Posted on 02/04/2004 9:32:07 PM PST by Timesink
Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004 Humiliated Democrats Dump Loyalty Oath
Democrats have caved to widespread outrage and dumped what South Carolina's largest newspaper calls a "loyalty oath."
The party had planned to force voters in today's primary to swear, "I consider myself a Democrat." Voters in South Carolina do not register by party, but those who refused to sign would have been ejected.
Then the uproar started. The media tattled, and hundreds of voters jammed the state party’s phone lines Sunday and Monday to complain.
"Some callers were confused, some were concerned, and some, said S.C. Democratic Party chairman Joe Erwin, were furious," the Columbia State reported today.
'Dumb'
"They said, 'This is dumb. It’s an outrage.' Some people used stronger language much more colorful than that," Erwin said.
Orangeburg resident Kenneth Mosely, an independent who once ran for Congress, fumed: "I just saw that as an affront, that you would have to take a loyalty oath when the Democratic Party is trying to encourage individuals to participate. Independent-thinking individuals are not going to stand for that."
Virginia Stack of West Columbia told the State: "Voting’s important to me, but God’s more important. I’m not going to lie."
Rice University political scientist Earl Black, formerly of the University of South Carolina, said the damage might have been already done.
"The net result will probably be to confuse some potential voters, since not everyone will probably get the news of the change here on the eve of a vote," he said. "It is a self-inflicted wound that now has been healed, but it is going to leave a fair
It sounds like the Democrats don't want independent thinkers. Loyal adherence to the party is foremost. hmmmm...Where have we seen that before?
Aside from being incredibly hypocritical--four years ago the national Democratic party was openly encouraging Democrats to vote for John McCain in the Republican primary--it's insanely bad public relations. The State story notes that the directive came from the national party, that is, Terry McAuliffe. Another bonehead move from the dumbest man in politics.
I distinctly remember the person who gave the closing at the 2000 democrat convention close with the words "God bless the democrat(ic) party". Not even a "God bless America".
Party uber alles. Didn't we hear that a couple of other times in the last century?
The story has gotten no national publicity at all, which is not surprising. It's the kind of thing that, had Republicans done it four years ago when the national Democratic Party was openly encouraging Democrats to vote for John McCain in the Republican primaries, would have led the evening news for days. (Peter Jennings, a troubled mien visible in his rakishly handsome features, furrows his brow and intones the lead: "In what critics have called an echo of the dread McCarthy era...")
South Carolina has true "open primaries". Anyone registered to vote is allowed to vote in the primary of their choice, regardless of party affiliation. There is a reason for this.
Back in the 50s the Democrat Party (yes it was the Democrat Party back then and not the Democratic Party) in SC required a loyalty oath to register as a Democrat. This oath was not to the party but to the white segregationist cause. They also required a loyalty oath to vote in the primary that stated that you would vote for the Democrat candidate in the general election. These two loyalty oaths insured that blacks or black sympathizers could not vote.
These loyalty oaths were not popular with the national party nor were they popular with many SC Democrats because of the widespread opposition to Unionist loyalty oaths during and after the reconstruction. Loyalty oaths have always rubbed South Carolinians the wrong way.
The SC legislation set about to rectify this problem. Their first solution was to outlaw all political parties. That did not hold up to judicial review and was struck down. Their second solution was to remove all requirements for eligible voters to vote in any election. This they did and it did stood up to judicial review and is the law we live by today.
So you see, we have open primaries for a reason. To ensure that every voter has the freedom to vote anyway he chooses. And what we do not need is for outsiders to stick their noses in our business every four years just so they can feel good about themselves and go home and forget about everything to do with South Carolina.
It is their primary and we should keep our noses out of it.
You are damn straight. It is the people of South Carolinas primary for the Democratic party and you should keep your nose out of our business and quit telling us how to vote.
I did not think you did either, nor did I imply such.
In reality people crossover in primaries..... And my overall point was that is wrong in every context and should never be done.
And my overall point had nothing to do with loyalty oaths. My point was that my state decided long ago that this was what was best for us. We have a right to vote as we please for whoever we please. And no political lackey from out of state can tell us what to do. We like it this way and we want it this way. Political parties do not dictate how the people of South Carolina can vote. Political parties (both Republican and Democratic) have caused great damage to South Carolina in the past. Open primaries and open elections are our way of keeping these corrupt organizations in check.
The primaries are the chance for the Democratic and Republican parties to make their decisions about who they would like to send to this main contest. It is an internal affair to each party.
It is just this type of exclusivity and elitism that led SC to pass our election laws. Let the SC rain pour all over these two parties private parades!
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