presidential primary

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 00:30:15 GMT

The Massachusetts presidential primary was today, as part of "Super Tuesday." Because Massachusetts has open primaries, I am registered as an "unenrolled" voter, meaning I can vote in whichever party's primary I like, and can decide that at the last minute.

I was dithering between asking for a Democratic primary ballot and voting for "uncommitted," as a message to Biden that I don't like his support of Netanyahu and think the US should be pushing (harder) for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, or a Republican ballot to vote against Trump, which at this point means for Nikki Haley. I made my decision at the last minute, when the poll worker asked me which ballot I wanted. I asked for a Republican ballot, meaning I voted in the Republican primary for the first time in my life.

Voting in the Republican primary feels weird; voting for a candidate I dislike and expect to lose also feels weird. I've often voted for candidates who I expected to lose, because I hoped they would win. Haley would be a horrible president, but not I think as bad as Trump. If the Massachusetts primary had been earlier, I would probably have gritted my teeth and voted for Chris Christie, who was running an anti-Trump campaign. Teeth gritted in part because I lived in New York City when Christie was governor of New Jersey.

The regular state primary will be in September, and I will happily take a Democratic ballot and vote for my incumbent congresswoman, Ayanna Pressley.

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presidential primary