Wednesday, November 28, 2007

For all good men to come to the aid of the party...


Via Balloon Juice comes this interesting development in democracy.
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.

John Cole was good enough to provide a possible Republican oath for the Virginia Republican primary:
Ich schwöre bei Gott diesen heiligen Eid, daß ich dem Führer des Deutschen Reiches und Volkes Adolf Hitler, dem Oberbefehlshaber der Wehrmacht, unbedingten Gehorsam leisten und als tapferer Soldat bereit sein will, jederzeit für diesen Eid mein Leben einzusetzen.
But I digress. Back to the original story.
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.
Because it's something the Republicans would do!

The Democrats have requested no such oath, and since their primary is on the same day, they'll be too busy to worry about what the Republicans are up to.

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