Speaking out about the Virginia GOP’s decision to move
forward with a closed convention to pick a gubernatorial candidate in 2013,
Democrat Chris Dumler commented that “I think that’s what he was hoping for,
that’s what he was planning for, and it seems that the state GOP kinda pulled
the rug out from under him [Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling].”[1]
Indeed, even some Republicans in Virginia are up in arms
over the Virginia Republican Party’s turnaround decision on Friday. Republican
Ken Boyd stated, “I think you get much broader participation if it’s a primary
instead of a convention…”.
But no one should really be surprised that the state GOP
pulled a quick one over the head of Lt. Gov. Bolling. It shouldn’t be a secret
by now that the Republican Party in general is willing to play by whichever set
of rules leads to a surer victory, even if that means few rules or no rules at
all.
Ken Cuccinelli is clearly the favorite among Virginia’s
Republican voters for the governorship and arguably a much greater political
“stud” than his Republican rival Bill Bolling.[2]
Add these two elements up, the GOP’s philosophy of ends
above means[3]
and Cuccinelli’s popularity, and you have the perfect recipe for a decision
reversal regarding a convention or a primary.
Unfortunately, the power politics behind the decision will
leave thousands of Republican voters in Virginia “disenfranchised”[4],
effectively chipping away at the democratic process that Gov. McDonnell has
turned into an art form during his tenure as governor of Virginia.[5]
Only this time around, the main group of disenfranchised voters will be
Republican voters themselves.
An ironic turn-around to be sure, but one that all
Virginians should be concerned with.
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