"I’m concerned about not building into the general election a whole block of voters, that by that rule, we’ve isolated," said Tim Morgan, National committeeman.
Currently our rules provide that only the votes of registered Republican will be used to determine the outcome of the Republican Presidential Primary in California. A change to this rule may be debated and voted on this September 9th at the CRP fall convention in Palm Desert. The Party may be asked to permit some 3,000,000 Decline-To-State [DTS] voters to be able to vote in the Republican primary to select the GOP nominee for President.
While its true we permit DTS to vote in our legislative primaries presently, changes our current rule would erode the very function of our national Republican identity. Essentially, we would be following Arnold’s mistaken and hilarious vision of "post partisan politics" with moving away from ideas and policies that help create political parties in the first place.
The California Republican Party was officially created in early 1856, with Cornelius Cole serving as the first chairman. Most voters were not then aligned to political parties, with the choices between the democrats, know-nothings and whigs. Cole and six associates planned the formation of the California Republican Party because they opposed the pro-slavery extension of the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska. Act. In fact, the Democrat Party had elected two pro-slavery Governors. Something had to be done.
The CRP’s formation key point was, "The principles we advocate are the complete withdrawal of all support to slavery…" That was a minority view and remarkable and controversial position at the time. Because the CRP was not trying attract just " a whole block of voters " our State Republican Party began with a fundamental no-compromise value toward human liberty.
Why 152 years later should our fundamental principles toward human liberty, free markets, value for life be compromised by allowing those who do not identify with our party? And if the DTS is interested, nothing prevents any from joining our Party… While we have kept our market share for the last 10 year rs, the Democrats have lost over 20% of their registrations.
National Committeewoman Barbara Alby is quite correct — there is no point in having a Republican Party if it does not stand for anything.
There are three compelling reasons to oppose changing our existing system…
Republicans will inevitably lose a controlling interest.
Adding 3,000,000 potential voters to the 5.500,000 registered Republicans will not just impact but could control the outcome of any Presidential contest. Our delegates are allotted by 53 Congressional Districts [CD]. Some 21 districts are poised for DTS interference. That is some 63 delegates, or 40% of California’s [not counting party and bonus delegates].
DTS votes out number GOP voters in 8 CD or 24 delegates. DTS registration is within 5% of GOP registration in 9 CD’s or 27 delegates. DTS reg is within 8% of GOP registration in 4 CD’s or 12 delegates.
A good example is radical Rep. Barbara Lee’s 9th CD, in Oakland. Fewer than 10% of voters are Republican. More than 21% are DTS. Non Republicans clearly would determine the outcome. Influence is one thing, a controlling interest is another.
The Presidential Primary election decides delegates, not the nominee.
Delegates also vote on the Party Platform. A delegate’s vote isn’t only for a candidate. Imagine if our party in 1856 was permitting non Republicans to help choose our platform. Before the CRP began, California (under the Democrats) was a pro-slavery state. The emergence of the CRP helped elect Lincoln and make California into a "free" state.
The CRP will become a Third Party
Parties don’t last forever in America. By permitting DTS voters to vote in our Presidential Primary it removes incentive to join. We’ve seen in the past major efforts to get DTS to join either party in the past. By removing the purpose of joining a political party, we remove the underlying reason for having them in the first place.
Our 200 year political history shows that our democracy works best with parties that have specific messages from which voters can choose. Democracy is not based on personalities but the ideas articulated by the personalities. Our republican form of government depends on healthy political competition from a two party system. Undermining the value of joining the CRP is destructive, and it devalues the ideas and principles which separate political parties.
Our republican form of government needs Republicans to decide who the republican nominee ought to be.