[Vision2020] Voter turn out

Tom Hansen thansen@moscow.com
Mon, 24 May 2004 05:56:22 -0700


Greetings Visionaires -

Upon reading the Sunday Spokesman Review I realize that crossing party-lines
to vote in a Republican primary is not unethical at all.

As quoted in the following article (copied and pasted below in its entirity)
from the May 23, 2004 edition of the Spokesman Review:

"In an e-mail, Democrat Kristy Reed Johnson of Post Falls expressed her
frustration: “What's a Democrat to do? Some Democrats would rather be struck
by lightening than vote for any Republican.” She encourages fellow Democrats
outside of District 4 (Coeur d'Alene), which has a Democratic primary, “to
exercise their right to select their elected officials.” However, she also
urges them to vote only in winner-take-all races and to leave the Republican
ballot blank where Democrats have fielded candidates."

As there is no clear Democrat contender for Schroeder's office, and further
realizing that the winner of the Republican primary is virtually a
"winner-take-all", I am voting in the Republican primary tomorrow to
exercise my right to select my elected official.  And that, Mr. Arnold, is
guaranteed in writing.

Don't wait for the movie.  Read the book.  It is call the Constitution of
the United States of America.

See you at the polls,

Tom Hansen
Not On The Palouse, Not Ever

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Key races will be decided Tuesday
Our View: Election Endorsement
Related stories

A debate is raging within the thin ranks of the Kootenai County Democratic
Party.

Democratic partisans wonder if it's ethical to vote in Republican primaries
where the winner automatically will become an office holder next year
because no Democrat, Independent or third-party candidate is running. Only
Republicans seek the two seats on the county commission and the three
legislative seats in District 3.

In an e-mail, Democrat Kristy Reed Johnson of Post Falls expressed her
frustration: “What's a Democrat to do? Some Democrats would rather be struck
by lightening than vote for any Republican.” She encourages fellow Democrats
outside of District 4 (Coeur d'Alene), which has a Democratic primary, “to
exercise their right to select their elected officials.” However, she also
urges them to vote only in winner-take-all races and to leave the Republican
ballot blank where Democrats have fielded candidates.

We're not constrained by partisan politics as Johnson is. We could make a
good argument for Democrats in the Coeur d'Alene area also to cross over to
the Republican side to decide who will represent them in the county
courthouse. In day-to-day operations, the commissioners' office has more of
an impact on the lives of Kootenai County residents than any single
legislator. Johnson, however, has done Kootenai County voters a service by
bringing this matter to light. Voters on both sides of the political divide
should be aware that their only chance to vote in the races for commissioner
and District 3 legislators will be Tuesday.

Since these and other Kootenai County primary races are so important, we are
repeating our list of endorsements:

•Kootenai County Commissioner: Incumbents Dick Panabaker and Rick Currie
have done a solid job and deserve another term.

•Senate District 3: Challenger Mike Jorgenson, a Hayden Lake councilman, is
energetic, knowledgeable and not afraid to take a stand in a three-way race
that features and an incumbent and a former state senator with spotty voting
records.

•House District 3: Jim Clark and Wayne Meyer are veteran incumbents who have
accumulated clout and baggage – and are light years ahead of their
challengers in experience.

•House District 4: Republican Marge Chadderdon and Democrat Mike Gridley are
the strongest candidates to meet in November's general election. If elected,
Gridley will make the impact in Boise that incumbent Bonnie Douglas has not.

•House District 5: Bob Nonini and Frank Henderson are pro-business
candidates in the mold of retiring state Rep. Hilde Kellogg, R-Post Falls.>