Posted by
David Smith on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 6:04:30 PM
Being from down here in Texas, I figured I'd add to all the analysis that is going around regarding the just concluded Texas Primaries. And for the first time ever, I participated in the local Precinct Convention and actually went 3-for-3 in getting my personal resolutions passed in consideration for the official Republican Party Platform--Yippee!!
As we all know, talk radio personality Rush Limbaugh suggested it wise for Republicans to vote in the Democratic Primaries in order to have Sen. Hillary Clinton chosen to represent the Democratic Party over upstart, and sometimes-favorite, Sen. Barack Obama. This strategy was deployed widely in Texas. The official position of the County Republican Party, as announced at its monthly Executive meeting last month, was to recommend that Republicans vote (get this, I know!) for Republicans!!
I know, weird, right? For the record, I agree totally and think that Limbaugh and others are outright wrong. However, that being said, those who 'switch' parties are acting completely legally and it looks like the practice will only continue since it worked so well.
And now that Sen. John McCain has secured enough delegates to win the Republican Party's nomination, expect the same to occur in every State that still has not voted. Have you ever seen your favorite sports team win a game or series in the playoffs and then start rooting for another team for favorable matchups in the next series or game? Imagine that the Lakers just wrapped up the Western Finals and all of Greater Los Angeles just started rooting for Boston over the Pistons! That is what just began in the Republican Party!
Expect Hillary Clinton to win out at this point. With every Republican hoping for a McCain-Clinton race this fall, they are now rooting against Sen. Obama. It worked in Texas and Ohio, look for it to work elsewhere. So now, in addition to fighting Hillary supporters and establish himself, Sen. Obama must now also overcome the influx of Republicans available to be a pain as well.
You heard it here first!
So we arrive at the problem--shouldn't Republicans be selecting Republicans as their nominees and Democrats be selecting Democrats as their nominees? We are literally looking at an election where Independents are selecting the Republican nominee and Republicans may select the Democratic nominee! Here's another consideration...don't you think that Democrats will respond in-kind and retaliate in future elections? This is not a fun prospect for the future.
Yet Democrats have promoted this strategy for years of voting in Republican Primaries in order to have a different Republican candidate who is perceived to be easier for the Democratic candidate to defeat in the general election.
Well, Texas has Precinct Conventions immediately after the polls close in each Party. Since I voted in my precinct's Republican Primary, I was eligible to be a delegate at the Precinct Convention last night, and I attended. I proposed three resolutions, all three of which passed, and volunteered as a delegate from our precinct at the State Senatorial Convention later in the month. Our County has three State Senate Districts, so we have three Senatorial Conventions later this month where we will select delegates for the State Republican Convention in Houston later in the year, where the State's delegates to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota will be selected.
So what did I present as resolutions? Transportation, primary nominating procedures, and depending on your political view, either abortion or the regulation of the Federal Judiciary. All three passed. The one on primary nominating procedures is now relevant.
I proposed that the National Republican Party should request (as opposed to force) the State Republican Parties to seek to alter their Primary elections procedures so that in order to vote in a Republican Primary a voter must be a registered Republican. Democrats are on their own, but after the 2008 election, I'll bet they will want this for their Primaries, too. This will ensure that this year's Primary results, where Sen. John McCain has largely won the Republican nomination based on Independent voters' (i.e. non-Republicans) desires. As a result of this nomination, many Republicans, and many conservatives (not always the same!) will be staying home this fall.
The second part of this resolution simply requests that if a State's laws must be altered to allow this change that States take up such measures and allow these changes to be made.
The other two resolutions called for the elimination of the Texas Department of Transportation as we know it, which I am seeking because it is incompatible with the future needs of our State's transportation systems, and for Congress to enact its Powers to regulate the Federal Judiciary and remove the matter of abortion and other non-Federal matters from the jurisdiction of the Federal Judiciary.
All in a day's work, right?
So there it is...the (stuff) is about to hit the fan, and Texas' fingerprints are all over it! Obaba is on the way out, McCain will defeat Hillary this fall, and (hopefully) we will get on down the road to convincing the Judiciary that it isn't as big and bad as it has told us for decades.
You heard it here first!