From the Richmond Times Dispatch:

The state Republican Party will require voters to sign a loyalty oath in order to participate in the March 6 presidential primary.

Anyone who wants to vote must sign a form at the polling place pledging to support the eventual Republican nominee for president. Anyone who refuses to sign will be barred from voting in the primary.

During a brief meeting Wednesday at the state Capitol, the State Board of Elections voted 3-0 to approve three forms developed by the election board’s staff to implement the loyalty pledge requested by the state GOP.

Is that even legal?  I thought that Virginia primaries were open to any registered voter, regardless of party.   If Republicans want to keep their votes ‘pure’ it seems to me that they should have a convention primary.  That’s a little easier to keep the ‘riff raff’ out of. 

I expect there will be legal challenges.  If I were a Republican, I would not like being held to the standard of voting for anyone who happens to win the nomination.  In fact, that was one reason I left the Democrats.  I didn’t like having to pledge a vote. 

If Republicans want to keep their primary pure, then they need to change the state laws so that one must register as either a Democrat or Republican to be able to vote in a primary (or some other combination for third party Independents).  Until that happens, I would say that any registered voter should get to vote in an election.

From  the State Board of Elections website:

Can I vote for candidates from different parties?
   Virginia is an open primary state which means that any qualified voter can vote in either party’s primary election. Virginia does not have party registration in its voter registration process. In other words, citizens do not designate a political party affiliation when registering to vote in Virginia. The only restriction is when more than one party primary is held on the same day, also known as a dual primary. While Virginia election law stipulates that any qualified voter may voter in either political party’s primary, no voter may vote in more than one political party’s primary on the same election day.

 If I vote in a particular party’s primary, will my voter registration records become affiliated with that party?
   No.  Voting in any party’s primary election in Virginia does not affiliate the voter with either of the political parties.  The fact that you voted in the party’s primary becomes part of your voting history but, does not affiliate you with either political party.  Voting in a party’s primary does not hinder the voter’s choices in future elections (primary or general).  (Emphasis mine)

121 Thoughts to “Republicans to require loyalty oath”

  1. marinm

    LOL.. A loyalty oath? Really? I think we should walk around calling each other comrade..

    MH, http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+24.2-545

    “The requirements may include, but shall not be limited to, the signing of a pledge by the voter of his intention to support the party’s candidate when offering to vote in the primary.”

    I don’t see a penalty.

  2. Someone failed to tell the State Board of Elections.

    I don’t see a penalty either but I do not like things that set one up for being a liar. I think they need to change the law or have no restrictions.

  3. marinm

    The SBE does know about the law. The next line reads; The requirements applicable to a party’s primary shall be determined at least 90 days prior to the primary date and certified to, and approved by, the State Board.

    So, the GOP is within it’s [misguided’ rights to make the request.

    I’m going to pull out a Braveheart quote here.

    An oath to a liar is no oath at all.

    If it makes you feel any better, don’t sign but rather “make your mark”. 😉

  4. I’ve seen this before. No one thinks that its enforceable. And today’s Americans barely take marriage oaths seriously, much less ones like this. Look at how well Congress obeys THEIR respective oaths of office.

  5. I forgot to state that this oath was a requirement also at the convention. Personally, I think that the GOP should go back to a convention for the candidates or we should register and have closed primaries. And that’s after I’ve used the Democrat primary to place votes for Al Sharpton.

  6. I have already had one fight this morning over this issue—which was to just ignore it. That isn’t the point.

    Calling on MOM for help with this one. He will know why. If you pledge anything, it is giving your word of honor. Honor is not a shade of grey. You either have honor or you don’t. I lived under that mentality for 4 years…when I was attending Mary Washington which was the Women’s College of the University of Virginia. I believe they still use the same honor code even though they are no longer the women’s college of any place.

    The point is, if you attend a school that enforces this kind of honor code, it tends to stay with you the rest of your life. You at least think about it. Before anyone laughs, You could set your purse down, your books down, it would be there when you got back. I never had room keys until my senior year. Exams were often not proctored. Were those the good old days? You tell me.

    Mr. Howler said that I was telling him he was dishonorable. No I wasn’t. I simply wouldn’t have had the discussion I had with him with my friends Connie or Ingrid who were classmates at MWC. I wouldn’t have that conversation with my brother who is a UVA graduate. It would be understood and there would simply be nothing to talk about.

    To those who didn’t operate under that honor code, having to discuss how honor in this case, it situational, might be a discussion. Actually, I can discuss it but not without having to sluff off the mantle of MWC/UVA. Its hard to do. It shouldn’t happen. I don’t like things that challenge that built in honor thing….and this does. That pledge is very onorous considering the field of candidates. It forces a person into dishonor.

    Too bad that the official word is so conflicting.

    I expect Mr. Thomas to come along and weigh in here. I know he has strong feelings. Change the law.

  7. @Cargosquid

    A primary is different from a convention. I don’t mind convention rules being what they are for either party. They have you.

    What really bothers me is how they all talk about each other like dogs. We have watched this Republican and that Republican tear each other up, practically call each other dogs and whores and then they will be expected to support that person they just talked about like they were Satan. There is just something dead wrong about that.

    If you go vote for Al Sharpton, you aren’t doing it in a primary so you are going to a lot of effort for no reason. That falls into the who cares pile.

  8. Mom

    “On my honor as a student at the University of Virginia I pledge that I have neither given nor received help on this exam”.

    A quarter of a century later and it is still burned into my brain.

    I haven’t signed anything “Mike Hunt” in a long time but I sense that may happen on primary day.

    It does present an interesting theoretical dilema for some, namely those like Candland who have a stated policy of not signing pledges. Does that mean he will actively support Ron Paul if Mitt loses the VA primary.

    1. @MoM,

      Thank you. Yes, it is still burned in my brain also. Won’t your pledge be matched up to the name and address on your govt issued ID? I have to figure this out.

      Mr. H still thinks I am calling him dishonorable. I am not. I am simply saying that people who didn’t live under the honor code (that extended to more than test taking also) don’t have it seared on their brain and find it easier to go situational than I do.

    2. Technically Candland should just refuse to vote in the primary if he doesn’t do pledges.

      I will be interested to see who he appoints to his various committes. Are there any sneak previews?

  9. marinm

    @Moon-howler
    What government issued ID?

    I haven’t used an ID to vote in years. I *refuse* to show my ID to an agent of the government if I don’t have to.

    I ask for an affirmation of ID, fill it out and then sign (or make my mark).

    If voting fraud is an issue in the Commonwealth let’s go to ink on a voters finger.

    I have a right to vote. I have the right for my vote to be for whom I want. That vote shall never be dictated to me by anyone (outside of my wife, hehe). I have the right to have that vote be in secret and to share the details of my vote as I please.

    If the GOP wants to take away my right of free choice at the ballot box they can pry my ballot from my cold dead hands. I will not yield in this point.

    1. @marin

      Don’t you think that is a little drastic?

      I don’t mind showing a govt issued ID at all. Those ‘agents’ of the govt. are simply other citizens who have volunteered their time. What will you do when making your mark is no longer accepted? Not vote?

  10. Mom

    Only rumors, and not good ones at this point. My guess is we won’t find out anything substantive until January 6 when the agenda for the January 10 meeting is published. There will have to be a nominee for the PC slot on that date as the first meeting of the new PC is the day after the January 17 BOCS meeting.

    1. Perhaps we are hearing the same rumors, MoM. Neiggghhhhhh……whinny. Tally HO.

  11. marinm

    @Moon-howler

    Which part?

    “What will you do when making your mark is no longer accepted?”

    What if we only let white, male landowners vote?

    1. Who is ‘we?’ Why would women accept that? It is more Republicans than anyone else who is clamoring to have stricter standards regarding voting. I don’t necessarily disagree with them on this one, despite a raised eye-brow from my more liberal friends. I don’t think having a government ID is an imposition on that many people. I would also have a poverty clause so that person could go to dmv to get an ID if they could not afford to get one any other way. I would also make it easy if the person was older and had to use a family bible as proof of birth.

  12. Mom

    What if we only let white, male landowners vote?

    There would likely be a vast majority of blond, well-endowed Holders of Public Office. Not that it would make a damn bit of difference as regards public policy since they couldn’t do any worse.

  13. Censored bybvbl

    As an independent I don’t agree with loyalty oaths when it comes to supporting a party’s candidate. We independents make up a third of the electorate and the only way we get a chance to influence an election’s outcome short of actually voting or throwing away our vote on a fringe party is to consider ourselves political operatives and vote in one party’s primary. I remember UVa’s honor code as well. It may have protected my pocketbook from being pilfered by a fellow student, but I’m going to be dishonorable, protect my current pocketbook as best I can from politicians, and vote in someone’s primary.

    1. I don’t disagree with you. I wouldn’t not do it because of a pledge. I just don’t like things that make that seared pledge of yesteryear start burning my brain. Why should I, as an Independent, pledge anything to a Republican or a Democrat? If you refuse the pledge, however, you are refused a ballot.

      Since we might have to live under either a Democrat or Republican rule, then we should have a choice of who that ruler is. To those of us who aren’t married to party, what if I like R1, then D1, then R3 best. R3 wins and I want to vote for D1, Telling me I can’t seems unAmerican. Making memake a liar of myself seems unAmerican also.

  14. Morris Davis

    Newt Gingrich said on CNN Tuesday afternoon that he would not vote for Ron Paul if Paul is the Republican nominee. I hope they have someone at the door of Newt’s polling place in McLean to deny him his right to vote since he’s declared to the world that he refuses to support one of the two nominees.

  15. Steve Thomas

    It is perfectly legal, and there is no penalty should you break that oath, unless of course you are a member of a local committee, and either run for partisan office as a member of a third party, or publically endorse an independent or member of a third party over the nominees of your own party. The penalties differ according to the party plans of the local party unit. In Manassas, it means you are immediately ejected from the committee, and barred from membership for a period of time. Primaries are a Party affair, and the party sets the rules. As long as they are permitted by State election law, there shouldn’t be a problem. As a practical matter, I don’t support an oath for a statewide primary. Local contest maybe, but statewide it isn’t practical. I will say it will help identify “mischief voting”, but it can’t prevent it. I suspect this is being used this cycle because there is no Democrat party primary on the same day. Democrats are free to try to influence the nomination process of the GOP, in an attempt to get the weakest candidate possible as Obama’s opponent. Not that it would change the outcome, but if it was a factor, it would lend support for those who’d like to see registration by party, and closed primaries.

    1. I knew this topic would bring you out, Steve. I have been keeping an eye out for you.

      I think where I find questionable legality is denying a person a ballot when they won’t take a pledge. Its one thing to strongly urge. Its another to deny someone a ballot. I am assuming one cannot vote absentee?

      There is another way to look at all this….30-40% of all voters are Independents. Those people may very well vote Republican. They should have every right to say who they want to run. This is one of those times when I hate the 2 party system.

      I don’t think a registered voter should be denied a ballot when the voting is taking place on state or locally owned property and at the tax payers expense. That might challenge the Virginia law as written if someone choses to do so.

  16. Mom

    “Marshall opposes Va. GOP over loyalty oath”

    Oh what will Moon do as it seems she will have to agree with my boy Del. Bob.

    1. @MoM, it freaking kills me every time Bob agrees with me, MoM. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. I also agree with him about the senior center. Of course, if Wally had a aged parent rather than a horse and a wife, the Marshall’s might have been successful. Wally had the cash to save the senior center but he wanted to pave a parking lot.

  17. Steve Thomas

    @Mom
    If Candland is a member of the PWC GOP Committee, then he has signed a pledge. It’s right there on the membership application. If you attend the January 28th MCGOP convention, you will have to sign a pledge on your delegate form. If you are a candidate, you will sign an additional pledge, stating you will abide by the outcomes of the convention, and if you are not the nominee, you will not run against the nominee as an independent or member of a third party.
    As far as all this business about dicatating how you vote, no one knows how you vote in the general. Whether or not you respect your oath, is between you and your principles.

    1. @Steve, and that is what MoM and I have been talking about….situations that force your principles. I don’t mind the part about not running as a third party. I mind being told I must sign a pledge or not vote. I would also mind that if I were a card carrying Republican, which I am not.

  18. Mom

    You need to adjust your cynicism sensor.

    1. @MoM, who needs to adjust their cynicism sensor? Steve or me?

  19. When the Republicans IN OFFICE live up to THEIR oath, I will live up or take theirs. But, then, I’m not voting for either candidate that’s on the primary ballot to become the candidate. I wonder what would happen if NO ONE voted for the presidential candidate tickets? All those uncommitted delegates, just wandering about at the convention…….

    I think that I’m going to investigate becoming more active in the local GOP and try to become a delegate……I was one for the convention. 😈

    1. @Cargo #31

      Does that mean you are letting others make decisions for you? What oath have all the Republicans broken? This I have to hear.

  20. Starryflights

    This is outrageous!

  21. George S. Harris

    As I read the part of the law referred to, it appears to me they are talking about the delegates who will be sent to the patry’s convention. It would appear the newspaper has this wrong and this might be a tempest in a teapot.

  22. George S. Harris

    Nope, I’m wrong, went back and read it again. How can this be allowed?

  23. Scout

    About all I can add to the various lively discussions on The Oath is that the mentality betrayed by such a thing bespeaks a fear of the citizens who form the electorate. It is a very strange political party dynamic when the urge is to hold things as close and small as possible when the reality is that a candidate will eventually have to face the larger general electorate. A party leadership that had confidence in itself, in the political products it was offering the electorate, and in its ability to provide convincing reasons for citizens to adhere to its principles, would want the process as open as possible. What we constantly see with RPV in Virginia is a tendency to keep things tight and small and away from the voters. Leaving aside what that says about the insides of people’s heads, it is not very good politics. The state Government has granted the Ds and Rs a pretty much airtight monopoly on access to the provision of governance. That people inside these favored clubs want to intensify that monopoly, rather than liberalize it, is a factor in the citizenry’s growing disrespect for the political process.

  24. YEA!!! Scout is here. So Scout, how can it be legal to refuse a ballot to someone? That just doesn’t seem right.

    I might accept…MIGHT…that you are told you are expected to support the Republican nominee but to deny someone a ballot for not signing a pledge just seems wrong. If we assume a pledge is your word….then basically the R party is telling the electorate who to vote for.

  25. Lafayette

    I’m just going to cut and paste this. No, need to retype.
    For once I agree with my new delegate(thanks, to redistricting)! Please, don’t fall over and my FB acct has NOT been hacked. As an Inependent that has always voted in primaries(both parties), I can’t believe the state GOP is pulling this pledge crap. Ironic since many of the local R’s refused to sign a pledge to protect the Rural Crescent, but they think it’s A-ok for this little pledge. Cleraing throught, my new supervisor comes to mind here. I wonder how he feels about this pledge. Oh, the HIPOCRICY!!

    I’m sure many that decide to sign that pledge will treat like rules, meant to be broken. 👿

  26. Starryflights

    The repugs cannot win on issues so they resort to coercion and intimidation.

    You who want to vote in the primary should challenge this in court.. This is unconstitutional, unpatriotic and unAmerican.

  27. @Moon-howler
    The oaths of office to uphold the Constitution. Both parties ignore their oath to uphold the Constitution.

    The RPV is trying to restrict interference by those that want to influence the GOP’s choice of candidates. Open primaries are full of “cross over” voters. Since we don’t have closed primaries, this is the only thing that they can think of. This is pointed, not at the actual Republican faithful, but cross over Democrats and liberal independents, that want to pull the delegates one way or the other.

    1. Do you really think that is all that it is pointed to? Now lets look at this question realistically. There are 2 candidates on the ballot. Paul and Romney. How much pain do you think evil democrats can inflict on the primary? Predictably, who do you think is going to win the primary?

      You have admitted to trying to influence the Democratic primaries. Don’t you think that is foolish? Any time I have voted in a Republican primary, I vote for the person who I believe will do the best job at representation. Will I vote for that person in the general election? Who knows. It depends on what happens up until the time of the general election.

      I don’t believe open primaries are full of cross over voters. I think most people out there actually care who represents them. Imagine that. To think o9therwise just seems paranoid to me.

      I voted in the last local Republican primary. I voted for the candidate in my district who I thought would do the things I wanted done in the county. Had that person won, I might have strongly considered voting for them in the general election. The last presidential primary in 2008, I voted for a democratic candidate. Those candidates were more acceptable to me.

      I doubt if I will vote in this Republican primary but I haven’t made up my mind yet.

  28. Kelly3406

    I am still waiting for a viable conservative candidate to emerge that I can vote for. As it stands now, the Loyalty Test for the Republican primary may be a moot point for me.

  29. @Moon-howler
    Yes. It is a clumsy attempt to restrict crossover. It was probably in place before the idiocy revealed by the other campaigns.

    I admit I voted in a Democrat primary, just to raise Sharpton’s numbers. Of course, at no time, did I believe that he would actually come close to winning anything.

    In other primaries, many Rush fans voted to keep Hillary alive in the primaries. Evidence is there that it probably kept her viable for a longer time.

    Primaries should be closed. Its about a party picking THEIR candidates. If third party and independents want to pick a candidate, they should field their own or wait until the general election, or pick a party and become a member.

    This time, I’m showing up to vote in the primary for the down ticket candidates, not the presidential candidates. I won’t vote for either one and would love it if they got NO votes.

    1. @Cargo,

      At this point I guess the only thing I have to say is, Democrats overall must be more mature than Rush Republicans. Why would you and the Rush folks go vote just to be pains in the ass? When I vote in a primary, my only objective is to choose the best person for the job, in my opinion. In the VA primary, I would obviously go vote for Romney if it looked like there was even a remote chance Paul would get in,. I think he is a dangerous person with strange ideas. There would no other reason for me to join in the fray.

      I disagree about closed primaries. Go do a firehouse primary or do convention if you want to go private. If you are using schools, voting machines and other things paid for by the taxpayers, then sorry, dude, we get a say in who is running. You aren’t going to use MY tax dollars to run your private show and then shut me out of the process. No one is registered by party in the state of Virginia so I have as much right to be there as the next guy.

      How on earth does a person go vote and vote for no one. What are you going to do? Walk in the door and walk about again? I guess that will show THEM! What are down ticket candidates? You can’t write anyone in.

      Rush fans have the brains of squirrels and aren’t nearly as cute. He has had some sort of nasty-on for Hillary since he first heard her name. It’s probably because she is about a thousand times smarter than he is.

  30. Starryflights

    You will still have to sign the pledge, Cargo, to vote down ticket. Talk about unconstitutional, there is nothing more unconstitutional than denying one’s right to vote.

  31. Ray Beverage

    There are over 820,000 individuals in the Commonwealth of Virginia who should stand up and say this pledge is just crap. There are over 17,000 who if they could, should rise up and say “just what did I give so you could pull this crap?”

    The first number is the total number of Veterans within the Commonwealth. The second is the number who are buried with Veterans Administration issued headstones.

    1. Very excellent points, Ray. I am just outraged over it on principle. The RPV is using our schools, our voting machines, our electricity, etc, to refuse us a ballot? I hope someone sues between now and then. I would join a class action lawsuit.

      I refuse to pledge anything.

  32. Mom

    “For once I agree with my new delegate(thanks, to redistricting)! Please, don’t fall over and my FB acct has NOT been hacked.”

    Bwahahaha, I’ll never get tired of reading that (and reminding you of it). I think that calls for a drink, damn its only 8:00am.

  33. Lafayette

    @Mom
    Now, now…I do give credit where credit is due. This happens to be one of those times. I still need a middle man if I were to contact Del. Bob’s office for anything. You’re at the top of the list. 🙂
    BTW-I did hear OUR delegate has sent a formal request to the AG on the matter. I sure hope I don’t have to be fair on that one. 👿

    1. I hope you heard right.

      I think that RPV has the right to ask you to pledge. They do not have the right to insist and deny you a ballot if you say no. Denying anyone a ballot crosses the line.

      @Mom,

      Even a broken clock is right twice a day. That’s how Marshall stays in office. No one can run on Luv Canals alone. So are you the middle man?

  34. Mom

    Only if I can count on you to knock on doors when the “Senator Bob” campaign starts, snicker.

  35. Pat.Herve

    Does anyone really believe that there are enough crossover votes in order to sway a primary? Anyone crossing over to try and sway an outcome is childish and ignorant. The RPV wanted this a year or two ago also – I cannot fathom how the RPV leadership would want something like this – they are making you take an oath to vote for an individual you might not want – sounds like undue influence to me. Sounds like they are trying to circumvent the will of the people. So if Newt becomes the candidate, anyone voting in the Primary is supposed to support him – NOT.

    Of course there is no penalty, only because the electronic voting machine is not recording your vote, so they say.

  36. Giving up here. I have no idea what a down vote is in a primary.

    I thought loyalty oaths went out with Reconstruction.

  37. Mom

    Like all good middle-men, I come with a price which can be negotiated in single malt scotch or draft beer
    @Moon-howler

    1. Thus proving my point that everyone has a price. Some of us are just more expensive than others.

      Will Glenlivet do? I know you hate my blended scotch of choice. :mrgreen:

  38. Mom

    Pheh, Glenlivet is a beginners single malt, I’m much more partial to McCallan or Laphroaig 18 yr. old.

    1. No fiddich either, I can surmise? @ MoM

      Maybe Laf and I can pool our resources if we need you to go speak to the oracle. Between the 2 of us would ought to be able to scrape up enough for a McCallan. Not familar with Laphroaig so keeping my mouth shut.

  39. Mom

    It’s ten dollars cheaper and a little less “smoky”.

  40. @Mom
    Mmmmm…..I may have to start drinking early today…..I have some Laphroaig in my cabinet.

    Moon, the down ticket is any candidate that is running for “lesser” office. The Presidential candidates are only the top of the ballot.

    I wonder what I’m going to do…..I might just raise a stink. I think that I’ll get in touch with the RPV and mention that conservative bloggers just might start……talking…about this stupidity. I think that all liberty loving Republicans should boycott the top of the ballot and just vote for the down ticket. I like the idea of all of Virginia’s delegates up for grabs.

    1. There are no down candidates in this primary, are there? I would say it affects all Virginians. What makes a person a Republican? They make themselves that.

  41. Lafayette

    I’d much prefer to chip in on the most expensive scotch under the sun as opposed to the deal I was offered.

    Hey Mom, why’s Moon get off so cheap? Does she get some sort of discount for being more than 475 ft from the 50th? What gives.

    1. Not sure I understand what being 475 feet from the 50th means but I have a feeling I don’t like it.

  42. Mom

    She never insulted Lynryd Skynryd in my presence.

  43. Steve Thomas

    @Lafayette

    Lafayette,

    There is a world of difference between signing a pledge not to raise taxes, or protect the interests of some issue organization, and pledging an oath. Since you have participated in the primaries of both parties, you prove the need for an oath. Please indulge me for a moment:

    -If you have ever attended a GOP convention as a delegate, you signed a pledge that stated you were in accord with the principles of the GOP, and would support the eventual nominee.

    -Party primaries, conventions, mass meetings, caucus or canvas (firehouse primary) are an INTERNAL affair, and have a single purpose: to select the nominee of the party. Not to give a “voice” to the party-unaffiliated. They are by their very nature and purpose, exclusive. The party determines the method of nomination, and the conduct of said nomination means, not the state. The state only specifies who is eligible to vote in elections.

    -A general election is inclusive. Everyone has a vote, and is free to vote as they see fit.

    Now, before we get into a long discussion regarding where independents fit in a democracy, let me say I do support loyalty oaths, in certain circumstances:

    -For candidates seeking the nomination, regardless of the method of nomination.

    -For delegates to a convention, participants in a caucus or canvass.

    -When seeking membership in local, state, and national party committees

    I do not, as a practical matter, support oaths for open primaries. If the party wants to exercise a higher degree of exclusivity, let it choose a convention, which requires delegate prefiling, which provides a means to pre-screen delegates, and challenge eligibility prior to the conduct of the convention. The oath is not intended to exlude independents. It is intended to identify those who are voting for the sole pupose of corrupting the process. An example of this would be the chairman of the PWC Democrat party attending and voting in the RPV State Convention. Clearly, this would be an attempt at “mischief”, as the PWC Democrat Chairman would have absolutely no intention of supporting the GOP nominee, regardless of who it is. This year, we don’t have a dual primary. I can see why the RPV wanted to exercise its right to require an oath, even while I don’t support it.

    One very practical solution for all this would be to have voter registration by party, and closed primaries. This eliminates the need for oaths for voters. If you want to participate in a party nominations contest, well, then you need to suit up in the uniform of the team you wish to play on.

    1. @Steve, I am going to almost agree with you. Firehouse primary, convention, any of the exclusive means of chosing a candidate–fine by me. Whatever rules are made go. However, in an open primary, mischief making is the risk you take. On the other hand, there are plenty of people who might, for example, like Mitt Romney who aren’t Republicans affiliated with any specific party. I am sure no one wants to turn their vote away.

      When I voted in the primary this past August, I hadn’t couldn’t tell you who I would have voted for…the person I supported in the primary or the Democrat. I would have liked to have had the option though.

      I think as long as the election is being held in schools on public voting machines using taxpayer electricity, everyone is eligible to vote. I actually wouldn’t even mind being asked to pledge, as long as I still had the right to say no without becoming disenfranchised.

  44. Steve Thomas

    @Cargosquid

    “I think that all liberty loving Republicans should boycott the top of the ballot and just vote for the down ticket.”

    Interesting. And who might be on the “down ticket” in this primary? I do believe the answer is nobody. This is a presidential primary. So I guess that means one just wouldn’t vote. Considering that the primary ballot will only have two names on it, I guess if neither is a candidate that you support, skipping the primary is a principled stand. Also, RPV makes the rules for conduct of a Statewide primary. Why punish the candidates, who have no control over the rules? I’ve always believed one has two choices; Get Angry, or Get Active. Join your local committee. Work hard to get candidates with whom you agree nominated and elected, or run yourself. If that’s not your bag, join your local committee and seek a leadership position therein. Place yourself in contention for a position at District or State level, through demonstrated efforts to stengthen the party. Now you are in a position to effect change….or, you can stand outside the house and throw stones at the windows, when what really bothers you is how the house is decorated inside.

  45. Morris Davis

    @Steve Thomas

    This is the beginning down the slippery slope. First it’s a loyalty test to prove your purity to the party and next thing you know it’s a virginity test to prove your purity and keep undesireables out of the gene pool.

    Seriously, if a primary event is exclusive and only true party members have the right to participate then why does everyone share in paying the tab? It sounds like welfare. Shouldn’t the group holding an exclusive event pay their own way and not saddle all the taxpayers with the expense? It’s like sending me a bill to pay part of the cost of the exclusive RTJ members’ Christmas party that was held behind a closed gate to ensure it kept people like me out.

  46. @Steve Thomas
    Actually I agree with you on the above.

    You should check out the Precinct Project: http://theprecinctproject.wordpress.com/

    and the Concord Project: http://concordproject.org/about/

    I thought that there was a down ticket for other candidates on the ballot. Oh well….

    So, I guess I will be sitting out of this election. I won’t vote for either of these two in the primaries.

    But…but…throwing stones is so much fun…..I guess I’ll have to go inside the glass house and throw outwards…….and let in some fresh air. You know…I’m being dragged kicking and screaming into politics….see..I’m screaming…help. oh. help. someone help me (thrashes “let go I’m pretending!) help, oh noooooo

    Well, I was a delegate at the state convention. I wonder how one becomes a delegate at the national……… bwahahahahaha.

    Hey….do you think Cuccinelli is interested in national office in 2016?

    1. @CArgo, I doubt you would like what you have to do to go to the National–either party.

  47. @Steve Thomas
    Oh.. forgot to mention my main point…oops.

    I’m objecting to the “loyalty” oath for an open primary. Like you, I understand why they did it, but either close it or accept it as open. That’s why I said to boycott the ticket.

    1. I understand WHY it is done. Its actually sort of silly, especially since there really is no control over the silly pledge. @Cargo

      Its like beating someone with a wet noodle. If I were voting in it to do something nefarious, I would laugh at all of them.

      Republicans seem to think crashing a primary works. It really doesn’t.

  48. @Morris Davis
    I don’t mind a closed primary being held in private property. I agree, it shouldn’t be held in public spaces. So, rent a local building and say, “c’mon down!”

  49. Steve Thomas

    @Morris Davis
    Morris,

    I agree with you on the public funding of open primary aspect. I say close them, and have the party fund them, as they do in the other methods of nomination. However, I do believe there is some reimbursement to SBE by the parties, but it is nowhere near the true cost.

    1. @Steve, I think all of us are pretty much agreeing on this one. Got that queasy feeling yet?

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