REPUBLICANS HURTING DEMS BY VOTING FOR HILLARY?

Thanks for your informative and insightful post. I agree that it is just plain foolish for voters of one Party to cast their ballots to sway the outcome of another Party. Of course, one is free to vote for whomever they wish, but the ballot box is not the place for cheesy parlor games.

First, there is the Doctrine of Unintended Consequences in play. By voting for Hillary, for example, instead of Obama, a game-playing non-Democrat could help create the perception of a strong, energized, inevitable Hillary Clinton, that ripples through the later electorate.

Another possibility is creating an angrier pack of undisciplined, uneducated Obamabots who are likely to do anything to see Obama win. The '68 Democratic convention damn near started a civil war.

Feeding the wrong monkey also may trigger unintended consequences. Some Dems already think that Republicans have one big calling list or a Halliburton-sponsored cabal of Blackberries streaming marching orders live from Karl Rove and Dick Cheney.

The perception of Republican interference could energize many more Democrats to vote in the general election, to the detriment of the Republican Party and the Nation.

So, such off-handed comments or game-playing gives the impression that the election wasn't "fair," and, to be honest, I really don't want to suffer through another eight years of Democrats whining about stolen elections.

Second, there is operation of Murphy's Law. A Republican voting for Hillary, in an attempt to bring out a "weaker" nominee, is actually strengthening that candidate. The Clinton's are a formidable machine. Obama has the DNC toady's on his side but, remember, the only Democrat in that pack with a proven track record of winning is the Clintons. So, an attempt to derail them by voting for Hillary may be destined to result in an outcome the voter didn't want.

Mhu, I appreciate your addition of several more reasons not to crossover vote. They seem well thought out, and are useful. I especially appreciate the references both to the doctrine of unintended consequences (ref. Thomas Sowell's "2nd stage thinking") and to Murphy's Law in this connection.

Right on Mhu!