Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump took to Twitter yesterday to blast the Republican Party of Virginia. The reason is that the state’s GOP is thinking about requiring Virginia voters to sign a “loyalty oath” when voting in the state’s Republican primary. The idea behind this oath or pledge of loyalty is that the Virginia GOP wants to make sure that Republican voters choose their own nominee — they don’t want the process to be influenced by Democrats and independents.
Every real conservative candidate should embrace the closed primary idea, but sadly, Trump isn’t such a candidate. Instead, he blasted the Virginia GOP leaders, calling them “stupid,” “suicidal” and “bad.”
It begins, Republican Party of Virginia, controlled by the RNC, is working hard to disallow independent, unaffiliated and new voters. BAD!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2015
Hopefully the Republican National Committee can straighten out the total mess that is taking place in Virginia’s Republican Party. FAST!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2015
Straighten out The Republican Party of Virginia before it is too late. Stupid! RNC
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2015
“@DavidSadler2525: @realDonaldTrump What’s going on in VA? What’s the GOP doing? They will lose the state because of the RNC!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2015
The voters the Republican Party of Virginia are excluding will doom any chance of victory. The Dems LOVE IT! Be smart and win for a change!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2015
R.P.Virginia has lost statewide 7 times in a row. Will now not allow desperately needed new voters. Suicidal mistake. RNC MUST ACT NOW!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2015
Although it certainly is important for the eventual nominee to win over independent voters — and even some Democrats — that must happen after the Republican primary process. The Republican primary is intended to give Republicans — whether establishment types or movement conservatives — the opportunity to choose their party’s presidential nominee. Once that happens, the nominee needs to reach out to other kinds of voters. Not before.
The problem is that Trump’s campaign is heavily supported by unaffiliated voters — people who are angry with the establishment, but who aren’t truly conservative. And the billionaire businessman knows it. That’s why he wants the state’s primary to be completely open, even without people signing an unenforceable loyalty pledge.
That’s too bad for him, but the GOP is right on this one.
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