Finally, inevitably, the Republican Party of Virginia are ditching the highly damaging so-called ‘loyalty oath’ that divided Republicans across the Commonwealth.
The oath, or pledge, was going to require voters in Virginia’s March Republican presidential primary to support the eventual GOP nominee, and is being removed from the GOP ballot by the state Party in an expedited, last minute request.
“I'm very pleased to let you know that the Republican Party of Virginia has informed the State Board of Elections that the "loyalty oath" will be rescinded,” Chairman Pat Mullins posted on the RPV Facebook page earlier this week.
“We informally polled the GOP State Central Committee over the past week and there was an overwhelming and near unanimous feeling that we should rescind the loyalty oath,” Mullins said
Mullins was forced to begin working on reversing the oath when it was widely condemned on both the political Left and Right.
Governor Bob McDonnell weighed in, perhaps with an eye on some higher office, calling the measure ‘unenforceable and unappealing’ at a crucial time when the RPV is get the support of voters in a state that went for Obama in 2008.
McDonnell argued in a Jan. 5 statement that "the effect of the oath could be one of diminishing participation in the primary, at a time when our party must be expanding its base and membership as we head into the pivotal 2012 general elections this fall."
The Democrats rightly ridiculed the pledge and said it defined the GOP as an ‘exclusionary party.’
The American Civil Liberties Union, always on the lookout for a cause against the Right, threatened to sue the Republican Party of Virginia unless the measure was rescinded. The ACLU of Virginia called the oath constitutionally flawed and indicated they were prepared to sue on behalf of affected voters.
The party's State Central Committee is scheduled to take up the issue Saturday in Richmond. The state party polled committee members sooner because the elections board faces a Friday deadline to mail out absentee ballots 45 days ahead of the primary, as state law requires.
Mullins said the executive committee's vote to rescind the oath was unanimous and that it will be formally approved Saturday.
It marks the second consecutive presidential election in which the state GOP's governing body has voted to require a loyalty pledge, then scrapped it before the primary.
Virginians do not register by party, which means any registered voter can vote in a state primary. In December, the party's governing body agreed to require anyone who votes in the March 6 primary to pledge to support the party's nominee in November.
On his Facebook page, Mullins said it is important for the party to be welcoming to potential newcomers, such as independents and tea party activists.
"This year is going to be one of the biggest recruitment years of new people into the Republican Party we've had since Ronald Reagan ran for president in 1976 and 1980 and 1984," Mullins said, adding that young people who voted for Obama in 2008 "will be flocking this year to our cause" because of high unemployment.
Virginia is considered a ‘must win’ battleground state in this year’s presidential election.
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