NPR: Absentee, Early Voters Could Be Big Help to Giuliani

Absentee, Early Voters Could Be Big Help to Giuliani

What if they gave a primary ... but it had already been decided before the actual day people went to the polls?

And it has nothing to do with manipulating the vote or stealing an election. But in big states like Florida and California, that have liberal absentee and early voting laws, enough people may have voted in advance that the election's outcome may already be decided, but just unknown.

In Florida, for instance, the early voting laws could be a big help to a candidate like Rudy Giuliani, who has been campaigning in the state for more than 50 straight days. If the Giuliani campaign has been able to persuade enough supporters to vote in early January, when absentee voting started, or after Jan. 14, when early voting was allowed - it could help blunt the recent surge of Sen. John McCain in the state. (Giuliani had long lead polls in the state until the past few days.)

On the other side, a candidate it could hurt is former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney. Once Sen. Fred Thompson announced Tuesday he was ending his campaign, the chatter on many websites and blogs was that a chunk of his support would go to Romney. But if many of those Thompson supporters have already voted, then those votes are like Confederate currency - basically worthless. And there are no mulligans on voting day, which means that Romney will have lost the chance to get the support of those early Thompson voters.

All of this means a much more complex strategy is needed by campaign organizers and, of course, more money to go into these big states to convince people to vote early for their candidates.

12:30 PM ET | 01-23-2008 | permalink

Comments

The DNC Finally Remembers Voters Whacky Florida Politics 101:

So, Tallahassee sent a letter to the DNC reminding them that Florida is having a primary, and the DNC sent me a really stupid questionnaire.

But not before I got a recorded phone call from John McCain.

Okay, the DNC has in Washington has acted like Florida doesn't exist (maybe because Charlie Crist is Republican?...Whatever!) They ignored Tallahassee's request for their candidates to come to the Sunshine State.

Then I get this insultingly stupid questionnaire from the DNC asking me, among other things, if I think the Republicans will use Swift Boat tactics against Hillary.

Hillary needs to first do something for her country before the opposition can even think about Swift Boat tactics. At least John Kerry wore a uniform.

Then the DNC questionnaire asked me for a suggestion what the party should do to strengthen their political base. I suggested that boycotts are akin to political suicide. And that their question is a little too late, now that the Dem candidates have refused to come to Florida to debate after the Republican debate.

Then the questionnaire gets really, really, really insultingly stupid. They asked me how much I'm willing to donate.....after they boycotted Florida?

Okay, I may have been born on a Thursday. But it wasn't last Thursday.

And I may have been a lifelong liberal Democrat....until now.....cause I'm voting Republican in the generals.

So, DNC in Washington, that's what we Florida Democrats are willing to donate.

fred camorra call

Sent by fred camorra call | 10:38 AM ET | 01-24-2008

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