February 2, 2000

Is this the election you want to re-register for?

Odds are you're not a member of the Green Party, or the Libertarian Party, or another of the smaller political parties like the Natural Law Party, whatever that is. You may also be a nonpartisan kind of person, the kind sometimes known as "declines to state."

If you're a Democrat and you plan to vote for a Democrat like Gore or Bradley, or you're a Republican and either Bush or McCain is your man, this is probably not your day to read the Reactor. You're welcome to, but you may not want to bother.

On the other hand, if you're a Republican who wants to vote for a Democrat, or a Democrat who wants to vote for a Republican, or a member of one of those little political parties that seem to be run as somebody's hobby, or you are a nonpartisan and registered that way but you want to have some influence on the political conventions, run, don't walk to your nearest library, or post office, or hotfoot it over to City Hall and change your party registration to the party your presidential candidate hails from. Get two forms, and re-register back to your original party on March 8. Greens who vote for Gore are just participating in a beauty contest.

Democrats who plan to vote for John McCain do his cause no good. You have to be a member of the man's party! Then your vote might help get him a delegate or two at the Republican national convention. Republican delegates will get McCain the Republican nomination, if he should get it, and Democratic delegates will get Gore or Bradley the Democratic nomination, assuming a dark horse doesn't come out of left field, to really load this column down with cliches.

I understand that a rabid Democrat or a committed Republican might object to changing parties just to vote for one particular presidential candidate in the other party, but that's how the game is played. Only you can prevent forest fires, and only Democrats voting for Democratic candidates and Republican voters voting for Republican candidates will actually accomplish anything tangible on election day, at least in the presidential preference part of the election.

The open primary does mean that votes for Senator, Congressman and Assembly member are worth casting. If you are a Republican or a Green, you can vote for Senator Feinstein and it will count. It is only in the presidential preference that party membership counts so heavily.

Though this column is directed mainly at party members who want to vote for a presidential candidate of another party, Monday is the deadline for voter registration in general. If you've moved, even next door, or changed your name, or will be 18 years of age by March 7, or you need to register to vote for any reason at all, do it by Monday, February 7. The election is just 29 days later.

Besides the state and national races, we have three Supervisors on the ballot, but since only one person filed for each district, the result is somewhat predictable. Mark Church of Millbrae will take over the First District from Mary Griffin next winter, Rose Gibson continues in the Fourth District to which she was appointed last year, and Mike Nevin will continue to serve the Fifth District with no change.

The Reactor's e mail address is Paul@thereactor.net.