Eat! Pray! Vote!
I arrived at my precinct this morning as confused and desperate as I was the night before, agonizing over what would prove to be the toughest decision of my life. Which primary should I vote in? Do I stick with the Democrats? Or do I go all Rambo and cross over to the Republican primary in the hopes of forcing a runoff? Sitting in my car, I closed my eyes and asked for a sign from the universe and was, as usual, completely ignored. Taking a deep breath, I walked into Maplewood Elementary and asked one of the 100-year-old precinct workers what I should do but unfortunately he was sleeping. Or at least I hope he was asleep.
NOTE TO TRAVIS COUNTY DEMOCRATS: The party is urging you to vote in the Democratic primary, especially considering the importance of down-ballot races. This makes a lot of sense. So you probably shouldn’t be like me and vote in… the Republican primary.
Yes, for the first time ever, I voted as a Republican solely because of the gubernatorial race. Maybe this was the wrong choice, as I have made several over the course of my lifetime. But I already know that Bill White will be the nominee. And the governor’s race is the one closest to my heart, which feels like it’s breaking a little bit after seeing “Republican” stamped on my voting card. If Rick Perry ends up getting enough votes to win the primary, I will no doubt be stripped of my Texas Democrat credentials, which get you into the occasional Scholz’s happy hour. But if there’s a runoff between the three, perhaps my strategy worked and I will be celebrated for years to come.
NOTE TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN’T VOTED: You should probably respect your party elders and not follow the example of a hapless blogger who makes decisions based on whether she makes the light or not. It was still yellow! Now I know I should go drink instead of working out! Only you can make this decision. Only you can totally screw this up. Good luck.
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:44 am
Did you take your voter registration card? Did they stamp it? Can we now call you a card-carrying Republican?
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:51 am
Yes! If the Republicans got the Pink Lady, they can get anyone. I just voted in the Republican Primary too, in Brownsville, where there are barely any Repubs. I told the guy which Primary I was voting in, to which he replied, “Awesome.” Something tells me he didn’t mean what he said.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:00 pm
i’ve heard from an actual republican friend (!!) that his precinct had signs all over the place and were saying things to the effect that you have to be a member of the republican party, or you have to be registered republican, or somesuch, to vote in their primary.
DON’T BE FOOLED. this is an obvious voter suppression scare tactic by republicans who don’t want us f*ucking with their results.
while it is technically true that in texas you have to be a member of the party to vote in its primary, the way you join the party is to …
wait for it …
VOTE IN THE PRIMARY!
i will be voting republican only so that i can see those super top secret platform plank thingees they have on the ballot. i can’t wait to find out what crazy shit they’re thinking up next.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:03 pm
I hope you enjoy getting robocalls from Sarah Palin, because now you are on their list. Actually, that does sound like something you would enjoy.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:09 pm
I did it too! I have never before in my life even voted for a Republican, much less in their primary. I just couldn’t pass up an extra opportunity to vote against Governor Goodhair, and I live in Denton county where the Dems don’t even field candidates in most races. But I also cleverly and conveniently left my voter registration card at home, and used my driver’s license. Hah! No scarlet “R” for me.
Those super secret ballot initiative things were indeed very scary, and I voted NO with shaking hands. Otherwise, everything looked pretty much normal. Nobody tried to force me to drink tea or anything.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:11 pm
we do all live in texas, as anny is so fond of pointing out (hey, anny, try any other blog at TM for the “texas viewpoint.” they’ve got it in spades).
if you can’t laugh at yourself, it’s important to have someone else to laugh at.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:14 pm
the irony of all this, of course, is that perry is by far the most attractive opponent in november for supporters of white.
so, dems going to vote “against perry” may be marginalizing white’s chances more than anything.
i’m going republican to try and help make a runoff happen (which yes, means i’m voting against perry, but for a different reason, dammit!). because i think more talking by perry has to be good for white.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:22 pm
serious question: come runoff time, don’t we need that “r” stamp to get in? or will they have record elsewhere of our purple finger?
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Those damn Republicans going to the polls and voting– they’re suppressing my vote!!!
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Purple finger. Awesome.
Serious answer: No idea.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Don’t hate me.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:42 pm
I’m doing it. I was unsure, but now that PL has done it, I’m doing it. And I’m going to wear a shirt that says, “I’m here because I despise you.”
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:49 pm
I’m voting in both! I was walking over to the Redquarters when I realized there are no Red candidates for local office in this Blue county. All politics are local and the county offices are too important to blow off. The winner of the Dem primary takes office so I stayed true blue.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Rasmussen has KBH beating White by 9 points. They have Perry beating him by 6. And considering the margin of error for this thing was 3%, White really isn’t any worse off running against Kay than he is against Perry.
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:00 pm
wow, you’re even dumber than i thought.
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:21 pm
No. You’ll be on the R rolls. Just show the drivers license again if you don’t have your voter registration card.
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Runoff voters can be anyone who didn’t vote at at all or those who voted Republican…
If you vote Demo, you’ll be on a LIST (heaven forbid) and they won’t let you vote in the Republican runoff. (and vice versa for Republican primary voters not voting in a Demo runoff.)
I like those folks who are voting for Medina today to force a runoff to make Perry spend lots more money, then voting for Perry in the runoff to insure a damaged opponent for White. Those folks should stick with chess.
For me, I gotta stick with the good guys and vote Democratic ….
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:37 pm
I voted Republican for the first time in my life. Simply could not pass up the chance to..maybe..vote against Perry 3 times!! White has my vote in November. Nor could I pass up the chance to vote for a moderate Republican in the SBOE race since the chances of a Dem winning there is slim to nil, I hate to say.
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:39 pm
It would be an interesting lesson in politics if KBH pulled in enough crossovers to scare Perry. Instead of spending her money claiming she is more conservative than Perry, she should have found some ringer to set up an “independents for Kay” campaign.
In the good old days, exit polling results would come in around 3 p.m. and we’d know the winner.
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:51 pm
it would be a more interesting lesson of Democrats would get it into their heads that there are important down-ballot races with important choices, ones which should be made by Democrats who wander off to the nearest shiny object instead.
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Of course, you do realize don’t you that when you voted in the GOP Primary you took an OATH to support that party’s nominees in November? (It�s hidden in the small type but it is on the ballot). It is unenforceable and, of course, oaths don’t mean as much these days as they used did in the past.
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:53 pm
I’ll keep my vows to politicians as soon as they keep their promises.
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Happy Texas Independence Day, yall.
I got my very first robo-call ever last night…from Medina. I so gotta go vote for her…because voting for the one who puts junk on your voicemail is SO independent thinkerer of me.
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Dukakis – you have a shirt that says “I’m here because I despise you.”?
That is awesome! Amazing what you can find at an Austin thrift store. I should visit our capitol more often instead of my usual twice in 52 years.
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:14 pm
what down ballot races, exactly, harold (and andy)?
i have a copy of the sample ballot in front of me. go ahead, get wonky. tell me which important decision(s) i am abdicating. it’s not too late – i haven’t yet voted.
and i WILL support the GOP nominees’ efforts to maximize their contributions to texas, by getting them out of its government.
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:32 pm
We really need to be careful here. When dems start getting tricky, they get dicked, like Mass did when they thought Teddy was gonna’ croak while Mitt was governator. Over thinking things is not how we got where we are today you guys, so just cut it out.
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:37 pm
if it’s not how we got where we are, maybe we should try it.
because we sure as hell don’t want to be where we are.
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:41 pm
We all have struggles in our lives — like paper or plastic. Yours is just one more PL. You did your civic duty. Be proud. Have a drink. Have another.
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:45 pm
your tone pissed me off, so i went and printed the ballots.
by voting republican, i am giving up the ability to influence the democratic nominee for: lt. gov. (katz!), land commish, ag. commish (kinky!), and an SBOE spot. ALL of whom will eventually lose to the republican (write it down). i am also giving up on voting for some judges, of the district, county court & jop variety.
that’s it. finis. (don’t even get me started on how stupid it is have to vote for judges. you betcha, i have all their rulings here in front of me, and i am weighing their candidacies accordingly. christ.)
meanwhile, by voting republican, i get to influence the process, not only for governor, but for their nominees for railroad commish (regulates oil), two spots on the state supreme court, an SBOE nominee, and a court of appeals justice. ALL of whom will win in november.
so, again, which are the important choices here?
shiny object, indeed.
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:20 pm
I’m guessing the odds are someone at Glen Maxey’s precinct would know Glen Maxey, and I’m guessing that if those who know Glen Maxey hear him say “I’ll be voting in the Republican primary,” that’s probably going to draw some attention.
Illin, on the other hand, could absolutely pass for a Republican.
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Thanks Harold – I voted in the D primary for just that reason – because I DO care about the down ballot races.
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:32 pm
I choose to vote R for the standard reason, BUT I also get a choice for State Board of Education. Brian Russell,the Texas GOP executive committee who HOME SCHOOLS his kids or one of the two PhD teachers. I think I like Rebecca Osborne because she thinks the board wasted too much time on Evolution at the cost of paying attention to the whole science curriculum. I can vote for the Austin D in general election, but relish the chance to vote against a non-qualified but well connected R candidate for SBOE.
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:34 pm
I could use some grammar lessons myownself.
…member of the Texas GOP exec comm….
If you vote you should at least get a drink discount somewhere.
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Dang Eileen,
Don’t feel so guilty. I voted D last time around because of local races and spent a year feeling like I had a big D on my forehead. I voted R this time and breathed a big sigh of relief. Still enjoyed my call from somebody named Shami. He’s not gittin’ too much support out here in Real Texas.
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Now, THAT would be a successful get-out-the-vote effort.
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Isn’t Shami that whale that killed that poor trainer?
/Too soon?
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:08 pm
That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:14 pm
he’s not gettin’ too much support over here in fake texas, either. (you know, the fake texas where the capitol sits.)
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:58 pm
never too soon…
March 2nd, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Yeah, thank you Goodwill.
But sadly, I couldn’t do it. I walked in fully intending to vote in the GOP primary, but when the nice guy at the table asked me which party, I just blurted out “DEMOCRATIC” in an awkwardly loud voice. However, I realized the t-shirt was still appropriate once I saw Kinky’s name on the ballot again.
March 2nd, 2010 at 5:08 pm
When I went to vote this afternoon I noticed that the �party loyalty oath� is NO LONGER on the primary ballot. I guess the Legislators decided it was not a good idea to force so many people to violate an oath every two years. It has been replaced with a bland notice that, if you vote in the primary, you many not participate in the conventions, etc. of another party.
The oath was once included in Art. 13.11 of the Election Code which read as follows:
Art. 13.11. Test on Ballot
No official ballot for primary election shall have on it any symbol or device or any printed matter, except a uniform primary test, reading as follows: “I am a ———— (inserting name of political party or organization of which the voter is a member) and pledge myself to support the nominee of this primary”; and any ballot which shall not contain such printed test above the name of the candidates thereon, shall be void and shall not be counted.”
Removing this removed the need for many of us to be hypocrites every time we voted in a primary.
Sorry about the mistake. I should have checked the statue book before commenting. I was a mistake–probably only about the 4 millionth one I have made in my life to date.
Oops..Hit the wrong key. To pickup where I left off:
Art. 13.11. Test on Ballot
No official ballot for primary election shall have on it any symbol or device or any printed matter, except a uniform primary test, reading as follows: “I am a ————(inserting name of political party or organization of which the voter is a member) and pledge myself to support the nominee of this primay”; and any ballot which shall not contain such printed test above the name of the candidates thereon, shall be void and shall not be counted.”
Removing this removed the need for many of us to be hypocrites every time we voted in a primary.
Sorry about the mistake. I should have checked the statue book before commenting. I was a mistake–probably only about the 4 millionth one I made in my life to date.
March 2nd, 2010 at 6:55 pm
Yes, I asked the same question. The Williamson County election judge told me they will have a record of my vote in the Repub primary with or without the damning stamp on my certificate … I wouldn’t need to bring any additional proof. So I opted out of the stamp.
March 2nd, 2010 at 7:15 pm
I voted by secret ballot. To be counted on a machine by a private company. Gee, what could possibly go wrong?
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:47 pm
I don’t know, p-meat…let’s ask Lyndon Johnson. Oh, wait, that chicken-headed bastard is dead as Murtha. Maybe Murtha will get a lake named after him! Kewl.
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:04 pm
you have have an even worse sense of humor than I thought
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Too soon.
March 3rd, 2010 at 5:38 am
I, too, joined the ranks of Democrats crossing over to the dark side. It may not have forced a run off for governor goodhair, but it at least forced a run off in our local SBOE race. When my choice is cray republican versus no crazy republican, I’m happy to support the not crazies right now in hopes of getting them on the ballot. So, hey, Harold, I didn’t wander off to the new bright, shiny object. The campaigning in the down ballot judge’s races in Austin sickened me, and I cast a strategic vote. Grant it, I felt like I needed a shower afterwards……
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:27 am
OH, THE HUMANITY!
Ricky no mas….we must get out the White vote!!!!!
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:29 am
People are saying don’t underestimate Rick, and I absolutely agree. But I also say don’t underestimate White. Underneath that geeky demeanor, he is one hell of a politician. It’s going to be an interesting race.
March 3rd, 2010 at 1:35 pm
I don’t believe in the Democratic Party or the Republican Party.
I only believe in parties.
/name that quote
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:30 pm
apparently, because if there’s a joke there, i’m still not getting it.
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:33 pm
now THAT joke i get.
March 4th, 2010 at 11:19 am
well, Perry won by an amazing ‘just enough’. hmmm.
he who counts the votes, wins.
check out ‘black box voting’ online…a non partisan look at why your vote is your waste of gas, in some instances.
Private companies counting votes. at least LBJ had govt. officials counting the fake votes.
March 4th, 2010 at 11:20 am
me?