(June 11, 2014 at 8:58 pm)CapnAwesome Wrote:(June 11, 2014 at 8:12 pm)Ryantology (╯°◊°)╯︵ ══╬ Wrote: Cantor's district, as described by someone who lived there most of his life, has been historically red, but not so decisively that a Tea Party lunatic's obvious shortcomings don't present a great chance for a solid Democrat running against him. Virginia isn't Mississippi.
I don't know that I really believe this explanation. I've heard it claimed by either party when a candidate they consider extreme is elected in the primary. I don't know, I think it would require a well organized campaign to do such and I've never seen any real evidence of a secret underground campaign to vote in less electable candidates. Also it doesn't really make sense, could you really imagine a dyed in the wool Democrat going out and voting for the more extreme Republican just because he might be more beatable? Seems like a stretch. What if the gamble doesn't pay off? Then you end up with someone you disagree with more in office.
Then you are naive. The crossover voting tactic has been around for decades. There are even some people who will register for a party they despise just to crossover vote in primaries to enhance their own candidate's chances. Frankly, it was the first thing I thought of when I heard about Cantor's "big surprise" defeat.
