Comments on: Very Deep Thoughts on a Very Important Primary http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/ Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:40:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: laurie http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3395 laurie Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:17:57 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3395 On voting in NY--I've asked around to my friends in different districts (all in the NYC Metro area) and it seems that the setup on the lever machines was different for each area. For example some areas still had Edwards on the ballot and others didn't (mine didn't). And the candidates names were in different locations. A friend of mine who lives on the Harlem/Washington Heights border had trouble finding Obama and the Obama delegates, which apparently were put off to one side and kind of scatted around, but on my machine (in Bedford-Stuyvesant) Obama and the Obama delegates were all placed in a neat row, right at eye level in the center of the booth while Hill's row was waay over to the left. Since I'm an Obama zealot I wasn't complaining about my set-up, but I do worry that someone walking into the booth undecided could be swayed by something as simple as which name they see first. Shouldn't they be uniform? And shouldn't NY invest in some voting machines that aren't 100 years old? On voting in NY–I’ve asked around to my friends in different districts (all in the NYC Metro area) and it seems that the setup on the lever machines was different for each area. For example some areas still had Edwards on the ballot and others didn’t (mine didn’t). And the candidates names were in different locations. A friend of mine who lives on the Harlem/Washington Heights border had trouble finding Obama and the Obama delegates, which apparently were put off to one side and kind of scatted around, but on my machine (in Bedford-Stuyvesant) Obama and the Obama delegates were all placed in a neat row, right at eye level in the center of the booth while Hill’s row was waay over to the left. Since I’m an Obama zealot I wasn’t complaining about my set-up, but I do worry that someone walking into the booth undecided could be swayed by something as simple as which name they see first. Shouldn’t they be uniform? And shouldn’t NY invest in some voting machines that aren’t 100 years old?

]]> By: Feminist Avatar http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3343 Feminist Avatar Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:09:46 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3343 There is actually some evidence to support that unsure voters select the first name on the ballot. In Scotland, at the last election the SNP renamed themselves 'Alex Salmond for First Minister' so that they could be first on the ballot (the order is alphabetical here at least), based on this belief. Then, there were lots of discounted votes (for various complex reasons)so the elctoral commission people had to investigate and that was something they directly criticised. They said that the SNP put getting votes over ensuring that they were easily identifiable on the ballot (and that important as it was a indicative of the general (bad) attitude towards the election by the parties). There is actually some evidence to support that unsure voters select the first name on the ballot. In Scotland, at the last election the SNP renamed themselves ‘Alex Salmond for First Minister’ so that they could be first on the ballot (the order is alphabetical here at least), based on this belief. Then, there were lots of discounted votes (for various complex reasons)so the elctoral commission people had to investigate and that was something they directly criticised. They said that the SNP put getting votes over ensuring that they were easily identifiable on the ballot (and that important as it was a indicative of the general (bad) attitude towards the election by the parties).

]]> By: Leeann http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3342 Leeann Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:56:31 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3342 I live in a small town, too, and voted in a primary for the first time this year (way back on January 15th). They just had us fill out a little form that included checking one box for a Dem ballot or a different box for a Republican one. I had actually worried about how they were going to do that and I found it a pretty satisfactory method. Also, omg, I am RIGHT THERE WITH YOU on crazy Ron Paul! I live in a small town, too, and voted in a primary for the first time this year (way back on January 15th). They just had us fill out a little form that included checking one box for a Dem ballot or a different box for a Republican one. I had actually worried about how they were going to do that and I found it a pretty satisfactory method.

Also, omg, I am RIGHT THERE WITH YOU on crazy Ron Paul!

]]> By: Paul http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3341 Paul Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:39:52 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3341 McCain is home and hosed - he owes Huckabee big time for locking Romney out of the South and Middle. A McCain-Huckabee ticket seems likely which is good for the Dems since Huckabee will terrify moderates away from McCain. McCain is home and hosed – he owes Huckabee big time for locking Romney out of the South and Middle.

A McCain-Huckabee ticket seems likely which is good for the Dems since Huckabee will terrify moderates away from McCain.

]]> By: Hops http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3340 Hops Wed, 06 Feb 2008 07:47:14 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3340 My polling place had us declare our party affiliations aloud as well. And I live in Queens! My polling place had us declare our party affiliations aloud as well. And I live in Queens!

]]> By: Jenee http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3339 Jenee Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:45:27 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3339 Did you notice how many ads there were on CNN for coal and oil? Did you notice how many ads there were on CNN for coal and oil?

]]> By: Cara http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3337 Cara Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:18:01 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3337 Yeah, I kind of assumed that they were alphabetical because Clinton was at the top and Obama was almost at the bottom. But I went back and looked, and saw that no, Biden came after Clinton, and Kucinich came after Obama. No fucking clue. Yeah, I kind of assumed that they were alphabetical because Clinton was at the top and Obama was almost at the bottom. But I went back and looked, and saw that no, Biden came after Clinton, and Kucinich came after Obama. No fucking clue.

]]> By: Pizzadiavola http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3336 Pizzadiavola Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:06:14 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3336 I was also wondering about how the candidates are ordered on ballots, because I was reading down the list of names this morning and didn't see Clinton anywhere. Then I got to the bottom, and there it was, right at the end (after Edwards, Kucinich, and some of the other candidates that have dropped out). I had assumed that Clinton and Obama would be up near the top, since they're the only candidates running now, but since ballots are printed in advance of the primary, I guess that doesn't make sense. Barring that, I would have thought the candidates would be ordered alphabetically, but that may be the product of too many hours spent working in a library. :P I was also wondering about how the candidates are ordered on ballots, because I was reading down the list of names this morning and didn’t see Clinton anywhere. Then I got to the bottom, and there it was, right at the end (after Edwards, Kucinich, and some of the other candidates that have dropped out). I had assumed that Clinton and Obama would be up near the top, since they’re the only candidates running now, but since ballots are printed in advance of the primary, I guess that doesn’t make sense. Barring that, I would have thought the candidates would be ordered alphabetically, but that may be the product of too many hours spent working in a library. :P

]]> By: Cara http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3335 Cara Wed, 06 Feb 2008 03:57:10 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3335 God, I've been watching CNN, too. Christ, get rid of Wolf, give us some more Anderson Cooper and for fuck's sake, cut Huckabee off. The sad thing is that CNN coverage always seems to strike me as the best of bad options. God, I’ve been watching CNN, too. Christ, get rid of Wolf, give us some more Anderson Cooper and for fuck’s sake, cut Huckabee off. The sad thing is that CNN coverage always seems to strike me as the best of bad options.

]]> By: Anna http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3334 Anna Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:50:30 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2008/02/05/very-deep-thoughts-on-a-very-important-primary/#comment-3334 Cara! Thanks! Your post is a wonderful antidote to CNN coverage that's been blethering in my ears all night. I live in a red state - you have my sympathies . . . Cara! Thanks! Your post is a wonderful antidote to CNN coverage that’s been blethering in my ears all night.

I live in a red state – you have my sympathies . . .

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