Obama is running in 2012 regardless. Frustrated Democrats and independents should re-register and make their voices heard in the GOP primary
The left is upset with President Obama. Occupy Wall Street protesters object to his economic policies. Anti-war voters are upset by the intervention in Libya, the drones in Pakistan, and the troops still in Afghanistan. ACLU liberals are disillusioned by indefinite detention, the expansion of executive power, and warrantless spying. The marijuana legalization crowd hates the raids on pot dispensaries.
They're all in a hopeless political pickle. A primary challenge risks dividing the Democratic Party. It might weaken the president so much that he'd lose to a GOP challenger -- someone they'd regard as even worse than the incumbent on most issues. But doing nothing is fraught too. If a Democratic president can get away with Wall Street giveaways, militarism, and civil liberties violations, it's basically a guarantee that the left will never achieve the reforms it regards as urgent.
There is, however, an intriguing alternative.
What if the left registered its discontent with Obama and its disgust for the GOP frontrunners by registering Republican? It would only matter during primary season. And what a message they could send! One long-shot Republican candidate, Gary Johnson, visited Zuccotti Park, affirms that Wall Street banks got unseemly favors, wants to legalize marijuana, opposed the Iraq War, favors bringing the troops home, and even wants abortion to stay legal. Another, Buddy Roemer, has made the centerpiece of his campaign "fighting the corrupting influences in Wall Street and Washington, ending favors to big donors and the misuse of federal funds to benefit major corporations." Though the typical Democrat would disagree with both of them on various issues, they'd surely prefer either to Herman Cain, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, or Rick Santorum; elevating either would send a powerful message on several of the most important issues that has the left upset; and like all quixotic stunts worth trying, there is a huge upside and no downside.
Think about it.
At this point, Obama is effectively going to run unopposed in the Democratic primary. He'll be the general election candidate regardless. A protest movement that used the GOP primary as its vehicle would, at worst, fizzle out with no real effect. If it succeeded in getting Johnson even a bit more attention, there would be two voices, Johnson and Ron Paul, speaking out in favor of shrinking the military, ending the drug war, and protecting civil liberties; they'd give voice to an actual marginalized constituency on the right that the left should want to see better represented; in the unlikely event that elevating Johnson succeeded wildly, and he won the GOP nomination, the left would have dodged the possibility of President Perry or Cain; Obama would be no less likely to win the general election; and to do so, he'd be forced to move toward the civil libertarians on issues like drugs, war, and homeland security policies, rather than moving right. Much the same logic applies to Roemer. Elevating him would inject into the campaign more talk about the capture of government by various moneyed special interests.
Is hijacking a primary legitimate?
I'd say so, at least in the way that I'm suggesting. The rules permit anyone to register in any party, regardless of their beliefs. It would transgress against fairness and good sense to deliberately elevate someone primarily because they'd be a weaker general election candidate. But voting for someone you earnestly regard to be the more sensible pol, the better prospective president, and the more healthy influence on their party? What's wrong with that? The Republican and Democratic Parties have used their entrenched position to erect unfair barriers to other parties and independents, creating a duopoly that large swaths of America hold in contempt.
Having rigged the game, the party establishments fail us annually, and are in no position to insist that we exert our influence via the partisan structure traditionally associated with our place on the political spectrum -- especially given that our independent streak is stronger than ever.
Personally, I'd love it if Gary Johnson did win the White House; I'd love to blow up the broken two-party system that gave us George W. Bush and a successor from the opposite party who campaigned against and then adopted his approach to fighting terrorism; I'd savor it if Obama lost the election to any civil libertarian for the sin of assassinating an American citizen sans due process. Or launching the War in Libya without congressional permission. Or escalating the drug war.
I presume, however, that many on the left would just like to send a cost free yet powerful anti-Wall Street giveaway, anti-war, civil libertarian message to Obama; and that the Daily Kos left couldn't help but enjoy throwing Rush Limbaugh's 2008 Operation Chaos back in his face, even though in this case, the object would be voting for the best prospective president without regard to the general election. I finally insist that if the economy tanks even more and Obama is destined to lose, regardless of his opponent, the left would be best served by a Republican from the civil liberties loving wing of the party. In a two-party system, we all have an interest in both parties nominating a responsible individual who is committed to safeguarding our basic freedoms. The left won't like the economic policies of Mitt Romney or Gary Johnson, but at least the latter will jail fewer people for drug possession, start fewer wars, and spy on fewer citizens.
So why doesn't everyone save those who are satisfied with Obama (or who are willing to launch a primary challenge) register Republican this year? So long as there's no primary challenge on the Democratic side -- and at this point it's probably and unfortunately too late for a serious one -- is there any better way for disaffected non-Republicans to influence the future? Does Occupy Wall Street have any better way to involve itself in the political process? Do independents have anything to lose? Shouldn't Republicans from the libertarian wing of the party welcome new members?
We're all presently being failed by unqualified candidates who keep being elevated to frontrunner status. Wouldn't it be a good thing, for all of us, if someone weakened the stranglehold that immature ideologues have on our dysfunctional two party system, in this and future elections? If you agree, register GOP. And vote Johnson or Roemer or Huntsman or whichever other candidate strikes you as the best prospective president running (even if it's Mitt Romney or Rick Perry or Herman Cain). Wall Street is only going to get colder in coming months.
