primary in a write-in, that would guarantee a rule change next time around! 
Vote for Obama. I regret my vote in the Republican primary for Senate in 2010 (Feingold was unchallenged, so I didn’t bother voting for him). If I felt Obama was unlikely to win the general election, then I’d vote for the next best alternative, but that seems unnecessary right now. Or, vote for Gary Johnson, who seems like the best Republican of the bunch, but is running as a Libertarian.
Just because something can be done doesn’t make it right, ethical, or honorable. Rush Limbaugh was wrong with “Operation Chaos”, and the OP would be wrong to do what he proposes.
Well, Romney is pretty obviously going to win the nomination in the end. But if you vote for Santorum you and others might keep things simmering along for a while longer, giving the Dems more ammunition when the REAL campaigns start. Basically, I think you are wasting your time, but I suppose it might have a small effect if enough folks like you try and game the system and keep Santorum in the race for a few more weeks.
In the end, Obama is going to be facing Romney, regardless of all of this. I don’t think Obama will have much trouble with him, though it will depend on the economy. If it picks up then no one is going to be able to touch Obama. If it slumps then gods help us if it’s not Romney, since despite the rhetoric I’d say he’s the sanest of the bunch still in the race, and if anyone besides Obama wins I’d rather it be him than anyone else the Pubs are tossing up this election who is still in the race at this point.
-XT
Seeing as how the Republican Party as a whole, and especially Wisconsin GOP - have been ‘gaming the system’ for years to achieve their ends, I think a taste of their own medicine is just the ticket.
I would consider things like Voter ID restrictions, gerrymandering, and nominating fake Democratic candidates to force unneeded primaries and waste money for the Dems (to name but a few) far less “right, ethical, or honorable”.
The actions of the right are no aberration, like Rush’s Operation Blowhard - sorry, Chaos. They are part of a carefully scripted national strategy designed to benefit an elite class of oligarchs and manipulate a large portion of the electorate through misinformation, obfuscation, and outright lies.
But I’ll tell you what. Get the Koch Brothers out of my state and I’ll happily stay home. For now, I’m rounding up every apolitical and progressive friend and acquaintance I can to get Santorum on the ballot.
Picker
a liberal sconnie who’s pleased as punch to be screwing with the GOP. They made the rules, they can change them if they want.
Vote for Gingrich. It’s far too late for him to have a serious chance at the nomination; but, the more votes/delegates he picks up along the way, the uglier will be the convention-floor fights in Tampa. 
If Gingrich goes all the way to Tampa, it will definitely make the convention uglier. The floor fights will be more dramatic, too 
Gingrich is done. You’d be better off voting for Paul, who is in the number 3 position last I heard. Santorum is still in this, though, so if you are really trying to game the system to extend out the primary then he’s the guy to vote for. If that’s the idea. If the idea is to actually get someone other than Romney to be the Republican nomination in the end then it’s probably a fools game, since it doesn’t seem very likely at this point that anyone else is going to win the nomination.
-XT
Vote for the easiest opponent for Obama, whoever you think it is. In my case, I voted for Santorum.
When the Republican Party gets back to being a reasonable alternative to the Democrats, I will grant them the respect of staying out of their primary. Since they are not now serious about governing, I shall do whatever I can to hasten their doom.
I agree with Oakminster. Vote in the Republican primary if you want, but vote for the candidate you favor (or least revolts you), not the one you think would be weakest in November. The Republicans are more than capable of sabotaging their party without your help.
There are other primary elections besides the presidential. Why wouldn’t you vote in the dem primary?
If Obama is your preferred candidate, vote for him.
If for some reason, you have to vote for a Republican candidate, then vote for the one you think would do the best job as President.
Nothing is guaranteed. Romney could still lose the nomination and Obama could still lose the general election. And if Rick Santorum is standing there next January, taking the oath of office, do you want to share in the responsibility for that?
Thank you. That was bothering me.
Dunno how it is in other states, but in Florida, the Dems didn’t even have a presidential primary this year, I checked with the elections office, nothing at all for Dems to do when the Pubs were voting; the Dems will have a different primary in August for Congressional seats, etc.
[QUOTE=Little Nemo]
Nothing is guaranteed. Romney could still lose the nomination and Obama could still lose the general election. And if Rick Santorum is standing there next January, taking the oath of office, do you want to share in the responsibility for that?
[/QUOTE]
Exactly. Keep in mind that the common wisdom among Dems in 2004 was that Bush didn’t have a chance and Kerry was pretty much a sure thing. How did that work out? If the economy completely tanks and the public turns against Obama then my guess is most folks would rather have Romney in the big chair than Ricky Rouse.
-XT