How to vote in the primaries and not be an idiot

A Primary Primer

Here's a key passage:

"In most presidential elections, the party's nominee is decided before many states hold their primaries. So, for most people, the point of voting is not to choose the nominee. (And therefore almost nobody votes, opening the door to effective action by non-idiots.) The point is also not to "show support and loyalty" for a nominee already chosen (democracies have no need for such displays, which are best suited to another type of regime). Rather, the point is to elect as many delegates as possible for the candidate whose positions you most favor, so that those delegates can influence the party's platform and the nominee's positions at the convention, or even make your candidate the vice presidential nominee."

That's why it's OK to vote on Principle in the Primary. I am supporting Kucinich, but all y'all should vote for your favorite candidate, too. Let the voters do their job, and the convention too.

I do recommend clicking the link and reading the whole article, because it addresses a key theme here and elsewhere-that the primary will be decided before we get a chance to cast a ballot.

Turns out that there are lots of reasons to vote, besides the nominee.