GOP will demand 'oath' of February primary voters
If you're planning to vote in Virginia's February Republican presidential primary, be prepared to sign an oath swearing your Republican loyalty.
The State Board of Elections on Monday approved a state Republican Party request to require all who apply for a GOP primary ballot first vow in writing that they'll vote for the party's presidential nominee next fall.
There's no practical way to enforce the oath. Virginia doesn't require voters to register by party, and for years the state's Republicans have fretted that Democrats might meddle in their open primaries.
Virginia Democrats aren't seeking such an oath for their presidential primary, which is held the same day -- February 12th.
Comments
This is a joke, right?
You are making this up...right? Please, tell me Virginia Republicans aren't that stupid.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
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Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
Didn't you mean . . .
South Carolina
In 2004 SC had the same issue with the Democratic Party. The National Party required an oath even though SC has an open primary. The story hit the weekend before the primary and all of the voters that were going to vote even though t hey considered themselves independent caused a big uproar. It was a big issue for the campaigns. If the independents stayed home it would hurt Edwards and help Kerry. In the end the state party worked it out with the national party that no oath was signed.
Guess that goes to show that
Guess that goes to show that stupidity is non-partisan.
Ah well. Now we'll be in the old playground game of who's stupider than whom.
Well...that's the National Party
......and our good neighbors to the south didn't listen. :)
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
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Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
I don't remember this.
Is it that because it was all worked out before the NC primary?
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
This is where I ask myself
which bunch o'nanners is slower?
1) the bunch that tries a dumb idea and is forced to madly back peddle due to the ensuing voter pie fight that breaks out?
or
2) the bunch that watches a really stupid idea die a really horrible pie-laden death ... and tries the same idea anyway?
Amazing.
"They took all the trees and put them in a tree museum Then they charged the people a dollar 'n a half just to see 'em. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone? They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."
It's not a joke -
We saw it on Countdown last night, and had to run Tivo back a couple of times to make sure we heard it correctly.
It's absolutely unenforceable -- even if someone signed it, they couldn't be forced to vote for the (R) candidate in November. And no one would be able to tell whether they did or not.
I just wonder who they're trying to hurt - or help.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Reasoning
It is not about enforceability at all. The problem is with states that have an open primary system. In SC you don't register by party at all. Anyone can vote in either primary. The oath was to discourage Republicans from voting in the Democratic Primary for the purpose of voting for an unelectable candidate. There is no issue of what happens to you if you vote for a different party in the general. I don't know how things are in SC this year, but 4 years ago the only issue on the ballot was the presidential priimary...the primary was paid for by the party. The National party had that rule in place to discourage Republicans from messing with the primary pure and simple.
The day the news broke people statewide started calling the Edwards campaign saying I was going to vote for your guy, but not if I have to sign an oath. Kerry's campaign (to my understanding) believed if the voters were forced to sign the oath only the most liberal would vote and he would win.
The entire thing turned into a huge debate within the state party, who eventually decided to buck the national party. The state party could have made the other decision, but it would have made for a lot of angry voters.
Thanks for the explanation!
It makes a lot of sense - I guess. I don't hold with swearing loyalty oaths to anyone or anything, except my spouse. So, y'know.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
BlueNC loyalty oath
I promise on a stack of Mad Magazines that I was always and faithfully question authority and challange everyone.
Any body want to add to this?
"jump in where you can and hang on"
Briscoe Darling to Sheriff Andy
I can't add to that.
Seems perfect to me.
Mad Magazine?
Alfred E Newman looks too much like George W. Bush to me. Sorry. Make it National Lampoon, and you've got a deal. :)
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
How about....
A CD of Arlo Guthrie Songs?
"jump in where you can and hang on"
Briscoe Darling to Sheriff Andy
Deal.
We'll just have to wait for it to come around again ... on the guitar...:)
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Here it comes ...
I think an lcloud and an Anglico or two or three is exactly what these committees need. Every commission that expects to fashion truly new, meaningful, lasting, great ideas needs real world wisdom and idealistic vision at the table. They need people who won't just think outside the proverbial box, but aren't afraid to throw the dang box away. I'm voting for both of y'all.
"They took all the trees and put them in a tree museum Then they charged the people a dollar 'n a half just to see 'em. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone? They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."
Alfred E Neocon
egg-zackedly.
that must have been the cover I was thinking of. We've got it stuck up on a wall in our house somewhere, I think.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
As God is my witness, I swayuh
I will never be hongry agayan...
Sorry. Scarlett sneaks in there sometimes...
Take two: "...I will never intentionally make any misleading statements here at BlueNC"...like that one. :/
Okay, okay: "...only on the rarest of occasions..." ;(
"...whenever possible, I will engage in truthiness..." :o
*sigh* I am totally lost.
I've been considering taking the Republican chastity oath.
Oops, too late.
Oh well, maybe next time.
North Carolina. Turning the South Blue!
North Carolina. Turning the South Blue!
It's not just Republicans...
Democrats in Roanoke must do it, too. Of course, that doesn't get as widely reported. Must have been an oversight; because reporters NEVER have a bias.
Cabarruscheapseats.com: Reasoned Discussion of Cabarrus County, NC News & Politics
quite a difference...
between one city and the whole freakin' state.
Left on 49