All right. I admit it. Mitt Romney has a point. We were mean to him. We helped Rick Santorum take away some of his delegates in Michigan. What we did was wrong.
Mitt Romney is asking Rick Santorum to give back some of his delegates as a penalty for Santorum's doing what Reagan did in 1980 (going after Michigan Democrats) -- but that does not look like it's going to fly.
We don't control any delegates here; all we can do is direct votes Mitt's way. So let's just choose a state and make it up to him!
Let's balance things out by getting Democrats to vote for Romney next Tuesday -- in Vermont.
Now some people may ask -- "What good is that going to do? Vermont is winner-take-all and Romney is already going to win it by something like 30 points! Why does he need more Democratic votes there?"
I think that it's the thought that counts, not the results. We're just being good eggs.
Of course, if Mitt doesn't want us to tell Democrats to vote for him in Vermont, because he really thinks that it's unethical or something, then all he has to do is say so!
All he has to say is this: "I don't want Democrats voting for me." If he says those words, on camera, then of course Operation Reverse Hilarity should and will be canceled.
Of course, we could ask independents to vote for him, so maybe to be safe we should ask him to say this:
"I don't want to ask Democrats and independents to vote for me. It's immoral.
(He doesn't have to actually
say it's immoral, but he can if he wants to. It might help him pick up some of the "morality vote.")
All he has to do is to say it on camera, where we can video it, and play it back to remind us of the importance of morality. If he says that, then we'll realize that our efforts are illicit and unfair and that we have to stop.
But what if he doesn't say this? In that case, it must be all right for us to go back to Plan A and ask Democrats in Tennessee to vote for Santorum! Because surely if Mitt won't condemn Operation Reverse Hilarity in Vermont, then he can't really condemn Operation Hilarity itself in Tennessee! That would be either a flip-flop or the worst kind of hypocrisy!
So, Vermonters, let's let Mitt know that you plan to "right the scales" next Tuesday -- and give him a chance to ask Democrats not to vote for him. And if he doesn't take that chance, then we'll know that he's OK with the normal operation of Operation Hilarity.
(I think he'll be OK with having an unfair advantage -- don't you?)
8:07 PM PT: OK, we really do need to decide on a name for this effort. Give me more choices and I'll do a poll for my next diary on the topic.
8:33 PM PT: I've posted a notice in "Rants 'n' Raves" on craigslist in Burlington:
Vermonters must undo the wrong to Romney! (Massachusetts, actually)
Date: 2012-02-29, 11:30PM EST
Reply to: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@pers.craigslist.org
It falls upon the men and women of Vermont to right the wrong done to Mitt Romney in the Michigan Republican primary, where he has explained that Rick Santorum cheated by asking Democrats to vote for him. Don't worry; it's winner-take-all and he's going to win anyway, so you won't be doing any real harm.
See the plan unfolding over here: http://www.dailykos.com/...
In next Tuesday's open primary, Democratic Vermonters must cross the lines and vote for Mitt Romney to avenge this wrong done to him, which has very clearly made him sad. (If you want to announce you're going to do it and then change your mind, that would also be keeping in the spirit of the Romney campaign. Just look really sincere when you announce you're going to do it.)
We need a catchy name for this effort, something alone the lines of "Operation Hilarity" in Michigan. And an emblem. And a flag and uniforms. No, we only have a few days. Flag yes, uniforms no. Spread the word that Vermont's Democrats will vote for Romney next Tuesday! (Unless he doesn't want that to happen, of course.)
And now we wait! (Or, rather, I'll have another diary up in the morning.) Join the cause!
8:41 PM PT: Flagged for removal in less than ten minutes! What, not topical enough for rants and raves? This shall not stand!
10:53 PM PT: It is with heavy heart that I report that Jason the Greek is right: Vermont is not winner-take-all unless the frontrunner exceeds 50% of the vote. I therefore must suspend my campaign for Operation Hi Leahy (I've decided that I like that one) until and unless someone can figure out a way to help Romney that doesn't have the potential to actually help him.