Talk about turning a big tent into a teepee!
Well, there they go again.
The Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) is once again concocting exclusionary pledge schemes to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
After losing seven consecutive statewide races in Virginia, you would think the brain trust at RPV would have figured out by now that they need to grow the Party, not dream up Neanderthal parliamentary stunts to further restrict grass roots participation.
The newest RPV scheme to limit participation in their nominating process is a ploy requiring signed pledges from unsuspecting voters at the voting table before they can vote in the GOP primary on Super Tuesday, March 1.
The State Board of Elections sanctioned it, at RPV’s request.
According to RPV, taking advantage of this arcane loophole in state election law somehow legitimizes their ruse.
We see right through it. It’s voter suppression, pure and simple.
If someone shows up to vote on Super Tuesday and asks for a Republican primary ballot, the State Board of Elections representative or poll worker is required by the SBE ruling to tell the voter they have to sign what the RPV calls a “Statement of Affiliation” prior to being issued a ballot.
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck: its a duck – or in this case, a pledge. Calling it a fancy name is intellectually disingenuous and insults the intelligence of Virginia voters.
The “Statement of Affiliation” requires any voter who requests a Republican ballot to sign their name to a document stating their allegiance to the Republican Party of Virginia. Prospective voters are also asked to provide intrusive personal information such as cell phone numbers and email addresses.
Many Independent voters are just that…independent. Forcing them to pledge party allegiances is counterproductive to the bigger mission, which is to inspire them to vote Republican in the general election.
What if the voter is new, an Independent, a conservative Democrat or just is not comfortable signing this invasive document at the voting table?
What if the voter is unaffiliated or has not voted in awhile because they are disgusted with the system?
If the person refuses to sign the pledge, what does the election official or poll worker do?
Do they refuse to give the GOP ballot to the voter and tell them to go home?
Do they tell them to just go pound sand?
Or maybe offer up the Democratic ballot as an alternative –that requires no pledge or signed affidavits?
This is a public relations nightmare at best, or blatant voter suppression at worst.
If the potential GOP primary voter is given the ballot anyway, after refusing to sign their manufactured pledge, then what is the point of the whole exercise?
So what do you think is going to happen if one precinct issues a ballot to someone refusing to sign the pledge and another doesn’t? This spectacle opens up a legal Pandora’s Box nightmare.
It’s a lose-lose.
Unless of course, it’s meant to discourage Independent, unaffiliated or new voters from showing up at the polls in the first place – and these just happen to represent a significant portion of the Trump for President voter base.
One RPV official told me the real objective is to “gather future voter mining data.”
Seriously?
The State Board of Elections is under no obligation to give the pledges back to the RPV.
So that’s just hogwash.
Other RPV party bosses claim it’s a substitute for Virginia’s open primary system where voters do not have to register by party affiliation.
But that is up to the General Assembly to change — not the Republican Party of Virginia’s ruling class.
The General Assembly can’t even get that one out of committee. So the RPV attempts to back door it, ignoring the will of our elected representatives in Richmond.
What a great way to encourage Independents to vote in the upcoming Republican Presidential primary, right?
Perhaps they would just rather lose statewide for the eighth straight time in a row.
Make no mistake: this pledge gimmick is designed to punish one candidate who is bringing in the very new voters the RPV desperately needs to win a statewide election: Donald J. Trump.
What is the RPV afraid of?
It’s outrageous and shameful.
Virginia Republicans have until January 15 to convince the state central RPV committee to abandon this absurd “Statement of Affiliation” and stop harassing unsuspecting voters who want to exercise their right to vote in the primary they choose.
Failure to do so sends a clear signal of intimidation…and exclusion.
John Fredericks is a Virginia based radio talk show host heard Monday-Friday 6-10 AM on WHKT AM 1650-Hampton Roads, WNTW AM 820-Richmond, WBRG Super Talk 1050, 106.7 FM and 104.5 FM – Lynchburg, Lexington, Danville and Farmville. Online:
http://tunein.com/radio/WHKT-1650-s29343/
53 comments
[…] of this move. Radio talk show host and frequent The Bull Elephant guest contributor John Fredericks has lambasted the new requirement, as have numerous respected and not-so-respected denizens of the Virginia online […]
As the VA law does not require this to be enforced it will be interesting to see what transpires.
This Virginia resident and VET plans on attending and finding out what happens when i apologize to the volunteer attendant for my frankness about where the RPV can put this document.
Glad you guys finally got caught up. Just one more example of the RPV not being a real party. The anti-trump side must be getting antsy.
the RPV “statement of affiliation” will probably turn off voters for candidates other than Trump
I predict Trump people are going to ‘EW Jackson’ through this primary and ‘Leroy Jenkins’ their way through the GOP. If you think we Republicans are ‘broken glass,’ these guys are Pittsburgh Steelers Fans on steroids!
“newest RPV scheme to limit participation in their nominating process”?
Funny, but that’s been part of the Party Plan since I moved to Virginia in 1989, and was part of it long before that.
Let’s eschew the contrived outrage. Republicans should be selecting Republican nominees. Until the General Assembly authorizes registration by party, this — oh, and it’s not a “pledge” — is our only method for limiting participation in our nomination contests to Republicans.
So we’re clearly an open primary rather than a conceal primary state. And the ‘Statement of Affiliation’ is our permit.
Jim, I agree that this requirement has been part of the Party Plan for years. However, anyone who has actually worked the polls during a Republican primary knows that the Democrats have no qualms about signing the form and voting in our primary anyway. We have personally seen a number of Democrats in our neighborhood sign the form and vote in our Republican primaries. Democrats are not constrained by any such requirement. The only solution to this problem is actual party registration as you noted above.
I am an Election Official who will be working the polls March 1st. I need to make up a button which says, “Don’t blame me; it’s the damn RPV’s fault!”
Shame on the RPV!
That would be electioneering, so no. But you should get free drinks at any victory celebration afterward, and it will be the conservatives that say ‘I’m sorry and Thank You.’
Connie, can I get a button, too? John
Trump for President is that button.
I already have that one!
The RPV has a coalition only in Nov. not in representation.
If that.
Man they have my social values , loyality to America and Virginia. Where we are different is I employ legally. I also have a personal belief that a business advances itself by the quality of thier work and in return that business has an
” unspoken obligation ” to employ from within the community from which it profits.
Other VA. Republicans do not have personal obligation to suscribe to this but they do have obligation { some sworn , irony there } to enforce the laws on the books not be activist for thier exploitative desires so that they may profit or advance a political agenda. It is just the truth.
Preach this to the party faithful, they will support your business as well.
They only tout Christianity not loyality to enforce Va. law.
They want me to sign ” allegiance to the party ” ? Under the previous Virginia Republican Administration they administratively allowed illegal aliens to circumnavigate The Virginia Employment Compensation Act and statutes 54.1-1100 allowing many counterproductive issues and cases like the attempted abduction at Va. tech in June of 2012. Didn’t AG Cuccinelli take a pledge to enforce Virginia Law when I helped elect him ?
Trump will be the only Republican { Virginia Republicans included } with credibility to call out VP wannabe Governor McAuliffe on the daily findings of these illegal alien unlicensed contractors that they are discovering in virginia’s Employee Misclassification Task Force.
Now this RPV wants small bussiness owners and employers who are Virginian’s like me to not cast a vote for Trump because we do not want any more unfaithful administrations like the McDonnell / Cuccinelli Administration.
” Stupid Politicians ” isn’t that what Trump said?
American Jobs
Defending the
American Dream
Trump in 2016
I’m inclined to agree with you, but repeating the comment spam will only hurt our candidate and issue. The fixation of the GOP brass on cheap labor is killing the states and the country and driving people away from the party and nominees — giving Joe Public yet another good reason to pick Trump. Please don’t look in great detail at the 1.1 triillion omnibus, it will kill you.
On second thought, we should all be reading that puppy cover to cover and asking our Virginia reps that voted for it why they voted for each and every dagger stroke into the heart of our country!
I am beating this issue and will continue because of how Virginia is detecting illegal aliens circumnavigating Va Laws with the aid of elected officals. We also have employee misclassification legislation to be written in VA. , our employee misclassification task force has the evidence.
Please let me know the names of VA.Republicans who want to eliminate the exploitative underground labor market where illegal aliens operate{ there are 21 Republican VA. Senators }
1
2
3
Heck just list three if possible.
They are quiet and will remain silent, softies .
Our next elect Governor will sign this legislation into law , bet it falls way short for many do not understand and VA. Republicans will exploit it.
Being silent on facts will make R’s complicit. That is poor leadership hence Trump is the man.
Well then I’m with you because I’m not the kind of person to be repetitive and argumentative! (Just waiting for the upvotes to roll in on that one)
Set up a meeting with your local unit party and Senator, they will listen and respond one way or another.
My local Republican Senator and Delagate are part of the problem.
They will and are remaining
” cohesevily silent “. Maybe one day we will meet and I will show a written response from a once high up elected R that said it is not his job . Check out arrest record #1487267 03/10/2011 Mecklenburg County NC.and all the cocaine charges.Now look at the VOSHA ? DOLI violation NR:315547703 04/14/2011 amazing that he was allowed to leave NC. on bond only to be written this violation in another state 1 month later.This OSHA violation was written to the arrested individual personally and he had no Va. contractors license or VEC account for deductions for his employees. The rain has stopped here I must head out , be glad to continue later. If you see construction workers without fall protection call your local OSHA office help document the ” undocumented “. They will be subject to investegation.Thanks
I’d like to chat further about this, and have some contacts in the legislature that might help to move something about this, probably in the next year as it’s too late to start new initiatives for this session. Email me at president@helpsavemanassas.org
This can be prevented and Virginia’s Employee Misclassification Legislation is the vehicle.
1 Audits performed under the VA. Employment Compensation Act must be extended to Building using the 1099 not just the W2/W4 wage system as it is now.
2 VEC audit officers must send the use of unlicensed contracting to DPOR for further more in depth investegation , not to classify as
” bona-fide ” by proxy deregulating Statutes 54.1-1100 as is being done now.
3 It should also be extended to the Companies purchasing the building permit.
4 All violations issued by DOLI / VOSHA
to unlicensed contractors MUST be sent to The Dept. of Professional and Occupational regulation { DPOR } for investegation { make this one law not descretion policy as it is now }.
When the VEC drops the ball and shuffles these cases under the rug { as in McDonnell / Cuccinelli administration } and the existance still exist in DOLI violations makes Virginia susceptible to a class action lawsuit.
This must be done ” properly ” as Trump would say.
Policy change should not be allowed to circumnavigate the law.
http://watchdog.org/202012/subcontractors-shadow-economy-
200 State issued violations under Cuccinelli and not one investegation or prosecution.
I think that the VA. AFLCIO appears to be more educated on this issue in paticular than any of the 21 unspoken Republican Senators of our GA.
This issue should have a effect on our governor election in 2017 for as the next governor will sign misclassification legislation.
National Republicans must craft a bill that withholds States unemployment funding untill employee misclassification is made illegal and enforced.
Sorry I will not e-mail you as to protect my anonymity but you may give me the name of any active Republican Senator or Delegate that is up for this battle.
54.1-1100 It is a Class 1 mis the first two contracting without a contractors license , the 3rd time is a class 6 felony.
It is prohibited for a licensec contractor to conspire with an unlicensed contractor in the deliverly of contracting services.
This illegal labor in VA. comes from these licensed building contractors and Regional and out of State Lumber Companies supplying it with package lumber deals { campaign contributions }.
And VA. Republicans want a pledge from me , sorry I don’t hand out my loyality to a entity that allows this.
Illegal aliens are Obama’s issue , illegal commerce , illegal employment and the shadows where thay hide are Virginia Republicans ” fault ” a derelection of duty if you will.
How can any candidate speek of job creation when they do not enforce the laws that keep { legal } jobs.
Republicans need to either lead ,follow , or get out of Trump and his supporters way.
Oh yea another is ; when we obtain our spec home construction loans we are subject to Patriot Act lending as to help protect America. How come builders are then allowed to out source { subcontract } to unlicensed contractors / MS-13
{ violating prohibited acts of 54.1-1100 }.
On the issue of National security and public safety ISIS , MS-13 what the hell is the difference ? How many American have been killed by ISIS on American soil , now how many by MS-13 ?
Its the globalist, bankster donor class cronies and their inexorable worldwide search for slave labor that is the single catalyst for these catastrophic trade deals that punish the American worker: less jobs, lower wages. John
The Dems. do the same thing. At a local “Party Canvass” or “caucus”, the pledge said that by voting in the Dem. caucus, one promised to support the eventual nominee.
We do the same thing at our party-nominating events. But apparently a majority (slim I hope, believe) at Republican meetings for the state and district think that having the taxpayer covering the costs, and any registered voter selecting our nominee “grows” the party. (something like free milk and a cow could be appropriate here — no, not going there, ignore that please.) is a swell idea.
Each Party has the right to set the rules for their caucuses, conventions or firehouse primaries caucus because they pay for it. Primaries are paid for by the Virginia taxpayer and the sanctity of ballot access should not be compromised for political purposes. That is the issue. John
Well, who’s paying for this debacle? If we Republicans are paying for the selection process of our nominees well then we can request that the voters do anything…. Er… What?
Well, who the heck voted to stick the taxpayers with the cost of a primary to choose our nominees???
Prediction: The RPV will gain the contact info for an incredible plethora of voters named ‘Go T. Hell’ who live on Maple Systems Terrace.
Just how much will this folly cost the state and what’s that in the RPV creed about fiscal responsibility?
Only thing stupider would be another separate later primary in the 10th that would cost the taxpayers $250,000…. Oh, nevermind.
Wait…did you and I find something that we agree on?
We agree on just about everything, but for several issues you have yet to realize ‘our’ correct position.
Great comment. Funny too.
Kooky thing is, the RPV is dead within rights to do so, and it makes sense to gather data from your supporters, and it actually IS a good idea to suppress non-Republicans from choosing our nominees — but doing it in a taxpayer-funded event, with the voters conditioned, expecting, and even looking forward to the voting ritual, is just going to piss everyone off.
We have Republicans on the electoral boards, we have Republicans working as official election workers (none of which do it for the paltry couple of bucks), we depend upon Independents, Reps, and Dems working together on the integrity of the ballot and here we’re turning their happy united party vote day into berate-the-messenger day. Who do we think is going to be taking the ire and hostility of a righteously uppity electorate?
Funny because it is True!!
John, you write, “The ‘Statement of Affiliation’ requires any voter who requests a Republican ballot to sign their name to a document stating their allegiance to the Republican Party of Virginia.” That’s just plain not true. It says ONLY, “By signing below I indicate that I am a Republican.” There is no pledge, and no statement of allegiance, nor any oath, promise…and no indication of loyalty. It only says that those signing identify themselves as members of the organization whose leader they wish to help choose. Why the mewling discontent about that? It’s every bit as justifiable–and is objectively less burdensome–than primaries held in the many, many states with party registration and closed primaries. BTW, this would have all been avoided had we held a convention instead.
I would have had no problem with your convention. But this is a manufactured rule. So Steve, what are you going to tell potential voters who refuse to sign your pledge (document)? Are you going to tell them to hit the road? Deny them a ballot? John
No, the poll worker will start by saying ‘oh no, we just have to ask’, and by the 10th voter it will be ‘oh, if you want to vote for Trump here’s your ballot and here’s this form you don’t have to sign’ (not really because our poll workers are totally awesome across the board — they will be professional and just take the abuse for the day)
Oh boy, looking forward to it. I work the polls, usually as the guy behind the desk taking the names and addresses, so maybe I’ll be spared all of this.
Thank you and I’m sorry.
Thanks.
Because it is a simultaneous dem primary day, will the voting record be separated as to which voter voted in which primary? Or are they aggregated and the notion is that the statement/form is the only way to differentiate?
Because if you get separate voter records, couldn’t you afterwards send them a postcard asking for email and phone number?
Or is it because the party would rather the taxpayer pay for the data-gathering for the GOP as well as paying for the nomination costs? I mean it is more cost-effective, making the poll workers your data grunts, on the same nickel.
Kind of wicked-smart, the taxpayer primary, it doesn’t cost the candidates anything, doesn’t cost the party anything, doesn’t use any candidate/party personnel or activists. Incumbents are protected, grassroots impact is watered down. Uppity non-traditional Republican voters are suppressed. The GOP benefits from free labor that is actually cheap labor to the state. Clearly this has got to be the perfect solution for RINO/Establishment/moderate/elite wing of the party — which Republicans proposed, promoted, and supported this fiendishly clever nominating approach?
As you state “There is no pledge, and no statement of allegiance, nor any oath, promise…and no indication of loyalty” so that would likely lead a reasonable or at least rational person to ask, WHY DO IT THEN? It will not override state law regarding who can and can not legally vote in a state presidential primary by party association so, WHY DO IT THEN? It places an additional small, but to some likely irritating burden, on the voting process that one would think we would want to encouraged to go to the poll and vote so, WHY DO IT THEN? It provides no guaranteed avenue for the gathering of new voter information by the party for future application, with the completed forms most likely ending up in a trash can so, WHY DO IT THEN? It clearly in no observable manner leverages the independent and libertarian voter to join the Republican voting base and thereby grow the party for a candidate they would like to support thereby alleviating the past issues found in the 2014 election, where Democrats and independents leaning toward the Democratic Party outnumbered Republicans and independents leaning toward the Republican Party by a margin of 48% to 39% so, WHY DO IT THEN? I believe I may have a multi-choice answer to allow you to pick your own personal favorite choice; arrogance, hubris, self-importance, venting, pomposity, egotism, conceit, control, micromanagement, bureaucratization or last but probably not least incompetence. Most viable organizations would sprint a mile out of their way to avoid bad PR rather then jump into the stupid pool headfirst and publicize far and wide how great the mud hole is! So maybe the process you are defending and the answer to my question WHY DO IT THEN? is nothing more then because we can. PS – If this was somehow an attempt to slow down the Trump juggernaut in Virginia (which I don’t buy into) then what you have is yet another monumental fail, as a piece of paper isn’t going to deflect “true believers” and this type of stupidity may very well have the opposite effect.
Testify!
To me it seems like a perfect compromise where conservatives get screwed yet again. “Pssst, vote with us on a primary and we’ll let you use it to pretend you have some kind of Party Registration.” Simple salt of the earth conservatives think ‘yes, this way they stop being mean to me’ and faction leaders can pretend they are serving their constituents. (there might be a game or Kegger that weekend so we can’t support conventions or canvasses)
One does not have to look any further than the Campbell County Republican Party who uses pledges and a difference of opinon between conservative , reverant CC residents and non CC resident R. Boyer.
In todays age of media it gives more citizens the desire to limit there viewpoint or votes to any party , I mean just what can a party do for the family when it looks for 1 reason to discard those for a differernce of opinion although they agree with many more issues. Control as you stated , control the outcome of elections rather than represent broadly when you are elected , a bit of statesmanship would be advantageous.
The I’m taking my ball and going home mantality displayed by political parties will continue to cost winnable elections.
Any time the Republican Party holds a Convention, a Mass Meeting, or a Party Canvass, we not only require voters to sign a pledge stating that they are a Republican, but also that they pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee. We do that because we want Republicans to select the Republican nominee, not Democrats.
If you are arguing against a watered down pledge for the 2016 Presidential Primary, then you are arguing against ever using a convention or other party run process to select our nominees now or in the future.
Upvote on the first half. Pretending to practice shunning at a primary with a pledge/statement/oath/promise/ is just as effective as making EBT cards look like credit/debit cards.
Open primaries are expensive and just plain stupid. The horse got out, don’t bother locking the barn door afterward.
‘But we have to do something’ is not the correct approach here.
Just because we were given a bag of lemons with the vote for an open primary doesn’t mean we can’t try to make lemonade with this pledge.
If someone doesn’t like calling themselves a Republican, they don’t have to vote for the Republican nominee in the Republican Primary. Personally, I support registration by party so we can close these primaries to only registered Republicans. Until then, this is the best we can do.
I get that, and I don’t think it’s going to suppress anyone that would have come to a convention or canvass, but it will be somewhat sandy in the gears of the Election Day machine. Logistically messy and doesn’t portray us in the best light or having our act together.
So now tell me why we can’t have our downticket primary contests at the same time? Have we learned nothing from last time we did this?
Mick, I support nominating conventions for the Republican Party of Virginia. If I was a central committee member, I would vote in favor of conventions for statewide nominations…but they voted for a primary. So leave the voters who choose to participate alone and drop the harassment with intrusive pledges and forms. John
So you support conventions with their mandatory loyalty oath, but you are offended at the idea that someone going to the polls to vote for the Republican nominee in a Republican primary will be asked to identify themselves as a Republican? That doesn’t compute.
Yes it does.if you want an RPV funded convention than get the votes to pass it. If it’s taxpayer funded primary than protect time integrity of the voter.
In Campbell County they are refered to as OTR { Other than Republican }. On the day after , when elections are lost don’t look for the small percentage race demographic votes shoulda , coulda , wouldas , look at who you willfully discarded prior to the election at hand. So what is the RPV prepared to do not to loose elections on small percentages as in the previous AG Governor. Only bona fide loyal leadership will bring in loyal members that remain.