By Vic MacDonald & Larry Franklin
For www.clintonchronicle.com
To be on the ballot as a Republican in Laurens County, you do not have to be “just” Republican.You, apparently, have to be the “right kind” of Republican.
You must oppose abortion, in any circumstances.
You must uphold the right to have guns, all kinds of guns.
You must endorse the idea of a balanced state and federal budget, whatever it takes, even if your primary responsibility is to be sure the county budget is balanced.
You must favor, and live up to, abstinence before marriage.
You must be faithful to your spouse. Your spouse cannot be a person of the same gender, and you are not allowed to favor any government action that would allow for civil unions of people of the same sex.
You cannot now, from the moment you sign this pledge, look at pornography.
You must have:
“A compassionate and moral approach to Teen Pregnancy;”
“A commitment to Peace Through Strength in Foreign Policy;” and
“A high regard for Unites States Sovereignty.”
These are just a few of the 28 principles of Republicanism, some taken from the Jeffersonian view of democracy, that candidates must pledge to adhere to if they want to be allowed on the Laurens County Republican primary ballot.
These are in addition to the qualifications outlined in state law.
Bobby Smith, chairman of the Laurens County Republican Party, said “A Resolution of The Laurens County Republican Party regarding The Qualifications of Candidates for the Primary Ballot” was passed unanimously by the executive committee on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
A candidate who was at the executive committee meeting last week told www.clintonchronicle.com the members of the executive committee met in open session for about 30 minutes before asking everyone else to leave the room.
After about an hour, the meeting was re-opened and Smith announced the resolution had been adopted. The meeting was then adjourned and the committee members would not answer any questions.
The candidate, who asked not to be identified, said he is puzzled by the action.
“I think the majority of the Republican voters in Laurens County should decide who will represent them in the general election,” he said.
He said he was told unofficially that a subcommittee of three people will interview candidates and then recommend to the entire executive committee whether the candidate will be placed on the ballot.
Smith said 13 of the 20 members of the executive committee were at the meeting and the vote to approve the resolution was unanimous.
Smith said this is the first time the county party has required candidates to sign a pledge.
"It is essential to try to protect the party's reputation," he said. "The party has been pushing for closed primaries. People feel the platform has not been adhered to. We want candidates to believe in and uphold the party's platform."
The pledge, which all Republican candidates must sign if they expect to be on the Republican ballot, also says, in its introduction, that the local party will “... seek to hold me into account ...” if the candidate is negligent in upholding the principles set forth in the Pledge.
The process for “holding into account” is not specified in the document.
The Republican Primary is June 12.
This statement says, in part, the the Laurens County Republican Party “does not want to associate with candidates who do not act and speak in a manner that is consistent with the SC Republican Party Platform; ...”
The statement says that the Republican Party has “the right to freedom of political association” that is guaranteed to it by the United States Constitution.
The resolution document says that the Laurens County Republican Party also has “the right to free speech”.
The party’s candidates make speeches and take actions that are “on behalf of the party,” the resolution says, and the party’s Constitutionally-guaranteed rights are infringed upon if the party “cannot determine who are the party’s leaders and standard-bearers.”
Smith said he is not aware of any other county that has taken the action of qualifying candidates. "(Other counties may) have similar pledges, but I'm not aware of anybody that has done this," he said.
Smith said that he is not personally involved in any campaigns.
An inquiry via e-mail was made by The Chronicle to the South Carolina Republican Party on Friday about the Laurens County resolution and pledge.
The e-mail inquiry drew an immediate telephone response from Chad Connelly, chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party.
The qualifications of Republican candidates process is something with which counties and states throughout America are struggling, he said.
"If we are wearing the same uniform," Connelly said, "I want to be sure we are kicking the ball toward the same goal, or are you moving against me."
Connelly said he does not believe the Laurens County Republican Party will move forward with this specific process for determining who is, and who is not, a true Republican. "I don't think you will get to that stage," he said.
However, he added, some kind of vetting process must be in place, now that the Republican Party is in such a dominant position in state politics and government.
"We have Democrats running as Republicans," Connelly said, "because it is the only way they can get elected. And then we wonder, why didn't they vote the way we thought they were going to vote. The pressure is on for them to say what they are."
Connelly said President Clinton in the '90s proved to Americans that "character doesn't matter."
"Now we are finding that character really does matter," the GOP chairman said.
"How do we vet a candidate? How do we know they are who they say they are? Do you recognize our core values?" Connelly said are all questions that Republican organizations throughout the nation are grappling. "We just heard (Republican) Gov. Charlie Crist (of Florida) say he might be voting for Obama."
Also included in the resolution portion of the Laurens County Republican Party’s documents, which were acquired unsolicited by The Clinton Chronicle by someone interested in the local party’s actions, is the stipulation that a Republican filing for local office must undergo an interview prior to being included on the ballot.
The resolution says, in part, “candidates must meet in person with the Candidate Qualification Committee of the Laurens County Republican Party prior to the qualification and certification process; AND
“... No filing by a candidate will be accepted by the Laurens County Republican Party unless the Laurens County Republican Party Executive Committee has voted, within 24 hours of the closing of the filing period, that the candidate meets the qualifications for the office for which the candidate desires to file, or will meet the qualifications by the time of the general election; ...”
No appeal process is specified for the decision of the Laurens County Republican Party Executive Committee, within the 24-hour window before filing closes at noon on March 30.
Smith said the members of the Candidate Qualification Committee have been selected, but he would not release the names.
"You can't keep them from filing, legally," Connelly said of potential Republican candidates. "But we should be able to ask, 'What do you believe in, and why.'"
Expanded coverage in March 7 issue of The Clinton Chronicle.
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