This is deeply troubling:
Voters in Virginia’s Feb. 12 Republican presidential primary will have to sign an oath swearing loyalty to the eventual GOP ticket. But there is no way to enforce it, because a voter’s actions in a booth are secret…The State Board of Elections has approved a state Republican Party request that all who apply for a GOP primary ballot vow in writing to vote for the Republican presidential nominee next fall.
I would feel differently if this were a private, party-funded event to pick the nominee — in that case, they can make you stand on your head for all I care. But Virginia has an open primary that is funded by the government. It is extremely strange that the state Board of Elections would allow this. I am informed that the oath reads as follows (CORRECTION: I have received new information and corrected the text, but I don’t think it changes anything):
“I [undersigned] pledge that I intend to support the nominee of the Republican Party for president.”
This affects you if you are one of those conservatives who will under no circumstances vote for Rudy Giuliani in a general election. Just think about it: If you write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper against Giuliani after he has the nomination, they will have your signature at the bottom of a page and call you a liar. And in fact, you will be a liar if you sign it and vote against him. (UPDATE: Well, maybe not — it may hinge on what it means to “intend” something.)
It could create a disincentive for some conservatives to vote in the presidential primary. It also just looks bad for the party, doesn’t it?
Update: Just to make things clear: Yes, I do understand that there is no party registration in Virginia (I used to live there) and that this is intended to keep Democrats from voting in the open primary. That does not affect my opinion that this is totally absurd.