Monday, September 15, 2008
How to steal an election without really trying
Last year, Democratic State Senator Rosalind Kurita, demonstrating a lot of common sense and a whole pile of sound judgement, refused to vote for senile, half-silly John Wilder for Lieutenant Governor and thus cast the deciding vote for Republican Ron Ramsey. Democrats in Tennessee responded as they always do when one of their own shows the slightest hint of independence -- they collectively threw about 9,000 hissy fits.
Kurita didn't just encounter Democrat hissy fits, though. She was challenged in this year's Democratic primary by attorney Tim Barnes. Kurita won the hard-fought primary ... by 19 votes. Then she won a recount. Not satisfied with Kurita's win and re-win, state Democrats decided to let their Executive Committee decide whether or not the entire election should be voided.
On Saturday, the Democrats' Executive Committee voted 33-11 to void the election. Who becomes the next State Senator from District 22 will be decided by a handful of party bigwigs from the three counties in the district sometime this week (overseas absentee ballots, by law, must be sent out by September 20). Those bigwigs are sure to do the Executive Committee's bidding; so, Tim Barnes will almost certainly be the next Senator from District 22.
Two things:
First, remember the Democrats' "Let Every Vote Count" mantra from 2000? I guess such mantras go out the window when a Democrat fails to tow the party line 100 percent of the time, right? And why is it that Republicans who buck their party are "brave" and "thoughtful" and "free-thinking," but Democrats who buck the party receive none of the same accolades and get punished by their comrades? (Think Phil Gramm, Bob Casey, Sr., and Joe Lieberman, just to name a few.)
Second, Tim Barnes main complaint was that Republicans voted in the District 22 primary and unfairly influenced the results. Tennessee has an open primary, and citizens do not have to declare the primary in which they wish to vote until they walk into the polling place. Because there were no Republican candidates on the ballot for the District 22 seat, the Democratic primary was, in effect, the general election. It only makes sense that some individuals who had a history of voting Republican would participate in the Democratic primary. After all, it was the only chance voters in the district had to determine who would represent them for the next four years.
That said, how the hell does Tim Barnes - and his supporters on the Executive Committee - know that Republicans voted en masse for Rosalind Kurita? They don't, and that's the point. If Republicans pulled the same stunt - i.e., voiding an primary election claiming that too many Democrats crossed over to vote in said primary - the self-righteous sermonizing and cries of outrage from liberal bloggers and big-city editorial boards would be deafening.
The Democrats' chances of electing one of their own to be Senate Speaker and Lieutenant Governor are slim to none. Independent Senator - and first class ass - Mike Williams (who voted for Wilder for last year) will surely lose his East Tennessee seat to a Republican this fall, and Republicans stand a good chance of picking up Wilder's seat as well.
So, what does the Democratic Party gain by throwing Kurita, the most influential Democrat in the Senate, out in favor of an individual with no legislative experience? One thing and one thing only: Revenge. That's real democratic, ain't it?
Kurita didn't just encounter Democrat hissy fits, though. She was challenged in this year's Democratic primary by attorney Tim Barnes. Kurita won the hard-fought primary ... by 19 votes. Then she won a recount. Not satisfied with Kurita's win and re-win, state Democrats decided to let their Executive Committee decide whether or not the entire election should be voided.
On Saturday, the Democrats' Executive Committee voted 33-11 to void the election. Who becomes the next State Senator from District 22 will be decided by a handful of party bigwigs from the three counties in the district sometime this week (overseas absentee ballots, by law, must be sent out by September 20). Those bigwigs are sure to do the Executive Committee's bidding; so, Tim Barnes will almost certainly be the next Senator from District 22.
Two things:
First, remember the Democrats' "Let Every Vote Count" mantra from 2000? I guess such mantras go out the window when a Democrat fails to tow the party line 100 percent of the time, right? And why is it that Republicans who buck their party are "brave" and "thoughtful" and "free-thinking," but Democrats who buck the party receive none of the same accolades and get punished by their comrades? (Think Phil Gramm, Bob Casey, Sr., and Joe Lieberman, just to name a few.)
Second, Tim Barnes main complaint was that Republicans voted in the District 22 primary and unfairly influenced the results. Tennessee has an open primary, and citizens do not have to declare the primary in which they wish to vote until they walk into the polling place. Because there were no Republican candidates on the ballot for the District 22 seat, the Democratic primary was, in effect, the general election. It only makes sense that some individuals who had a history of voting Republican would participate in the Democratic primary. After all, it was the only chance voters in the district had to determine who would represent them for the next four years.
That said, how the hell does Tim Barnes - and his supporters on the Executive Committee - know that Republicans voted en masse for Rosalind Kurita? They don't, and that's the point. If Republicans pulled the same stunt - i.e., voiding an primary election claiming that too many Democrats crossed over to vote in said primary - the self-righteous sermonizing and cries of outrage from liberal bloggers and big-city editorial boards would be deafening.
The Democrats' chances of electing one of their own to be Senate Speaker and Lieutenant Governor are slim to none. Independent Senator - and first class ass - Mike Williams (who voted for Wilder for last year) will surely lose his East Tennessee seat to a Republican this fall, and Republicans stand a good chance of picking up Wilder's seat as well.
So, what does the Democratic Party gain by throwing Kurita, the most influential Democrat in the Senate, out in favor of an individual with no legislative experience? One thing and one thing only: Revenge. That's real democratic, ain't it?
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Monday, September 15, 2008 
