To oppose MAGA I just registered as Republican - Yuck!

[Anonymous]

I oppose Trump and his MAGA followers who have turned the Republican party into a cult.

I do think we need two viable political parties for the health of democracy (I’d actually prefer more). While I think the Republican party needs to implode and be replaced, it hasn’t happened yet. Currently, MAGA retains its tyranny over Congress, wielding the threat of primaries over any dissenters who might choose to side with Democrats on matters of common interest.

I switched because the Republican have one candidate (Hogan) running in the primaries who has consistently been a vocal opponent to MAGA. I think it’s important to show that MAGA candidates can be defeated in the primaries by traditional Republicans. Also, while I don’t think any Republican can win federal office in liberal MD, it’s impossible to predict the future. If there’s some last minute wildcard (scandal, personal emergency, etc.) that compromises the Democratic candidate, I don’t want the Republican alternative to be MAGA.

Today is the last day to change party affiliation before the MD primary. Especially if you’re an independent voter (like I was) and are unable to vote in any primary, I would urge you to consider registering Republican for an additional opportunity to vote against MAGA.

[Anonymous]

Hogan is not pro-choice and is mealy mouthed. Next!

[Anonymous]

OP here to PPs

Border security - Definitely isn’t MAGA, they turned down the border security deal at Donald’s command

Pro-choice - isn’t MAGA

I think you’ve missed my point entirely. I’m not addressing the general election between Republican (Hogan, MAGA, or other) and Democrat. My main concern is that whoever wins isn’t MAGA, which I consider MAGA a danger to our democracy.

If you want to vote in the Democratic primary for whoever best matches your stance on the issues and/or who has the best chance of winning in the primary, by all means do so, more power to you.

If, however, you aren’t planning to vote in the Democratic primary, I think it’s worth considering using the Republican primary to vote against MAGA. They need to stop taking primaries for granted and using them as a threat against Republicans who might otherwise be more reasonable. I also want to do everything I can to make sure that there is no chance, however slim, of some fluke resulting in MD electing a MAGA candidate.

Personally, there are some things with both the Democratic and traditional Republican (Pre-Trump) parties that I agreed and disagreed with. I leaned more to the right, but I still voted a straight Democratic ticket last election. I intend to vote a straight Democratic ticket again this election, with the possible exception of Hogan (who barring sone incredible fluke, I don’t think stands a snowball’s chance in Hell of winning a federal office from MD). Whether or not I agree with the Democrats on the issues (and there’s a lot I disagree on) has become irrelevant. The only thing that really matters this election is whether we’ll retain democracy or turn our country over to tyrants. If we remain free, we can argue over specific issues later.

I’m not interested in arguing about candidates or issues, they’re irrelevant to me this year. If you deeply believe in every plank in the Democratic platform, I’m happy for you that you can wholeheartedly cast your vote without any qualms. For others, like myself, there may be various policy differences, major or minor, that we’re overlooking to vote with you for the Democrats. In this election, I’ll be delighted if the Democratic candidate (whoever they may be) wins the Senate seat - I’ll most likely be voting for them myself. I just want to take a stand against MAGA every chance I get, because their danger is to great to allow any leeway.

[Anonymous]

Good for you, OP.

The US need a border wall on its southern flank. It's blindingly obvious, at least it is to me, a non-voting lefty foreigner from Europe

Americans are lucky that they're not the European Union, which has wide open sea borders, no way to adequately patrol them and no way to prevent the tragic drownings that occur on a regular basis in the Mediterranean and the Channel.

More funding for the border should go to building barriers, checkpoints, housing facilities, to allow for more rapid and humane processing for migrants, which you guys need for your economy! You need all the workers that are coming into your country. Badly. But they need to be processed, instead of let through without supervision, and there should be an organized, humane arrangement to shuttle them out of people's backyards and spread into other states who can welcome them.

So we need a wall, to shunt people through organized, fully-staffed checkpoints, offer them care and identify them to prevent fraud. The parts of the border that cannot be closed have to be be supervised too, with the help of federal funding.

The only way to achieve this is through bipartisanship. MAGA is definitely the antithesis of anything that's efficient and humane.

Sometimes the right has great ideas and the left has great ideas. You can't just stay in your respective corners, because then you're only helping the extreme nutjobs like MTG.

[Anonymous]

SCOTUS took abortion away from GOP as their primary wedge issue to drive the vote. No way they ever plan on solving the border issue. Aside, they need illegal immigrants for their businesses. If you believe Trump/GOP/MAGA on this, you're beyond naive.

[Anonymous]

Which Republican is most likely to be defeated in the general election, that's what I want.

[Anonymous]

I'm interested in this topic because it's come up in Florida where I live as well, registering as R to vote in their primaries and have some control over who the eventual candidates are.

However, in observing the discourse here I conclude that pretty much all of the commenters so far don't really understand what the OP is talking about and they would rather say stupid snarky things than figure it out.

[Anonymous]

I'm certain that your registering as a Republican will make a big difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I oppose Trump and his MAGA followers who have turned the Republican party into a cult.

I do think we need two viable political parties for the health of democracy (I’d actually prefer more). While I think the Republican party needs to implode and be replaced, it hasn’t happened yet. Currently, MAGA retains its tyranny over Congress, wielding the threat of primaries over any dissenters who might choose to side with Democrats on matters of common interest.

I switched because the Republican have one candidate (Hogan) running in the primaries who has consistently been a vocal opponent to MAGA. I think it’s important to show that MAGA candidates can be defeated in the primaries by traditional Republicans. Also, while I don’t think any Republican can win federal office in liberal MD, it’s impossible to predict the future. If there’s some last minute wildcard (scandal, personal emergency, etc.) that compromises the Democratic candidate, I don’t want the Republican alternative to be MAGA.

Today is the last day to change party affiliation before the MD primary. Especially if you’re an independent voter (like I was) and are unable to vote in any primary, I would urge you to consider registering Republican for an additional opportunity to vote against MAGA.

What Maga policy position do you oppose?

[Anonymous]

I'm a former R, now Independent, and I did the opposite living in MD. I switched to D so I can have a say in the D primaries. I vote for a moderate D.

I understand where you are coming from, OP, but in a state like MD, being a R is a throw away vote. A MAGA running for senate in MD will never win. Hogan might have a chance of winning, but if I switch back to R (which I actually did in 2016 to vote for anyone but Trump in the R primaries), I would not get a say in the D candidate, who has a higher chance of winning, both the local and general elections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a former R, now Independent, and I did the opposite living in MD. I switched to D so I can have a say in the D primaries. I vote for a moderate D.

I understand where you are coming from, OP, but in a state like MD, being a R is a throw away vote. A MAGA running for senate in MD will never win. Hogan might have a chance of winning, but if I switch back to R (which I actually did in 2016 to vote for anyone but Trump in the R primaries), I would not get a say in the D candidate, who has a higher chance of winning, both the local and general elections.

Agreed - this is the logical strategy in closed primaries. If you are in a Dem-dominated or leaning state, the best strategy is to register as a Dem and vote for the most moderate candidate in the primary

If you are in a GOP-dominated or leaning state, the best strategy is to register as a Republic and vote for the most moderate candidate in the primary.

Virginia and California are great because they are starting to move to open primaries or jungle primaries for their major elections. This allows consensus, moderate candidates to make it to the general election more easily.