If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
Let's begin by getting out of the way all the reasons--pretty good reasons, I'll grant--why the press is more or less ignoring today's primary in Missouri. It's non-binding, none of the campaigns has spent more than token amounts in the state, and Rick Santorum is the only candidate who even turned up, visiting several towns, including Mark Twain's hometown of Hannibal. (In the photo, snapped in the Mark Twain Dinette, the object on the red plate, I'm supposing, is fried Mississippi catfish.)
Now here's why the vote today in Missouri will matter even so: Owing to a clerical error, Newt's not on the ballot. That gives Santorum his one uncluttered opportunity to take on Mitt Romney. Might Santorum produce his first strong showing of the race? Might he even...win?
The polls close at seven o'clock. If you live in the "Show Me" state, go show 'em.
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Aug '11
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
I'm going...I'm going!
Edited on February 7, 2012 at 2:58pmMay '10
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
I hate to pick nits (okay, that's a lie), but this would not be Santorum's first strong showing. He won Iowa.
Feb '11
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
While we're picking nits, even if Santorum "wins" Missouri and "won" Iowa, he received exactly zero delegates for his "wins". And, when he comes in second in the Colorado caucuses later tonight, he will still have exactly zero delegates today. These nonbinding contests are media events, nothing more.
Mar '11
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
I'll pick a nit over Mitt.
Mar '11
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
If I still lived in Missouri I'd vote for Mo-Mo over Mitt. (An insider to Missourians.)
Aug '10
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
Peter,
I'm pretty sure that the plate holds a fried gallbladder from a democrat. It is a delicacy they enjoy in the eastern portion of the state. With a surplus of democrats, well.. they have alot of gall and we don't mind frying it. Hannibal was never known for it's food.
Opening the paper this morning I was ambivalent about voting today. Usually I take a democrat ballot and vote for the weakest candidates on the slate. I like brokered conventions, because they don't let the press into the backroom and it feels like they have had the upperhand lately.
Well, maybe I'll go now and vote against yet another tax issue for capital improvements. Since I found out that the average city employee in my small town is making close to $70,000/yr in pay and benefits, I decided that there are way too many people working in local government and we need to slowly strangle their cash flow.
Aug '10
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
This Momo ?
Listen Gus, we got too many momos in state government already here.
Edited on February 7, 2012 at 3:40pmMar '11
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
flownover
This Momo ?
Listen Gus, we got too many momos in state government already here. · 3 minutes ago
Edited 0 minutes ago
Hmmm, could be. But to my knowledge Mo-Mo has never been seen wearing a suit and tie. Or any clothes, for that matter.
Mar '11
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
Flownover,
It could be that Mo-Mo was just a south-of-the-Missouri River phenomenon. If so, he likely wouldn't get enough votes above the Missouri.
Jun '11
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
I live in Missouri, and no, I'm not going to vote today.
However, were I to vote, it would be for Romney, so you're probably not much disturbed by my shirking of this civic duty. I could feign offense at the implication that we inhabitants of Flyover Country are all country-music-loving social-conservatives flocking to Santorum in simple-minded uniformity, but it's probably not that unfair! :)
The Santorum folks need a win to generate forward momentum, much more than Romney needs to not lose here. (edited, completely forgot the original post on Newt being off the ballot!) My Paul-backing friends have similar hopes as you, Peter...when the competing candidates are off the ballot they hope for a strong showing. I'll be asking them if they voted today.
Edited on February 7, 2012 at 4:12pmApr '11
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
By 20 votes...that is hardly strong.
Jun '10
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
So this is like the Ames Straw Poll writ large. Let's see. Who won that one?
Jun '10
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
flownover: Peter,
I'm pretty sure that the plate holds a fried gallbladder from a democrat. It is a delicacy they enjoy in the eastern portion of the state. With a surplus of democrats, well.. they have alot of gall and we don't mind frying it. Hannibal was never known for it's food.
I thought Missourians liked their gall bladder baked. Out here in another part of flownover country, we just put it on the end of a stick and burn it over the fire. It's easier that way--we can use our other hand to cling to our religions and guns.
May '11
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
I can't wait for your headline for the Illinois primary.
If you are dead in Illinois why aren't you voting multiple times.
Aug '11
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
I was #32 at the polls this morning. I smell a landslide victory for someone today!
Jul '11
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
Thanks for the update - can you write a brief post on how it looks on the ground from where you are?
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
True enough. But Missouri represents Santorum's first opportunity to go head-to-head with Romney, without the former Speaker on the ballot.
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
Number 32? What kept you?
Oct '11
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
I would like to think that, in retrospect, this election will be seen as the key to the 2012 race. I do, however, worry about Santorum's immigration stance. Newt understands the realities of that issue better than both Romney and Santorum. If Santorum surges - a consummation devoutly to be wished (assuming Newt continues to lose ground) - I dearly hope he refines his immigration position. It's easy enough - and a now familiar Republican trope - to mock "compassionate conservatism," but there's a place for it on the immigration issue. There ought to be some sympathy for law breaking that is systematically ignored by those who profited from it - liberal politicians and cheap-labor employers. Control the borders first, most definitely, but those who have become de facto good citizens - as judged by, say, a "draft-board type" local review board - should be given a break. OTHERWISE, I'm a very happy Santorum supporter.
Aug '10
Re: If You Live in Missouri, Why Are You Reading This? Go Vote!
Ok, I went to the polls after all. And looking at the ballot, which listed about 10 republicans, from Johnson to Cain to Bachman to Krebs. I thought about whether I would have voted for Newt or not, if given the choice.
On the way in, I spoke with a retired judge, the real kind, sagacious and tested for years, 50 yrs as prosecutor, circuit judge and senior judge . I jokingly asked him whether he voted for Obama again, he chuckled and then said "hell no, but I didn't vote for that Santorum or Gingrich, but for somebody to keep the party together."
With that ,I walked in and voted for Santorum. We need to put Romney's feet to the fire and burn the frosting off from this cakewalk.
That and the judge threw my mom in prison for 15-20 hard.
Edited on February 7, 2012 at 10:03pm