My vote didn't count

I am a Democrat. However, I am a registered Republican. When I moved to Colorado Springs 10 years ago there was a very heinous candidate in the republican primary, as well as a very wonderful one for whom any democrat would be proud to vote. It seemed imperative to vote in the republican primary so as to get the good candidate on the ballot. Which I did.

Since then I have voted exclusively democratic, yet never felt the need to change my affiliation. Until now. And by the time I realized I might want to vote in the democratic presidential primary, it was too late to change. So, back to square one: vote in the republican primary to help weed out the worst of the worst.

In theory anyway.

The elementary school where my local Colorado Springs caucus was held was packed. I had anticipated this, so was dressed appropriately for the 1/4 mile walk in 6 degree weather. I found my district, said hello to the neighbors and took my place. People were given the opportunity to speak for a minute to state their case for a candidate.

It kind of went like this:
Republican voter #1: If we don't put Mike Huckabee on the ballot then I am afraid the evangelical Christian voters will not come out at all.
Republican voter #2: The only true conservative in this race is Mitt Romney. Vote for him.
Republican voter #3: The democrats like McCain. If the democrats like him, we should hate him.

At the appropriate time I cast my vote-- a check mark in front of John McCain's name on a piece of paper which was put into a hat that was passed around the room. No shit. Check marks on pieces of paper put into a hat that was passed around the room, complete with a joke from guy near me about it being the hat Hillary wears when she rides around on her broomstick. I laughed with gusto. Not.

So here's how it came out.
Ron Paul, the rabid anti-Semite, got 3 votes.
Mike Huckabee, who loves all Jews and hopes we all move to Israel to hasten the arrival of the Messiah, got 6 votes.
John McCain, whom I consider the most palatable republican offering, got 9 votes. At least 8 people agree with me.
Mitt Romney: carried the precinct big time, with a whopping 46 votes.

Kind of depressing. But you know what? I feel a whole lot better for having cast my ballot than I would have if I woke up tomorrow and saw that Mitt Romney won Colorado (which it looks like he's going to) and knew that I had done nothing about it.