Posted on 03/31/2014 6:05:50 PM PDT by Jonty30
I just have a question about the political system of the United States that I don't quite understand.
Why does it matter which party you are registered for?
What effect would it have if, for whatever reason, everybody was registered with one party or another? In Canada, one doesn't have to register with any party and we are completely unhindered from voting for whichever party we wish, so that is the basis for my question. All responses are appreciated.
In some places, you can only vote for candidates in your own party - for the primary.
How else do we identify the voting habits of all those dead people in the cemetaries across the US that we get to vote every year??
Primary election
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_election
You register for the party from whom you want to get annoying phone calls asking for money.
I’ve got Caller ID ... :-) ...
So, you don’t CARE who wins in the PRIMARIES?!?!?!?
So in Canada you have no choice in who will represent your views within the party? Hard to believe!
In Canada, there is a similar process in choosing party leaders, except you don’t register for a party. You buy a membership and you could be a member of all parties if you wanted to.
No, no. In Canada, if you’re interested in being involved in choosing a party leader, you buy a membership. But it is voluntary otherwise. It doesn’t have an effect in who you might vote for in a general election.
Huh. Now THERE'S a thought!
In Russia, the Party registers YOU! (hat tip to Yakov Smirnoff).
You register with a certain party to select local candidates in the primaries. For instance, in MD most local officials were Democrats. To replace someone you had to select another Demacrat candidate. if a Republican was never elected, and you were a Republican, you always lost your vote because the person that you voted for was never elected. Hope this helps you a little.
You guys have been helpful in clearing up one point in your political process.
Party selections of candidates in the primaries.
It doesn’t matter here in the States, this pinhead in the Oval Orifice, and Hillary both bus in their own cheering sections. They have to because nobody cast a legitimate vote for them to begin with. It’s all voter fraud down here.
“So, you don’t CARE who wins in the PRIMARIES?!?!?!?”
What’s the point if some states have open primaries? That should be something the Governors should be discussing at their conference.
I guess the simple answer is depending upon the rules/regulations of your
state you may have to be a member of the party in which you wish to help select the
candidates for the general election. There are open, closed, and some variations
amongst the 50 states.
http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/primary-types.aspx
That’s interesting! How much does it cost to buy a membership? Is it yearly? Do all parties cost the same and what does your money buy for you? I’d never heard of this before your post. Thanks!
Primaries and abuse of your phone.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.