The Delco Repubs take a cannon to a rabbit hunt

Did Democrats who made the effort to come out in the Democratic primary in the 162nd House Assembly District on Tuesday cast write-in votes for Republican Nick Micarelli because:

A)     They think he’s such a wonderful public servant he transcends party?

B)      Certain Democratic leaders disliked the Democratic write-in candidate, Ken Harper, so much they secretly ran a behind-the-scenes campaign for the Republican candidate?

C)      Voters didn’t realize that Miccarelli is a Republican and just accepted the first rubber stamp that the nice poll worker thrust into their hands?

Nick Miccarelli

D)     All of the above?

I think it’s “all of the above” and I think that’s horrible for our supposedly democratic (in the small “d” sense) form of government.

It was, after all, a primary election, which means each party chooses its nominee for each seat to run in the November general election, most decidedly not the other party's nominee.
Yet 709 supposed Democrats voted for Miccarelli as opposed to 337 Democrats for Harper, better than two to one.
 I could maybe understand it if it had even been close, but, no, not even then. So my question is why?
 Why did the Republicans go to so much effort to get Miccarelli nominated on both ballots when he didn’t stand a chance of losing in November as a Republican?   Is it just for the sake of a press release or TV ad (“nominated by both parties!”)?  Just to rub the Democrats’ noses in  their ineptitude?

Why did the Democratic Party turn against Harper when it couldn’t find a candidate to run in the 162nd District in the first place and when Harper spent his own money to run as  a write-in in a primary where he surely knew that even if he was nominated, he would be a sacrificial lamb?
I sort of get the Republicans: they saw their opportunity and they took it.
I do not get those 709 registered Democrats who happily took the Miccarelli stamp and went into the voting booth to vote for a Republican, even one they know and admire, in the Democratic primary.
If there are that many Republicans in Democratic clothing in just one House district, that many people who changed their registrations to screw over the Democrats when they had the only exciting races going on in their own primary election, that's truly amazing.
But if that many Democrats did make the effort to come out to the polls in what was a pretty unexciting primary on our side but truly did not know, or ask, if they were voting for a Republican, that's pretty dismaying.

I have been a resident of Delaware County for more than 30 years, every one of them a Democrat, and perhaps that is why I will never understand Delaware County politics.

Actually I’ve never understood Pennsylvania state politics either, as in, cross-over nominations and a 30-day deadline prior to the primary to change your party affiliation.  You do know they don’t have these restrictions and confusions in other states, don’t you?

Somebody in the know, click on the comment box below and tell me why the enormous effort for Miccarelli in a district where he is the sure winner one way or the other.  There must be a reason.  Somebody educate me.