Veto-Proof Majority shoving open primary elections down our throats
While all the hubbub was going on about veto overrides and tomato sandwiches, a House committee on elections was quietly working this week on changes to election laws. Here’s an especially interesting section of the bill currently known as S747:
Get that? “Section 17” of this new bill “require[s]” — REQUIRES — unaffiliated voters be allowed to participate in party primaries of their choosing.
Opening or closing primaries has long been an issue of debate between conservatives and establishment types in the NCGOP. It came up in the recent controversially-concluded state chairman race between John Kane and Michael Whatley. In one of our posts on this issue, Dallas Woodhouse – Renfield for the NCGOPe – boasted that the General Assembly leadership would simply vote to require open primaries and end this discussion for all intents and purposes. It looks like they are in the midst of doing just that.
Open primaries work to the benefit of the non ideological political operatives. They water down debates and elections. And they usually open the floodgates to more leftist voters to outvote more conservative ones. California and Colorado did this kind of thing. In the late 80s and early 90s, when I worked in DC, California had many a great US House conservative and Colorado had a long-time Helms-like US senator named Bill Armstrong. Since codifying open primaries, there is nary a conservative outside of a GOP primary in either state.
Imagine the mischief that could be perpetrated in the 2024 governor’s race. Josh Stein pretty well has the Democrat nomination for governor wrapped up. The GOP, however, has a crowded field for governor AND lieutenant governor. Imagine the mischief a bunch of Dem voters could do if they reregistered as Unaffiliated and voted in the GOP primary.
Why allow a bunch of people with no vested interest in a party help pick the party’s nominees? It’s not far off from opening your front door and allowing all your neighbors in to have a “vote” on family decisions.
Why bother even registering in parties? Why bother with annoyances like platforms?
Democrats should decide who participates in their processes. As should Republicans or even Libertarians. Stuff like this “Section 17” is shenanigans by insiders who hate ideology and principles but LOOOOOOOOVE ‘pay to play’ opportunities. All organizations — whether companies, states, countries, or political parties — need a mission statement or some sort of guiding principles. Otherwise, they are easily co-opted or collapsed.
This is an outrage! Had we gotten to the plan of organization at this years convention we would have voted on an amendment that would have directed the executive committee to direct it’s Chairman to send word to the state Board of Elections informing them that only Republicans would be eligible to participate in Republican primaries. We had the votes. It would have passed and in all likelihood it would have passed at next years convention. In the run up to the convention we polled state convention delegates and 82% were in favor of closed primaries.
We were as close as we could get this year to closing primaries. Now I don’t know who drafted this or why but I would like to find out. Why now? Who wanted this done? To say this is a slap in the face is an understatement. I for one intend to find out why this happened.
I’m unaffiliated because I’m further right than the GOP and they’ve backstabbed me enough I don’t want to be a part of them. So because I won’t pay loyalty to the backstabbing I shouldn’t get to get a say in trying to find someone who won’t?
Of course you get to decide who you want, in the primary.
In the general
If you cannot attend a convention to choose leadership, why should you get to choose the champions for November?
No you should not get a say in the “Primary” cause it is the primaries for the party’s that you are no longer a member
When you run away like a scared little kid you do not get join in with the adult conversation
There are a number of considerations on allowing Unaffialteds to vote in our primaries.
Having used Lee Atwater’s methodology to analyze voting behavior in my county, it is clear that about two thirds of Unaffiliated voters here vote straight Republican in the general election. Anecdotally from those I know, there are at least two major groups of these voters, those who want to fly under the radar in any age of cancel culture, and those conservatives, such as one of our local former GOP county commissioners, who have gotten disgusted with one or more establishment Republicans and left the party. If there were a way to identify each of these people on the election roles, I would have little problem with them voting in our primary.
The other roughly one third is where the problem lies. Some of them are ticket splitters but some of them are straight ticket Democrat voters in the General election. The latter, in particular, would only make mischief in our primaries, and letting either vote in the primary is problematic. Most importantly, there is no way to tell which group a particular Unaffiliated voter falls in unless you know them personally.
I served on the NCGOP state ExCom when Jack Hawke proposed we open our primary to Unaffiliateds, which was intended to try to get them used to voting with us so that they would re-register Republican. Although focus groups and polling suggested that might happen, it has failed to materialize in any meaningful numbers.
Also, at that time it took a real majority to win a GOP primary. Letting them vote under those circumstances posed less danger than the current situation where 30% can win a GOP primary (thanks a whole hell of a lot for THAT, legislative leadership). A combination of a 30% threshold to win a primary and non-Republicans voting in the primary poses far too great a danger of our primaries being hijacked by those not interested in Republican principles.
It is appalling what the out of control special interest whores known as the NC legislative leadership have done to screw up our elections; 30% “majority” to “win” a primary, an election schedule so early it inherently favors incumbents by putting a significant part of primary season during the holidays, allowing the paralell “party” committees to get political mailing priveleges, etc.
If this travesty is not removed by an amendment, then the whole bill needs to go down to defeat. Special interest leadership whores have sabotaged GOP voters on a mulititude of poicy issues, not they continue to try to rig our elections for the stinking establishment. Before long, many conservative voters will start regarding an establishment Republican as just as evil as a Democrat.
Just Say NO to those who want to rig our primaries. Vote out any legislator who votes for this garbage. The entire “leadership teams” of both houses are rotten to the core and too often are Democrat enablers. They all need to be kicked to the curb. Let real Republicans take the leadership instead of these phonies.
We were told 50+ counties passed a Closed Primary Resolution last spring.
Had we held District Conventions, it is clear that 3 or more would have brought the same to State. What was the best way to avoid that????
Not hold District conventions…. and still waiting.
This is neat! Here the legislatures are dictating to the parties who may participate in selecting the champions for November. I thought the left were the fascists…
Conservatives UNAs need to get back in the party and dedicate yourself to 4 contentious days a year until we get the primaries closed.
The GA has decided the populist route is the best, but it is not conservative.
(See Burger pandering the VICE of Gambling)
Would you allow agnostics to help choose your minister?
The people at the bus stop to help select the tires for a NACAR team?
We will always produce an inferior product for November if we allow part timers to help.
Im surprised the GA did not demand we allow UNA to participate in our conventions… wait….
Maybe those counties need to censure Berger and Moore, and don’t forget their cronies like Jim Perry and John Bell, who are also capos of the legislative insider mafia. And we need to start giving our local parties the option of endorsing in primaries. That is the only way, it seems, to get their attention.
I see you point in this but, remember Rush’s brilliant “Operation Chaos” from a few years back? These tactics can be used by both sides. But my greater objection to limiting a primary only to those registered is many (perhaps a good majority) of unaffiliated voters like me became disillusioned with an NCGOP that ignores its platform, permits scandalous behavior among party leaders and staff to continue, and pushes the GOP establishments doctrine of crony big government mediocrity and compromise. After the stolen 2020 election and the NCGOP’s lackluster effort to oppose massive election fraud, I stopped voting anyway. I would be embarrassed to register as a stand-for-nothing Republican.
So then don’t register as a Republican then. Is your solution to remove the decision making process from the party and codify open primaries into law? That hardly seems like a remedy to your problem of a weak NCGOP, does it?
That’s exactly why I am unaffiliated., I will vote for Robinson and Marshburn in the Republican primary.. Can’t win the general.
This poison pill was added late into the bill and we can’t get anyone on Jones St to “take credit” for adding it. Why?? Who put this into the bill knowing full well it couldn’t be removed??
A few questions to ask yourself.
1. According to Transparency USA who are the top 3 donors to the NCGOP? Hint – looks a lot like current speaker and 2 vying for it.
2. Why is NCGOP Chair so against closing the primaries?
3. Why did NCGOP Chair tell the Resolutions Committee Chair to remove all submitted closed primary resolutions from the NCGOP convention package? They never even saw the light of day!
4. Why does the NCGA value UNA voters more than grassroots conservative Republicans?
5. Why did the NCGA believe they needed to legislate this? #overreach
They believe we will vote for whomever has an R next to their name come November, because we always do. The “they are better than a Democrat” argument continues to allow the old boys club to give the grassroots a big fat middle finger.
Final question – What are you willing to do about it?
List all on this committee and make a plan to vote them all out. Put them on blast and use this against them.
What has long been needed for transparency is to having recorded votes on legislation in committee to see who the good guys and bad guys were. Sometimes there is someone present who makes note of that but the committee never does. For transparency, those votes need to be recorded. We need that to take names and kick ass. We can start with the fact that all of the leadership teams in both chambers are crooked as a snake and all need to be replace. The chairman of this committee clearly is, as well. We need a way to get the goods on the others who sold us out on the committee, as they need to go as well.
Davy Crockett is still swinging his empty flintlock.
One has to want to be in this fight. Boils down to one is either a Patriot or they are not and right is Right and wrong is WRONG.
It’s time to muster.
Maybe it’s time to give Berger and Moore the Tillis treatment. They are the same breed of cat. Lets start having county organizations pass resolutions censuring Berger and Moore and demanding their resignation or removal. Both are as evil as any Democrat.
It is outrageous that Whatley has protected Berger from any consequences for Berger blatantly committing an act of party disloyalty by publicly endorsing a liberal Democrat judge against a Republican challenger in 2022.
We may need to start openly endorsing during primaries. That may be our only alternative.
NC GOP adopted a Platform that sets forth the North Carolina Republican Party’s fundamental principles, values, ideals, and goals.
Does the NC GOP have a code of conduct applicable to each member of the North Carolina Republican Party? To and through the code of conduct each member is held accountable to the NC GOP Platform?
Have there been instances in which North Carolina Republican Party officers, elected and appointed officials, employees, contractors, consultants, vendors, … engaged in conduct and activity that did not fully adhere in action, word, and policy to the NC GOP Platform, and were not held to account?
Accountability could (and should) include financial penalty, ineligibility for North Carolina Republican Party support, endorsement, funding, ….
One of the provisions in the NC Republican Party platform specifically opposes the use of last minute committee substitutes in the legislature to ram controversial substantive issues through. This is a dishonest practice that goes against legislative transparency and deprives constitutents of the opportunity to weigh in with their legislators on issues. This is something that one would expect of Democrats, but it is shameful to see Republicans doing it. This was done in this instance for the express purpose of blindsiding party activists, and we should keep that in mind when we vote again in legislative primaries. We can do better than this.