Republican Lowman Henry agrees
By Lowman
S. Henry
Tuesday's
primary election highlighted two serious structural deficiencies in
Pennsylvania's electoral process. Once again the "Keystone State" was anything
but in the presidential nominating process. And, clearly the day of the party
endorsement - especially a nod forced from the top down - has passed.
For several weeks it appeared as if the
Pennsylvania and New York primaries would be pivotal contests in the race for
the Republican Presidential Nomination. But, several weeks ago when former
Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum suspended his campaign our state's
primary was rendered virtually meaningless. Sure, delegates had to be elected to
the national convention, but the nomination had been decided.
Every four
years there is talk about moving Pennsylvania's primary to an earlier date,
perhaps to so-called "Super Tuesday" in early March, but nothing ever comes of
the idea. So, as in presidential contests past, small states like Iowa and New
Hampshire, and even other industrial states like Michigan and Ohio got to impact
the choice of the nominee while we here in Penn's Woods watched from the
sidelines.
Four years ago state Democrats did get a big say
in the Obama/Clinton race, but that brief spurt of relevance was an exception to
the rule. This year, lacking the glitz of a presidential contest, voter turn-out
was abysmal. So many down ballot races - for congress and for seats in the state
legislature - were decided by in some cases less than a quarter of the
registered electorate.
Despite
tepid participation in the primary election, voters did manage to deliver a
message or two. The race with the most political ramifications was the five-way
contest for the Republican nomination to take on incumbent U.S. Senator Robert
P. Casey, Jr. That race turned into a virtual referendum on the once vaunted
Republican Party endorsement process. That process was shredded by voters as
they relegated the endorsed candidate, Steve Welch, to third place.
The Welch
defeat marks the first loss of a Republican Party endorsed statewide candidate
in a non-judicial race in over three decades. Part of the reason for voter
rejection of the party pick was the heavy-handed manner in which the Welch
endorsement was forced on Republican State Committee members by Governor Tom
Corbett and party leaders. The fact is Welch would never have been endorsed
without that support, and his candidacy never did develop any real grassroots
appeal.
Party
apologists will contend that the personal financial wealth the winning
candidate, former Tea party activist Tom Smith, brought to the race was a
deciding factor. But, Welch is wealthy himself and put over a million dollars of
his own money behind his candidacy. And, former State Representative Sam Rohrer
finished second having spent few dollars, but earning a wave of grassroots
support. Welch failed to dominate with either money or manpower - two advantages
normally associated with the party endorsement.
This
year's GOP endorsement debacle has politically wounded an incumbent governor and
called into question the effectiveness of the party apparatus in a vital
presidential election year. The Republican State Committee should re-evaluate
the future of party endorsements. The process this year both divided and
weakened the party, calling into question its utility going forward.
Part of
the reason for this is that the endorsement process has degenerated from truly
democratic selection into a tool by which party and elected leaders exert their
control over who gets nominated. The GOP has already split into "establishment"
and grassroots conservative camps with the latter gaining influence with each
passing election cycle. Forced endorsements only inflame the grassroots further
aggravating that divide.
None of
this is good for the party, and neither will it yield good government. This
year's presidential election is shaping up as one of the most important in
generations as voters decide whether to continue down the soft socialistic path
of the Obama Administration, or return America to its historic traditions of
individual liberty.
That
battle will ultimately unite all factions within the GOP. But going forward, the
Pennsylvania Republican Party must ditch the endorsement process and restore
individual liberties within the walls of its own house.
(Lowman S.
Henry is Chairman & CEO of the Lincoln Institute and host of the weekly
Lincoln Radio Journal. His e-mail address is lhenry@lincolninstitute.org.)
I agree with my friend Gort!!
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