The Richmond Democrat has an account of last night’s RCDC meeting in which the behavior of Senator Benny Lambert was discussed. Lambert, if you recall, openly supported Republican George Allen, a direct violation of the Democratic Party Plan.
I just want to know what in the heck is wrong with Ds. Is there something in the water? Bryan J. Scrafford reported a few days ago on a similar happening in Roanoke. And Norfolk Democrats had the same issue in 2005.
Party loyalty. Is that becoming a thing of the past?
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
I have to admit, I don’t like that a Democrat can’t endorse a Republican. I think that whoever does such should definitely face a primary challenge, but I have to agree with Lambert that the inability to endorse the other Party sacrifices one’s First Amendment Rights.
That being said, go get ’em Don.
It is sort of like moving into a planned community, understanding that you have to have identical mailboxes, then complain that you can’t put up a purple mailbox (choose your example).
Every member of the Democratic Party understands that you cannot support a different candidate if one in the race is a Democrat. You know that going in.
I have no problem with the Senator doing what he did, that is his constitutional protection. Just be willing to accept the consequences of your actions and decisions.
I think Mr. Stanton gets the analogy right. But much as I do with homeowner’s association rules, I do understand why we might chafe at such rules.
On one hand, I’d quite like to see the two party system blown to smithereens. On the other hand, I know that if any party is going to blow itself into a million little pieces, it’ll be the Dems long before the Republicans (representing the interests of 95% of the population v. the interests of 5% of the population). And that would just lead to more Republican domination in elected office. Which, as one might guess, I think a very bad thing, indeed.
Given the here and now, though, I’m glad to see the Roanoke mayor and Sen. Lambert facing consequences. I just hope the party does a better job of holding the line with them than the Dems have done with Lieberman (who ought to have no seniority, and no support from any elected Dem).
I thought you Democrats were supposed to be the tolerant ones with the big tent. I guess Lieberman is too big for your tent.
It’s not an issue of big tent. Big tent means we don’t all have to agree. But to support another candidate when there is a D nominee is just out of bounds.
By the way – when it happened here in Norfolk, some of my R friends were quite surprised as such behavior is not tolerated in the Republican party.
Really? How many times did Lincoln Chafey support a Democrat? Bush supported Lieberment in the last election, too.
Anyway, did Lieberman support a Republican, or is it that Bush supported him?
Maybe the issue is local versus national. But, as I said before, Lieberman wouldn’t happen in VA – at least his running as an independent. In VA, once you lose in a primary, you’re out. You agree, as a participant in the primary, NOT to run if you lose.
Vivian – I think what the Democrats in Norfolk did to you was just horrible. Did they ever kick Sharon McDonald out of the party for supporting Tom Moss?
That complete disregard for the primary process is what makes me think that Lieberman should be stripped of all party privileges. Lamont beat him in the primary. That should have been the end. And only by breaking promises to the primary voters and gaming the state election process was Lieberman able to slither back into office.
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I think it would be harder to justify such rules (from a fairness or general public benefit perspective) in areas where one party is absolutely dominant (which is more common on a local level). There, primaries seem to be so choreographed that you can’t help but think that some good would come from a bit of outside competition (I suspect it is this thinking that led to Republican Mike Lane being elected to the Arlington County Board, in the late nineties).
(And speaking of Arlington, we’ve got an additional set of complications: those that work for the Federal gov’t can’t seek any party endorsement or affiliation. We recently had a school board election in which a DOJ employee ran (and lost) as an independent. Had she been able to seek the Democratic endorsement, she certainly could have won (not a given, but a very clear shot)).
So the Democrats are NOT absolutely dominant in Connecticut?
Why – yes, the NCDC voted Sharon McDonald out of the party. And then promptly invited her back.
MB – the outside competition can come in the primary. The only question is whether the outsider can win the primary. I think an outsider can win a primary.
As for the gov’t employees – I didn’t even know they could run!
Jack – no, the D’s are not absolutely dominant in CT. If they were, Lamont would have won.
I just love it when democrats practice cannibalism. Kick that silly Lambert right into the republican party! Go for it!
Remember, not being allowed to endorse Republicans is not the same thing as being forced to endorse all Democrats.
If Lambert had a genuine problem with Webb, his remedy was to sit the election out. Plenty of Democrats did.
The 9th is solidly Democratic, and should Lambert lose the backing of the Democratic Party he is done for. At this point it would not surprise me if the local committees took the extrordinary step of endorsing a primary opponent for Lambert or even excluding Lambert from the primary altogether.
Jane, you are more than welcome to Benny Lambert: where shall we deliver him?
Yes, Jane take Mr. Lambert! It’d save you a little less time scrambling to get a black face in your Republican ads. And it would be another NAACP member under that great Virginia Republican tent. The last NAACP member you probably had was George Allen…