(yeah....)

Oh, yeah, the Brits with their oh-so-modern "first past the past" electoral
system, winner take all. Came from the 14th century, back when few of the
populace could read or write. The Brits steadfastly refuse to modernize
their system. Even as a Canadian, I know that one doesn't have to make a
lifelong committment to the Democrats or Republicans to vote in a state's
primary.  To the Brit: Google is your friend--try to educate yourself BEFORE
shooting off.

There is no requirement to be a "life long fanatic," although many are.
Indeed, it would seem that most are.

In any case, one is free to register for any party at any time, and change
from one party to another for any reason.

The only stipulation comes in Primary Elections, where each party throws up
a half-dozen or so candidates for a presidential race. Durinig these
primaries, the electorate selects the best that his party has to offer
during that election cycle. So, the Democrats and Republicans, and any other
party with multiple candidates to offer, all throw out 5 guys (for example).
The voters select from among the Party's candidates the one they like the
most, or least like the least (either way the result is the more favorable
candidate for that party).

The whole idea of a primary is to whittle down the candidates to the one
from each party, who then go head to head in the General Election that
happens on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in years
divisible by 4. As a practical matter, the off-parties tend to seldom have
multiple candidates that we select from in a Primary. We will start to see
the off-party candidates after the primary elections are over. There is no
advantage to an off-party candidate to show his hand at this early stage of
a presidential election cycle -- if there is only one candidate from an
off-party, then there is no point in him saying what makes him better than a
major party candidate because the major parties have not made clear whom the
candidate will be. Why point out your differences between you and Clinton,
or you and McCain, when in August when the real campaigns are hot-and-heavy,
your opponents are Huckabee and Obama?

At this juncture, the party candidates are supposed to be (in theory)
pointing out differences between theirselves and the other candidates from
their own party. Democrats know how they differ from Republicans, this
election is to show how Democrat X is different from Democrat Y, with the
same kind of discussion happening among the Republicans.

AFTER the primaries, the parties all have one candidate that presumably
everybody in the party stands behind. Once there is one candidate from each
of the major parties, then the off-party candidates enter the fray. Now,
each of the candidates has to show how he is better than all of the other
party candidates, and when the General Electioijn rolls around in November,
the electorate is free to vote for any candidate on the ticket. There is no
rule in a general election that says anybody to vote along party lines, this
rule only applies to primary elections, and dies not always apply -- some
states do not have this rule and they allow voters to cross party lines in a
primary. (Personally, I do not see any value in NOT making voters stay
inside the party in a primary, because there is no rule that prevents a
voter from changing his party so he can switch his party affiliation.)

In Massachusetts (and in Florida, too, I gather) you don't. I'm a
registered Independant.

But I do have to choose either a Democrat or Republican ballot for the
primary vote. No crossing lines.

In the General Election, the ballots have all candidates from all parties,
so you can pick and choose, even if you are a declared party member.

When Gordon going to be holding his General Election???   ;)

Oh, BTW, the funniest thing I've heard on the World Service in a LONG time:

"Brown is so indecisive, if his wife put three boxes of ceral on the
breakfast table, he wouldn't emerge from #10 until lunch...

the next day..."

"waist their vote"?    How's that ?  Are they going to eat their vote and
let it go to "waist"?

Or waste ...

You can't jump party lines. If you are registered as a Republican, you GET
a Repugblican ballot. Likewise for a Democrat. Only those of us who are
registered Independants can do this. So, I will go in, ask for a
Republican ballot and vote.

(There was a Freudian slip in the above paragraph...I didn't correct it!  ;)

John Edwards...write in???   ;)

Man, that sucks!