Thursday, March 30, 2006

Precinct committeemen -- don’t give away your vote

According to the Dispatch it turns out that it is not the Democratic country chairmen from the 23 counties in the Illinois 17th Congressional District that will be voting on who will replace Lane Evans on the November ballot but the precinct committeemen from the 721 precincts that comprise the Congressional District. Don Johnston, Democratic state central committee chairman for the 17th Congressional District who will have to oversee the process, and John Gianulis, Rock Island County Democratic party chairman, were quoted as discussing the possibility of asking the precinct committeemen to give proxies to the county chairmen to vote on their behalf. I am sure that it would make Don Johnston’s job of organizing the vote much easier if he only had to deal with 23 voters rather than hundreds. But a nominee who is selected by the county chairmen is more likely to be perceived by the voters to have been the choice of unrepresentative party bosses in a process involving secret deals and promises than if the precinct committeemen had individual votes.

Precinct committeemen – do not give away your vote to your county chairman. Insist on making your own selection.

If you are not precinct committeemen and you did not see the name of a committeeperson on your primary ballot then your precinct does not have a committeeperson. In that case contact your county chairman and ask to be appointed as a precinct committeeman. Don’t let your county chairman say that no one in your precinct was interested in the job. That would give the county chairman free rein to appoint someone who did not live in the precinct to the position. Let's try to make the selection of our congressional candidate as representative as possible!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

That artical and the editorial contridicted each other right next to each other.

Anonymous said...

Mary Boland should step aside in the decision on how the next congressional nomination form the democratic party will be choosen. SHe has a conflict in that her husband is a candidate. She should have her vote but not a decision on how the process will go down. I trust that she will do the right thing.

Anonymous said...

Mrs. Boland should sit out on this one out. To do anything else would be flat out wrong!

Anonymous said...

Mrs. Boland should sit it out? Where were you when Jacobs handed his seat to his boy? Give me a break.

And Lane Evans could have made certain the nominee represented the party and not the machine by standing aside before the primary. His announcement after the fact was specifically designed to allow the insiders, and not the party members, make the decision about his successor.

Just another day in Illinois politics.

Anonymous said...

Makes you proud to be a Democrat, doesn't it Dave? First Mike Jacobs, now Lane Evans. This is what one party rule looks like. Happy now?

Anonymous said...

Lane is in miserable shape and would have kept his seat another two years if possible in any way, shaper or form. Commenters cna be very crude and obnoxious.

Anonymous said...

According to Channel 8, Lane has chosen Hare to be his successor.

Anonymous said...

The County Chairmen will cast a single ballot for all their vacant precincts based on voter turnout.

Trust me - NO ONE will be appointed to a vacant precinct until after the vote for Congressman.

Anonymous said...

I agree, the "insiders" want someone who will be beholden to them and NOT the party members. Once we give them (the insiders) the power, seems as though it does not become necessary to practice democracy.Just think how badly Bush feels for the "kids" he is ending to Iraq to make the Iraqis practice domocracy even if it means killing our kids and theirs.
Do you thin John Gianulis and Don Johnston and the other "insiders" will even think about that?

Anonymous said...

Looks like Party Boss Lane Evans' crowned a KING!

Anonymous said...

Wise advise Dave.
Democracy is increased with the number of people having a say in a matter.

I happen to be a precinct committeeperson and won't be giving my vote away.