I got my first piece of official election mail the day after Thanksgiving -- a form from the county registrar asking whether, as a decline-to-state voter, I'd like to request a partisan ballot for the Feb. 5 presidential primary election.
Here were my choices: American Independent Party, or Democratic Party.
Which means that if I want to vote for Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney or John McCain ... well, maybe I could move to New Hampshire.
The California Republican Party has now officially disinvited 3 million nonaligned California voters from its primary -- the very voters who, come November, will be deciding the outcome of partisan elections across the state.
The idea is to maintain partisan purity in the primary. In that regard, mission accomplished. Come November, however, the party will try to welcome these decline-to-state voters into its tent. How receptive will they be to such an invitation after having been left out in the cold during the primary?
As a Republican, I have to say this is one of their stupider ideas. Why p.o. a bunch of potential voters? That is exactly what is has done.