On “Oaths” and “Intent”
The last couple of days have seen people getting quite upset over a decision by the State Board Of Elections to allow the Republican Party of Virginia to require a signed statement of intent from those who vote in next year’s Republican primary.
Not an “oath”, no, just a statement that at the time of your signing that you intend to support whoever the Republican nominee may be by the end of the day.
Who’s upset with this? It mainly seems to be Democrats and people who don’t typically vote in Republican primaries. But the question is, what’s wrong with having such a statement?
While it is unenforceable, it really is not too much to ask. For starters, if you are voting for a candidate you probably think they have a pretty good chance of winning that nomination, so stating that you intend to vote for your horse shouldn’t be too big a request. And even if your guy doesn’t win, the mantra is always that at the end of the day we’re all Republicans (or Democrats or whatever your affiliation is). There is absolutely nothing locking you to this statement. If you find out a week later that the nominee did something you just simply can not stomach, you have every right to change your mind and your eventual vote.
To say this harms the “big tent” is contrary to the truth as well. This statement also applies across the board, whether a moderate now says they intend to support a far-right candidate, or a far-right voters now says they intend to support the moderate that wins out.
Political parties have a constitutional right of free association. Short of Virginia changing its election laws to create party affiliation on voter registration and closed primaries, it is not so much to ask that someone voting in a primary simply be asked to express their true intention come tomorrow. This is not the first time Virginians have done this, nor will it be the last.
November 28th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
If you find out a week later that the nominee did something you just simply can not stomach, you have every right to change your mind and your eventual vote.
But, what about the situation where, going in, not a week later, a voter knows that there is a particular candidate that they absolutely cannot support? For example, I can imagine that there are probably a good number of Republican voters who are so opposed to abortion that they absolutely will not Rudy Giuliani. There’s no changing of minds.
What ought those Republican voters do? Skip the primary? Sign the statement knowing that they’re doing so under false pretenses?
November 28th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Ideally you’re walking into that day thinking your guy can win, so of course you intend to support the eventual nominee because that’s gonna be your guy. If you walk in already expecting defeat, what’s the point?
Ultimately it comes back to the big tent applying to the full spectrum. As a party we have to be willing to embrace our nominees because at the end of the day they are our nominee and we are all Republicans. Whether you’re a staunch conservative having to hold your nose for the moderate (or even RINO) or a moderate (or even RINO) being asked to do the same for the other end, saying that at the end of the day you’re a Republican and share enough ideals with those within your party to rally behind whoever the nominee may be shouldn’t be too much to ask.