COMMENTARY | “The Republican Party of Virginia said […] that neither Gingrich nor Texas Governor Rick Perry obtained signatures from 10,000 registered voters, including 400 from each of the state’s 11 congressional districts. Two other Republicans, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas, qualified for the primary scheduled for so-called Super Tuesday.” — Bloomberg
Four hundred signatures per district — really? Two names on the ballot — really? Ron Paul and Mitt Romney? The entire nation looks to March 6 with urgent, valid expectation and you, Virginia, are simply going to hand over 50 delegates to one of two candidates, really? Virginia, please — no write-ins — really?
Fifty delegates! Compare and contrast: on one hand conservatives have A) the most important (and winnable) election in three decades, B) a strong desire on the part of the public for something more than just an establishment politician and C) the very nature and the character of our nation at stake — in other words in the 2012 election we are deciding what kind of country we really want to be.
On the other hand we have D) one little deadline and a state law about not even being able to write in the name of any candidate not on Virginia’s ballot.
“Can’t” vs. “Won’t”
But we don’t really even have “D”, do we, Virginia? The state has every option to do right by its people. It’s a state’s job to ensure its boss, the citizenry, has the choices it deserves in the primary that they are paying for. There are seven candidates to go around, that means the citizens of every district no matter the size have to split their support between seven candidates. The very name of Justice demands that an arbitrary rule in the face of an unprecedented challenge be allotted some much deserved flexibility. In plain English:
There are seven candidates in the race; the ballot only has two names. Fix it.
Virginia GOP, there are for all intents and purposes two liberals on your own state’s primary ballot and the bosses of the party want to tell you simply, “this is how it is.” While everyone else in the nation is looking forward to voting for the next great president of the United States, your choices are? Say it with me: Ron Paul and Mitt Romney.
Or are they?