How the heck is it Romney's fault that Newt effed up in Virginia?

[JoeB131]

I've never heard of BOY being used as a racial slur. I know people around here use it all the time as a put down, but not for racial reasons.

Um, wow, thanks...

What do you want Boy....

Nuthin', BOY!

(It's extra racist if it's in capitals.)

I'm going to pos rep you because I like this post...

 

[oreo]

What the heck? Are people really trying to lay this one on Mitt???

It's not Romney's fault--It's just the perception that the primary in Virginia has been RIGGED--and the blow-back goes to Mitt Romney.

6 out of 8 GOP candidates fail to meet the requirements of the State GOP--& mainly over irrational regulations coming out of the State GOP.

The most obvious point here is that Romney, Gingrich, Perry, and Paul would seem to have better campaign organizations than the other candidates. Even Gingrich, whose ability to get on the ballot in several states had been in question, managed to pull this off.

The more interesting and important point, though, is the absurdity of the process.

It’s a core teaching of American Politics 101 classes that there are no national elections in the United States. President of the United States and Vice President of the United States are national offices but we elect our presidents and vice presidents via 51 state elections (counting DC, per the 23rd Amendment), each of which (as we learned quite painfully following the 2000 election) have their own rules.

The primaries are even more bizarre. Despite the fact that we’re choosing candidates for a national office, we have an arcane process wherein the two major parties set rules and then try to enforce them on 50-plus states, districts, and territories–often without much success. The various states and other delegate-awarding entities are in competition with each other for influence on the process. Those entities must contend with the traditions that put Iowa and New Hampshire in an absurdly favorable position and where South Carolina thinks it’s next in line. And, inexplicably, each of the entities sets conditions for ballot access that seem quite whimsical and have little relation to the national race and on timetables that have no real relation to the increasingly fluid primary calendar.

That the two major political parties don’t control the primary calendar for nominating their candidates is beyond silly. Worse, however, is the fact that they don’t even control who’s on the ballot for their highest office. In a rational system, candidates would simply have to qualify one time to get on the Republican presidential ballot. Instead, candidates have to spend an absurd amount of time and money getting petitions signed and jumping through other hoops set by states and other delegate-awarding entities.

The Virginia Primary Ballot and the Absurdity of the System

In Virginia--all candidates needed to have 10K signatures--which Perry and Gingrich submitted. But NOT ONLY THAT--they had to have 400 signatures coming out of the 11 districts within that state. Now while that may seem easy to a lot of people--imagine trying to collect 400 registered republicans signatures in one district where it is predominately registered democrats living there? You'll have registered democrats stating they're registered republicans signing petitions--knowing full well the candidate will get kicked off the primary ballot when the state GOP finds out--LOL

 

[WorldWatcher]

In Virginia--all candidates needed to have 10K signatures--which Perry and Gingrich submitted.

Incorrect, the requirement is not 10,000 signatures, the requirement under Virginia Statute § 24.2-545 is for 10,000 signatures of qualified voters who are (a) residents of Virginia and (b) residents of the congressional district in which they will vote.

Gingrich and Perry submitted more than 10,000 signatures, they failed however to submit 10,000 of qualified voters (those that whose residency could be confirmed to comply with the law).


>>>>

 

[JoeB131]

In Virginia--all candidates needed to have 10K signatures--which Perry and Gingrich submitted.

Incorrect, the requirement is not 10,000 signatures, the requirement under Virginia Statute § 24.2-545 is for 10,000 signatures of qualified voters who are (a) residents of Virginia and (b) residents of the congressional district in which they will vote.

Gingrich and Perry submitted more than 10,000 signatures, they failed however to submit 10,000 of qualified voters (those that whose residency could be confirmed to comply with the law).


>>>>

All well and good, if the people who were verifying "qualified" were honest brokers.

YOu know, like not officials in the Romney Campaign like VA Lt. Gov.

 

[oreo]

In Virginia--all candidates needed to have 10K signatures--which Perry and Gingrich submitted.

Incorrect, the requirement is not 10,000 signatures, the requirement under Virginia Statute § 24.2-545 is for 10,000 signatures of qualified voters who are (a) residents of Virginia and (b) residents of the congressional district in which they will vote.

Gingrich and Perry submitted more than 10,000 signatures, they failed however to submit 10,000 of qualified voters (those that whose residency could be confirmed to comply with the law).


>>>>

They also failed to meet Virginia's requirement of 400 signatures for registered republicans in the 11 districts.

So maybe this is why Bachmann--Huntsman and Santorim completely avoided this state. To them it was a waste of time and money.

Really the GOP in the State of Virginia--deserves to win the Boward County, Florida butterfly ballot award over this one.---

Through their insane primary election regulations--3 GOP candidates didn't even bother with them--and two of them had enough signatures but still got booted off of the primary ballot.

And I imagine--GOP voters in the state of Virginia are having a coniption fit over this one. A 2 candidate ballot--disenfranchises a lot of voters who would have preferred another candidate.

 

[Maple]

What the heck? Are people really trying to lay this one on Mitt???

It's not, Perry and Newt had no ground game going on in Virginia, they are paying for it. Newt replied that it was his Pearl Harbor, but he brought it on himself, when Mitt Romney was asked about the comparison Newt made about Pearl Harbor, Mitt replied, that the mess up was more like Lucy in the Chocolate factory: Enjoy, Mitt's right, this is hilarious.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NPzLBSBzPI&feature=related]Lucy's Famous Chocolate Scene - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Amelia]

In Virginia--all candidates needed to have 10K signatures--which Perry and Gingrich submitted.

Incorrect, the requirement is not 10,000 signatures, the requirement under Virginia Statute § 24.2-545 is for 10,000 signatures of qualified voters who are (a) residents of Virginia and (b) residents of the congressional district in which they will vote.

Gingrich and Perry submitted more than 10,000 signatures, they failed however to submit 10,000 of qualified voters (those that whose residency could be confirmed to comply with the law).


>>>>

They also failed to meet Virginia's requirement of 400 signatures for registered republicans in the 11 districts.

So maybe this is why Bachmann--Huntsman and Santorim completely avoided this state. To them it was a waste of time and money.

Really the GOP in the State of Virginia--deserves to win the Boward County, Florida butterfly ballot award over this one.---

Through their insane primary election regulations--3 GOP candidates didn't even bother with them--and two of them had enough signatures but still got booted off of the primary ballot.

And I imagine--GOP voters in the state of Virginia are having a coniption fit over this one. A 2 candidate ballot--disenfranchises a lot of voters who would have preferred another candidate.

Not even Newt claims anymore that he had enough valid signatures.

11050 on the petition - 1500 fraudulent signatures = 9550.

That's all Newt is claiming he had last I heard.




Still haven't heard the details on why Perry got booted. Have you?

 

[Maple]

What the heck? Are people really trying to lay this one on Mitt???

It's not, Perry and Newt had no ground game going on in Virginia, they are paying for it. Newt replied that it was his Pearl Harbor, but he brought it on himself, when Mitt Romney was asked about the comparison Newt made about Pearl Harbor, Mitt replied, that the mess up was more like Lucy in the Chocolate factory: Enjoy, Mitt's right, this is hilarious.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NPzLBSBzPI&feature=related]Lucy's Famous Chocolate Scene - YouTube[/ame]

You need to be prepared to get on the ballot in every state as you need those delegates, it was very poor planning. Newt did not make the Missouri ballot either as he failed to file on time. The above video is representative of very disorganized campaigns and they can't and won't win if they don't get it together.

Don't blame the state for following their own election laws, blame the candidates who blew it.

 

[WorldWatcher]

In Virginia--all candidates needed to have 10K signatures--which Perry and Gingrich submitted.

Incorrect, the requirement is not 10,000 signatures, the requirement under Virginia Statute § 24.2-545 is for 10,000 signatures of qualified voters who are (a) residents of Virginia and (b) residents of the congressional district in which they will vote.

Gingrich and Perry submitted more than 10,000 signatures, they failed however to submit 10,000 of qualified voters (those that whose residency could be confirmed to comply with the law).


>>>>

They also failed to meet Virginia's requirement of 400 signatures for registered republicans in the 11 districts.

So maybe this is why Bachmann--Huntsman and Santorim completely avoided this state. To them it was a waste of time and money.

Really the GOP in the State of Virginia--deserves to win the Boward County, Florida butterfly ballot award over this one.---

Through their insane primary election regulations--3 GOP candidates didn't even bother with them--and two of them had enough signatures but still got booted off of the primary ballot.

And I imagine--GOP voters in the state of Virginia are having a coniption fit over this one. A 2 candidate ballot--disenfranchises a lot of voters who would have preferred another candidate.

As a Virginia resident and registered Republican, I can say for myself and for some local friends I've been talking with, what we are upset about (I wouldn't say a "coniption") over is that 3 GOP candidates decided to ignore the state and that a resident of Virginia (Gingrich) couldn't figure out how to follow the rules, given almost 6 months, on how to get on the ballot. As for Perry? I don't like the man and I'm not surprised he couldn't figure out the rules for getting on the ballot.


>>>>

 

[Maple]

Incorrect, the requirement is not 10,000 signatures, the requirement under Virginia Statute § 24.2-545 is for 10,000 signatures of qualified voters who are (a) residents of Virginia and (b) residents of the congressional district in which they will vote.

Gingrich and Perry submitted more than 10,000 signatures, they failed however to submit 10,000 of qualified voters (those that whose residency could be confirmed to comply with the law).


>>>>

They also failed to meet Virginia's requirement of 400 signatures for registered republicans in the 11 districts.

So maybe this is why Bachmann--Huntsman and Santorim completely avoided this state. To them it was a waste of time and money.

Really the GOP in the State of Virginia--deserves to win the Boward County, Florida butterfly ballot award over this one.---

Through their insane primary election regulations--3 GOP candidates didn't even bother with them--and two of them had enough signatures but still got booted off of the primary ballot.

And I imagine--GOP voters in the state of Virginia are having a coniption fit over this one. A 2 candidate ballot--disenfranchises a lot of voters who would have preferred another candidate.

As a Virginia resident and registered Republican, I can say for myself and for some local friends I've been talking with, what we are upset about (I wouldn't say a "coniption") over is that 3 GOP candidates decided to ignore the state and that a resident of Virginia (Gingrich) couldn't figure out how to follow the rules, given almost 6 months, on how to get on the ballot. As for Perry? I don't like the man and I'm not surprised he couldn't figure out the rules for getting on the ballot.


>>>>

Thank you Virginia resident, they did ignore you, they focused too heavily on Iowa and completely forgot about the election laws of Virginia, you are mad at the right people, the candidates themselves. I read that your state GOP warned these candidates on the 15th of November over a month before the deadline and they still did not comply.

 

[JoeB131]

Don't blame the state for following their own election laws, blame the candidates who blew it.

I blame party hacks who don't trust their own voters.

Suicide Pacts. Got to love them.

 

[oreo]

Incorrect, the requirement is not 10,000 signatures, the requirement under Virginia Statute § 24.2-545 is for 10,000 signatures of qualified voters who are (a) residents of Virginia and (b) residents of the congressional district in which they will vote.

Gingrich and Perry submitted more than 10,000 signatures, they failed however to submit 10,000 of qualified voters (those that whose residency could be confirmed to comply with the law).


>>>>

They also failed to meet Virginia's requirement of 400 signatures for registered republicans in the 11 districts.

So maybe this is why Bachmann--Huntsman and Santorim completely avoided this state. To them it was a waste of time and money.

Really the GOP in the State of Virginia--deserves to win the Boward County, Florida butterfly ballot award over this one.---

Through their insane primary election regulations--3 GOP candidates didn't even bother with them--and two of them had enough signatures but still got booted off of the primary ballot.

And I imagine--GOP voters in the state of Virginia are having a coniption fit over this one. A 2 candidate ballot--disenfranchises a lot of voters who would have preferred another candidate.

Not even Newt claims anymore that he had enough valid signatures.

11050 on the petition - 1500 fraudulent signatures = 9550.

That's all Newt is claiming he had last I heard.




Still haven't heard the details on why Perry got booted. Have you?

True--but it's still the "perception"--that 6 out of 8 GOP candidates didn't meet the requirements of the primary--and that perception is because the primary in Virginia is fixed--and the blow-back of that feeling goes right back to Romney.

Again--in my opinion the GOP of the state of Virginia has hurt Mitt Romney--not helped him--and they should be wearing bags over their heads right now. 3 candidates didn't even bother trying to collect signatures and jumping through the irrational hoops--two others the State GOP says had enough signatures but were booted--so they're down to 2 candidates out of 8.

If the GOP election board is smart-they had better do something to include more candidates on their primary ballot. A judge may look at this and overturn it--just because it disenfranchises so many registered republicans that may have chosen another candidate. But I think it's a little too late to do anything now. It's written law in their state--so Romney will get the blame for it--even though he had nothing to do with it.

-I really feel that the state GOP in the state of Virginia--deserves the butterfly ballot award--LOL

 

[oreo]

What the heck? Are people really trying to lay this one on Mitt???

It's not, Perry and Newt had no ground game going on in Virginia, they are paying for it. Newt replied that it was his Pearl Harbor, but he brought it on himself, when Mitt Romney was asked about the comparison Newt made about Pearl Harbor, Mitt replied, that the mess up was more like Lucy in the Chocolate factory: Enjoy, Mitt's right, this is hilarious.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NPzLBSBzPI&feature=related]Lucy's Famous Chocolate Scene - YouTube[/ame]

You need to be prepared to get on the ballot in every state as you need those delegates, it was very poor planning. Newt did not make the Missouri ballot either as he failed to file on time. The above video is representative of very disorganized campaigns and they can't and won't win if they don't get it together.

Don't blame the state for following their own election laws, blame the candidates who blew it.

In reality--that's probably a pretty good description of what happens to candidates in Virginia who are trying to get on their primary ballots--and probably the reason why Bachmann--Huntsman--and Santorim--decided to avoid that Virginia chocolate line---

 

[Maple]

It's not, Perry and Newt had no ground game going on in Virginia, they are paying for it. Newt replied that it was his Pearl Harbor, but he brought it on himself, when Mitt Romney was asked about the comparison Newt made about Pearl Harbor, Mitt replied, that the mess up was more like Lucy in the Chocolate factory: Enjoy, Mitt's right, this is hilarious.

Lucy's Famous Chocolate Scene - YouTube

You need to be prepared to get on the ballot in every state as you need those delegates, it was very poor planning. Newt did not make the Missouri ballot either as he failed to file on time. The above video is representative of very disorganized campaigns and they can't and won't win if they don't get it together.

Don't blame the state for following their own election laws, blame the candidates who blew it.

In reality--that's probably a pretty good description of what happens to candidates in Virginia who are trying to get on their primary ballots--and probably the reason why Bachmann--Huntsman--and Santorim--decided to avoid that Virginia chocolate line---

I don't know how any of these candidates think that they can ignore any state or state election laws and expect to win the nomination, you got to have those delegates, it takes 1,500 delegates to win the nomination, I think Virginia had 140 or something like that. From the polls Newt was a heavy favorite in that state as he lives there, yet did not invest the time and money in there to get those volunteers out there to make sure it happened for him. He has no excuse.

Newt did not make it on the Missouri primary ballot, he just forgot about it and did not file in time. He is Lucy in the video and Perry is Ethel. LOL Perry has no excuse either he has a ton of money, he could have hired people to get those signatures.

 

[rdean]

My eyes played a trick.

I thought it said, "That Newt ended up on Viagra".

 

[oreo]

Incorrect, the requirement is not 10,000 signatures, the requirement under Virginia Statute § 24.2-545 is for 10,000 signatures of qualified voters who are (a) residents of Virginia and (b) residents of the congressional district in which they will vote.

Gingrich and Perry submitted more than 10,000 signatures, they failed however to submit 10,000 of qualified voters (those that whose residency could be confirmed to comply with the law).


>>>>

They also failed to meet Virginia's requirement of 400 signatures for registered republicans in the 11 districts.

So maybe this is why Bachmann--Huntsman and Santorim completely avoided this state. To them it was a waste of time and money.

Really the GOP in the State of Virginia--deserves to win the Boward County, Florida butterfly ballot award over this one.---

Through their insane primary election regulations--3 GOP candidates didn't even bother with them--and two of them had enough signatures but still got booted off of the primary ballot.

And I imagine--GOP voters in the state of Virginia are having a coniption fit over this one. A 2 candidate ballot--disenfranchises a lot of voters who would have preferred another candidate.

As a Virginia resident and registered Republican, I can say for myself and for some local friends I've been talking with, what we are upset about (I wouldn't say a "coniption") over is that 3 GOP candidates decided to ignore the state and that a resident of Virginia (Gingrich) couldn't figure out how to follow the rules, given almost 6 months, on how to get on the ballot. As for Perry? I don't like the man and I'm not surprised he couldn't figure out the rules for getting on the ballot.


>>>>

Judging from some of your local newspapers that I have been reading--there are many that are very upset.

CONGRATS--Ron Paul may walk away with your 11 delegates---

RICHMOND, Va. --
The state Republican Party will require voters to sign a loyalty oath in order to participate in the March 6 presidential primary.

Anyone who wants to vote must sign a form at the polling place pledging to support the eventual Republican nominee for president. Anyone who refuses to sign the pledge will be barred from voting.

During a brief meeting Wednesday at the state Capitol, the State Board of Elections voted 3-0 to approve three forms developed by the election board’s staff to implement the loyalty pledge requested by the state GOP.

The board also held a drawing that determined Texas Rep. Ron Paul will appear first on the primary ballot, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the only other candidate who qualified for the ballot. The state GOP previously announced that Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich did not amass enough valid signatures to qualify.

Also Wednesday, Paul Goldman, a former chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia, and Patrick McSweeney, a former chairman of the state Republican Party, held a news conference at the state Capitol. They urged legislators to pass emergency legislation establishing a standard -- through criteria such as polling data -- that would get additional Republican candidates on the ballot March 6.

Legislators say changes to Virginia’s election laws are virtually impossible in time for the primary. State law requires that absentee ballots be mailed by Jan. 21 – 45 days ahead of the election. The legislature does not convene until Jan. 11.

As for the loyalty oath, the elections board approved a notice to inform absentee voters of the pledge, a sign to hang at polling places and the pledge form itself.

You may be one happy camper--but it looks like some of these party chairman are getting some major heat over this.

 

[oreo]

UPPS--now we have this NEWS coming out!

There are currently many news stories and blog discussions about the Virginia presidential primary ballot access law. Some large blogs, such as Red State, have over 300 comments about the story. Some defend the current Virginia ballot access laws on the grounds that in past presidential elections, a fairly large number of Republican presidential primary candidates managed to qualify.

But what has not been reported is that in the only other presidential primaries in which Virginia required 10,000 signatures (2000, 2004, and 2008) the signatures were not checked. Any candidate who submitted at least 10,000 raw signatures was put on the ballot.

In 2000, five Republicans qualified: George Bush, John McCain, Alan Keyes, Gary Bauer, and Steve Forbes. In 2004 there was no Republican primary in Virginia. In 2008, seven Republicans qualified: John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, and Alan Keyes.

The only reason the Virginia Republican Party checked the signatures for validity for the current primary is that in October 2011, an independent candidate for the legislature, Michael Osborne, sued the Virginia Republican Party because it did not check petitions for its own members, when they submitted primary petitions. Osborne had no trouble getting the needed 125 valid signatures for his own independent candidacy, but he charged that his Republican opponent’s primary petition had never been checked, and that if it had been, that opponent would not have qualified. The lawsuit, Osborne v Boyles, cl 11-520-00, was filed in Bristol County Circuit Court. It was filed too late to be heard before the election, but is still pending. The effect of the lawsuit was to persuade the Republican Party to start checking petitions. If the Republican Party had not changed that policy, Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry would be on the 2012 ballot.

» VA GOP Changed Ballot Access Rules Last Month - Big Government

 

[oreo]

You need to be prepared to get on the ballot in every state as you need those delegates, it was very poor planning. Newt did not make the Missouri ballot either as he failed to file on time. The above video is representative of very disorganized campaigns and they can't and won't win if they don't get it together.

Don't blame the state for following their own election laws, blame the candidates who blew it.

In reality--that's probably a pretty good description of what happens to candidates in Virginia who are trying to get on their primary ballots--and probably the reason why Bachmann--Huntsman--and Santorim--decided to avoid that Virginia chocolate line---

I don't know how any of these candidates think that they can ignore any state or state election laws and expect to win the nomination, you got to have those delegates, it takes 1,500 delegates to win the nomination, I think Virginia had 140 or something like that. From the polls Newt was a heavy favorite in that state as he lives there, yet did not invest the time and money in there to get those volunteers out there to make sure it happened for him. He has no excuse.

Newt did not make it on the Missouri primary ballot, he just forgot about it and did not file in time. He is Lucy in the video and Perry is Ethel. LOL Perry has no excuse either he has a ton of money, he could have hired people to get those signatures.

The petitions were never scrutinized in the past--that's the reason why ALL past GOP Presidential candidates never had any problems with getting on Virginia's primary ballot. A law suit from an independent running for the state legislature in October 2011 changed that--and that is the reason why there will only be two GOP candidates on Virginia's primary ballot this year. They just changed their ballot access rules last month over this law suit.

» VA GOP Changed Ballot Access Rules Last Month - Big Government