Posted on 03/02/2016 5:14:54 PM PST by Kaslin
In a super-blue state like Massachusetts, Super Tuesday was the Election Day that mattered. The outcome in November is a foregone conclusion: The Democratic presidential nominee will win the state by a landslide. So Tuesday's primary election was the only chance Bay State voters had to cast a ballot that might have an impact.
I cast mine for Bernie Sanders.
As a free-market, strong-defense, Reaganite conservative, I have voted Republican much more often than not. But heading into Super Tuesday, every indication was that Massachusetts Republicans, like GOP primary voters in most other states, were poised to give Donald Trump a resounding first-place victory. I don't understand the death wish that has gripped so much of the Republican electorate. It's particularly shocking to see it take hold in a state where Republican primaries tend to be won by candidates like Mitt Romney, John McCain, Charlie Baker, and Bill Weld. But with Republican primary voters this year seemingly hell-bent on jumping off the Trump cliff, I decided that casting my ballot for one of the non-Trumps in the primary would be a futile gesture.
So I took a Democratic ballot instead. To be clear: I do not "feel the Bern" and never have. The Vermont socialist's economic ideas are a recipe for stagnation, shortages, and stifling statism; his endless harping on the wicked "billionaire class" fuels a politics of envy that I find pernicious. Still, I didn't hesitate to vote for Sanders over Hillary Clinton.
On most subjects, Sanders is guided by principles that are light-years away from my own. But no one doubts that he has strong principles. And no one thinks he would abandon those principles overnight if it were politically convenient to do so. Can the same be said of Clinton? Like many voters, I sense that her only unshakeable principle is the acquisition of power. She is prepared to say, or unsay, just about anything if she believes it will win an election or gain an advantage. Opinion polls repeatedly find that a majority of Americans consider her dishonest.
I don't want Clinton or Sanders to be the next commander-in-chief; neither will get my vote in November. All the same, I want political parties to nominate candidates who have serious principles and some measure of integrity. As between Sanders and Clinton, it's clear which candidate fits that bill. By my lights, both Democrats have a lot of bad ideas, but only Sanders doesn't have a bad character. That was my litmus test.
I don't know if it's too late to stop the GOP from anointing a grotesque and mendacious lout like Trump as its presidential nominee. But perhaps Democrats can still be persuaded to choose as their standard-bearer a candidate who believes that there are objectives more important than his own self-aggrandizement. Better a Democratic maverick who says what he means than a ruthless Democratic chameleon whose word can't be trusted.
I understand where he's coming from. We both dislike Hillary more than we like any of the Republicans, and Bernie will probably be easier to beat in November than Hillary.
Don’t let Jacoby kid you....he’s an open borders scum bag, always has been.
This so-called Reagan Conservative: “I voted for Bernie just to prove what an idiot I am!!! I am so proud!!!”
Liberalism is a terminal illness.
Sorry you've contracted it...but, who the hell cares.
FOAD.
This is pathetic. I had a lot of respect for you over these many years, but you’re now done in my book.
LOL!
feh... /spit
I will not vote for Bernie under any conceivable circumstances but I will confess to having told several earnest Hillary supporters that I will. The effect is worth the fib.
from every article I’ve seen, I agree
Hlllary has horrible character problems
Bernie appears relatively honest as far as politicians go
(which I realize ain’t saying a whole lot. but still)
and given their politics are both (to me, imho) horrible.. and very leftist)
I, too, would have voted for Bernie over Hillary. Any day.
HIllary has more baggage than American Airlines...
and I STILL am betting the D party bosses will find a way of nominating someone else. They do want to win ...
We need more strategic voters.
In 1992 Republican House Minority Leader Bob Michel said the Republicans would never win control of Congress and so we should all vote for Democrat Al-the-pal because he did favors for Michel as an agent for the majority Democrats.
We in talk radio (at the height of the Perot movement)were outraged. We crossed over and voted for Carole Mosley-Braun and she became the Democrat nominee and a non-factor in DC. We knew she would be weak in 6 years.
in 1998 we ran anti-establishment Peter Fitzgerald in the primary and he beat Carole. Peter successfully out-maneuvered Speaker of the House Hastert (also from IL) and got an corruption fighter appointed US Atty
As we hoped, the US Atty sent 2 governors, hundreds of congressmen, St Senators, St Reps, county and local officials to jail. We had hoped that all those convictions would motivate corrupt politicians to clean up their act.
We were wrong. 90% of IL Democrats and 50% of IL Republicans are still corrupt. They have an arrogance that they are above the law and it cant happen to them.
Hi Kas. Unlike the author I vote for the person I think is best. That would be Ted.
The masks are falling off, they never really were Reagan Republicans.
Anyone who advocates for fraudulently documented foreigners over American citizens cannot be conservative, even if they call themselves that.
The first thing we MUST conserve is the rule of law.
Bereft of logic, but at least you owned up to it.
Seems they’ve gotten the thesaurus out.
Seems legit.
Leading our college youth down that path to communism is good character?
Jeff Jacoby, BIG MISTAKE.
It’s funny that he approvingly cites the Bay State’s past support for general election losers McCain and Romney.
On the Democrat ballot, the Hildebeest is clearly the correct choice. When choosing between a crook and a commie true believer, always vote for the crook!
Moreover, Hillary will be easier to beat in November, especially if James Comey and his 150 helpers at the FBI come through and recommend an indictment.
As for me, I took a Republican ballot and voted for Cruz. He came in fourth, with 9.6% and four delegates. Trump was first with 49.3% and 22 delegates. Kasich and Rubio were second and third with 18% and 8 delegates each. Carson struck out on delegates with 2.6%.
On the ‘Rat side, Hillary got 50.1% and 46 delegates, and Bernie 48.7% and 45 delegates.
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