Stinkin' Louisiana Politics

When I voted on 2-9-08, there were several things I was not allowed to vote on that were actually on the ballot. For instance, I live outside the city, but the mayoral race was being decided, and the candidates were on my ballot, as well as were city councilmen. But the machine blocked my being able to vote for these offices. I know - I tried just to see.

So if these machines are able to block my vote for mayor and city councilman, then why, after several men had actually dropped out of the race, was I given the option to vote for them for president? Why were their slots not blocked as well?

Huckabee won the state primary, with a 43% to 42% lead over McCain. Would Huckabee's win not have been higher had those who voted for non-candidates been forced to vote for someone else?

There were 69,594 votes cast for Huckabee.
There were 67,551 votes cast for McCain.

BUT

There were 1,593 votes for Giuliani
There were 10,222 votes for Romney
There were 1,603 votes for Thompson
There were 107 votes for Tancredo.


Granted, the 1593 votes for Giuliani probably would have gone to McCain. But you'll never convince me that the other 11,932 votes would not have gone primarily to Huckabee.

What does that mean in Louisiana politics?


"All of Louisiana’s national convention delegates will be uncommitted, except that if a presidential candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the February 9, 2008 Presidential Preference Primary, state party rules require 20 of Louisiana’s at-large delegates to support that candidate on the first ballot of the national convention. If no presidential candidate receives a majority on February 9th, the at-large delegates will be uncommitted."

If Huckabee had received 50% of the popular vote, Louisiana would not be sending all uncommitted delegates to the national convention.

From what I understand, this scenario was repeated in states all over the country. And the truth is, if these non-condidates had not been on the ballot, Huckabee could well be neck in neck with McCain for delegates.

I don't know what is the greater idiocy - that people would not be intelligent enough to know that the person they were voting for was no longer running, or that the powers that be would allow the voting machines to accept votes for non-candidates.