Virginia Legislators To Try And Change The Rules To Get Gingrich On Ballot!

[unknown]

Newt, Perry, Bachman, Sanctorum= fringe candidates that are unelectable. If you can't even get on one state's ballot (home state for Newt) then you have no shot at winning the primary, let alone beating Obama.

It's time these fringe candidates that are unelectable drop out. Also Wolf should ask them if they are gonna run 3rd party.

Ding ding ding ding, we have a winner.

Virginia is Newt's home state? Hahahahah.

 

[virginiakid]

Maybe, but for me it's about principle. Why give a bunch of candidates that couldn't make the ballot, be on the ballot? If I were to run for governor and had to get the 10,000 signature and didn't make it, they wouldn't change the rules for me. Well, you know , I might just run for the heck of it, not get the 10,000 signatures (even though I would certainly try), and then sue the state for unfairness, after all, they let others who didn't have the amount on the ballot in other elections.

 

[milo10]

For voting day advantage, more contender could work in our favor given the complex delegate rules in Viginia (winner take all only for 51% majority; otherwise proportionate distribution of delagates).

I didn't know that. Even more reason to have Gingrich in Virgina, even if I think his campaign will have fizzled by then.

 

[John of Des Moines]

After reading the Virginia Constitution it seems they need a 4/5's vote to change it before July:

Article IV
Section 13. Effective date of laws.

All laws enacted at a regular session, including laws which are enacted by reason of actions taken during the reconvened session following a regular session, but excluding a general appropriation law, shall take effect on the first day of July following the adjournment of the session of the General Assembly at which it has been enacted; and all laws enacted at a special session, including laws which are enacted by reason of actions taken during the reconvened session following a special session but excluding a general appropriation law, shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month following the month of adjournment of the special session; unless in the case of an emergency (which emergency shall be expressed in the body of the bill) the General Assembly shall specify an earlier date by a vote of four-fifths of the members voting in each house, the name of each member voting and how he voted to be recorded in the journal, or unless a subsequent date is specified in the body of the bill or by general law.

 

[dvalukis]

This works to our advantage. RELAX!

Virginia is majority- winner take all. Plurality winner means delegate's are divided to each candidate. So if it's Romney and Paul it means that whoever gets over 51% gets all of Virginia's delegets sent to Tampa's RNC. If Newt hops in, it'll split the Romney vote and it looks like nobody would get 51%. So then the delegates would be broken up proportionally to each candidate which is better for us. Unless you think Ron Paul will get 51% in Virginia, then in that case, this is bad.

edit: sorry, didn't see this was already explained

 

[69360]

Virginia is majority- winner take all. Plurality winner means delegate's are divided to each candidate. So if it's Romney and Paul it means that whoever gets over 51% gets all of Virginia's delegets sent to Tampa's RNC. If Newt hops in, it'll split the Romney vote and it looks like nobody would get 51%. So then the delegates would be broken up proportionally to each candidate which is better for us. Unless you think Ron Paul will get 51% in Virginia, then in that case, this is bad.

edit: sorry, didn't see this was already explained

That's not correct. That only applies to the at large delegates. The CD delegates are awarded to the winner no matter the statewide total.

So either Ron or Mitt get all 13 at large. The rest are awarded to the winner of each district on a winner take all system. As in you get 3 for each district you win.

 

[parocks]

No worries. I would think that Gingrich splits a lot more votes from Romney than he does from Paul.

Someone mentioned that if the winner gets 51% or more, it's a winner take all scenario. If the winner gets less than 50%, it's a proportional scenario.

I'm not sure that's right, but if it is, it's something to think about.

 

[69360]

Someone mentioned that if the winner gets 51% or more, it's a winner take all scenario. If the winner gets less than 50%, it's a proportional scenario.

I'm not sure that's right, but if it is, it's something to think about.

Not right. I explained it in the post above.

 

[hueylong]

We WANT Newt on the ballot. Beating Romney head to head in Virginia will be tough and its a Winner Take All primary. One of the few. Having Newt on the ballot gives us a significantly better chance to win there. Just sayin'.

 

[Hook]

They will succeed. Just like they did last time in 2008 when one of the "mainstream" candidates didn't file in time.

Of course, Ron wouldn't have the same privilege.

 

[bbartlog]

The establishment (most of it) is actually behind Romney. I don't think they'll get 80% to vote to let Newt on. Especially after his tantrum.

 

[rockandrollsouls]

Double edged sword. At least the legislation should help more freedom candidates get on the ballot next time around. We have them running scared....so much that they are changing the rules they wrote to keep the little guy out of the race. It will come back to bite them. It always does.

 

[sailingaway]

On the one hand, I think ballot rules should be easy enough to just create annoyance for frivolous candidates, not to ban people who truly want to run. On the other hand, no way would they have changed their rules for Ron or the others, so this is pretty tacky.

 

[69360]

They would need 80% of the legislature to vote for it. The Romney campaign would push hard to not let that happen.

Also the way I read the statutes, they couldn't put new laws into effect until July.

 

[virginiakid]

True, it would be very difficult for them to do it. But I am willing to bet they could get the 80% across party lines.

 

[GunnyFreedom]

Does anybody know why the RNC ruling on proportional delegate allotment does not apply to Virginia? Aren't states supposed to lose something like 50% of their delegates if they ignore the RNC ruling?

 

[MrTudo]

How much sleazier can it get?

 

[pacu44]

Paul should have been the only candidate on Louisiana last time but then they just changed the rules to "fix" it.

Yeah, lots of 'interesting' things happen in Louisiana when it comes to politics... I know, lived here all my life...

 

[Feelgood]

Does anybody know why the RNC ruling on proportional delegate allotment does not apply to Virginia? Aren't states supposed to lose something like 50% of their delegates if they ignore the RNC ruling?

Like in Florida?

 

[GunnyFreedom]

Like in Florida?

Yes, exactly