I was watching a Face the Nation interview today with Mit Romney as the guest. It was very interesting listening to him. However, something he said just struck me. He was questioned about running as an Independent in previous elections. He replied that the reason he was an Independent was so that he could vote in the Democratic primaries against the candidates he didn't like. He smirked when he said it.

This is something that I would have never thought to do. I obviously wear my heart on my sleeve and wouldn't be a good politician. But, if you truly believed in one party vs another, would you feel comfortable running as an Independent just to have the option to vote in the opposite candidates primary to try to hurt them? Does this say anything at all about someone's charactor or am I just too honest of a person?

(I just wanted to add that I would feel the exact same way if a candidate from another party said this).

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The mighty oak started out as a nut that held its ground.

I've heard of people, locally, doing this before. I suppose I vote with my heart on my sleeve as well -- of course in Idaho I almost have to as I always am voting for the underdog! I guess to them it is all just a big game.

I am a true Independant. I can't imagine voting in either the Dem or Rep primaries simply because I don't want to be associated with either party.

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"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."

I've heard of other people doing this before.

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Oh, yeah that happens a lot. When I lived in Georgia, you had the choice of choosing which primary you wanted to vote in when you went to vote. I quite often voted in Democratic primaries, not to hurt anybody, but the local person I wanted was Democrat. I tended to vote Democrat for local stuff (in Georgia they were Democrats in name only a lot of the time).

In Florida, we can't do that. When you register to vote, you have to claim a party. Personally, I liked it the other way, but I could say where it would be abused like this to try to skew election results.

I don't really see anything unethical about it. It would have to be a grassroots effort to really skew the primary.

It's very common.

I have heard of that before and esp. from him. He was the governor of my state for awhile.

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In Maryland voter registration is 2 to 1 Democrat. I heard more than once during my 3 years working in politics that a lot of people registered as Democrats (regardless of their true party affiliation) simply so that they can vote in the Democratic primary. A lot of times it's the only primary that really matters in this state (at least in the big elections).

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Stephanie
Mom to: Caleb (8/03), Ian (9/05), & Lucas (11/08)