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Voters Still Have Many Questions After Ambiguous Super Tuesday

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 9, 2008

Alter Primary Date

Regarding "Confused Floridians Turn Out At Polls" (Nation/World, Feb. 6):

I have an exceptional idea, the impetus of which came from the article about Floridians flocking to polls on Super Tuesday when our primary was held last week on Jan. 29: Alter the primary date every election year, the parties' penalties upon the state be damned.

This way, we weed out the morons who don't bother to pick up a newspaper, tune into a news broadcast or bother to check their AOL.com news when they log in; those who would, in all probability, vote for the current equivalent of Ross Perot, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Ralph Nader and Ron Paul or write in Ted Nugent once that empty fifth of Jack Daniels hit the bottom of the garbage can.

This way, your vote does not get canceled by an imbecilic "citizen" who does not understand the difference between gross domestic product and just gross.

Furthermore, spread a vile rumor that George W. Bush used his lame-duck status as president to issue an executive order that the general election has been moved to the day before Halloween to ward off the evil influences of "Satanist" in the name of the family party and the conservative right wing. Sounds like a plan to me, and I got money that says it works.

CHRISTOPHER CHAPMAN

Tampa

Finish Elected Term

I am of the opinion that in order to run for the presidency, if you sit in an elected office, you should not be encumbered with the duties of your elected job.

I think you should have to resign, be free of elected office and devote all of your time campaigning or whatever it is that hopefuls do for 300 to 400 days prior to a general election.

I also feel the political season should last no more than 120 days - four months. If you can't get your point across in 120 days, maybe you should consider another profession.

I think if resignations were required we would currently have three or four people running, not 15. I know that several have already seen the writing on the wall, but that still leaves three elected people and two currently unemployed politicians seeking the presidency.

I feel that unless you have a life-threatening emergency while in an elected office, you should finish your term with dignity or resign to run for higher office.

LLOYD H. HALL

Tampa

Political Moonlighting

Question of the day: inasmuch as so many of the candidates are campaigning about the country - and some began in 2006 - who exactly is doing the work that these senators, representatives and governors were elected to perform?

I certainly wish I knew how to raise hundreds of millions of dollars, travel about the country campaigning and be lucky enough to have a boss who was happy with the arrangement.

PEGGY WRIGHT

Tampa

Delegate Representation

When two or more people gather and deposit eggs in the same basket, why is it right for the one who deposits more (even one more) to claim ownership of the whole basket?

Something needs to be done in the states that have the above policy so that all delegates truly represent the way our votes are cast.

CARYL MATHIS

Tampa

Just Join A Party

I read with amusement the Feb. 2 letter from Steven Atkinson ("Feeling Shut Out") where he equates independents not being able to vote in primaries as some type of assault on democracy. Perhaps Atkinson does not know what a primary actually is.

It is not a general election. It is simply the process for the Republican Party and the Democratic Party members to choose who would best represent their party in the general election. Now if Atkinson chooses not to be a member of any particular party, then why does he think he should have any say so as to who we, the actual members of the party, select to represent our party in the general election?

TERRY J. TREKAS

Seffner

Wait Until Election Day

The letters to the editor by people complaining that, as independents, they weren't allowed to vote in either the Democrat or Republican Florida primaries made my blood boil.

Why on earth should someone not registered with a party have any say on the person that party nominates? If you choose no party preference when you register to vote, then you must live with the consequences of that choice. You'll get your say in the general election.

NANCY J. FOSTER

Clearwater

A NOTA Option Needed

In light of the unsavory choices facing some voters in the November election an additional choice should be made available on the ballot. That choice would be "none of the above candidates". In the event that this new choice registered more than 50 per cent of the vote, then the election would be voided with the incumbents to stay in power for an additional 90 days, at which time a new election would be held.

JAMES FREYLER

Sebring

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