By Mary Mostert, Analyst, Original Sources, (www.originalsources.com)
February 23, 2000
As has been extensively reported, John McCain won yesterday's Republican Primary. Only, more Democrats and Independents voted in it than Republicans. Fox News Exit interviews with voters there showed that "a whopping 51 percent of the record number of participants who cast ballots in this open primary were not Republicans. One-third were independents and 18 percent were Democrats.
"As expected, they largely threw their support to McCain. Exit polls compiled by Voter News Service for Fox and other news outlets show McCain drew twice as many independents as Bush and topped him among Democrats by a 6-to-1 margin."
As of 2 AM Wednesday, the Michigan Bureau of Elections had reported 1,105,562 votes. That is approximately double the 566,911 votes in the 1996 Republican Primary. The majority of the Republicans voted for George W. Bush. In fact, nearly 67% of them voted for Bush. However, with 51% of the voters in the Republican primary being either Democrats or Independents, and with black ministers in Michigan urging from the pulpit their congregations to vote for McCain in the Republican primary in order to embarrass Gov. Engler, the meaning of the Michigan election is very different than what is being reported.
The Detroit Free Press reports today that "From his pulpit, the Rev. E.L. Branch called on members of the Third New Hope Missionary Baptist Church to support a pair of Detroit library millages and to vote for McCain.
"Our governor wants to see a certain candidate do well in Michigan. His name rhymes with 'Hush.' Don't vote for him. Our governor has not made us happy. We should not make him too happy," said Branch, president of the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity. "I want him to be upset Wednesday morning, like he keeps me upset. Like he keeps you upset."
Many Detroiters have been unhappy with Engler since he took office. During his first term, he closed the Lafayette Clinic, which cared for mentally ill people, and cut off general assistance to single adults. Last year, he initiated a takeover of Detroit Public Schools, and signed legislation ending Detroit and other cities' residency requirements for municipal workers.
Branch said he and other Detroit ecumenical leaders have tried to get through to Engler. This time, they hope he hears them: "Deal more fairly with Detroit and do not take Detroit and its voters for granted."
Branch said he expected other church leaders would urge their congregations to back McCain. While he did not, the Rev. Edgar Vann Jr., pastor of Second Ebenezer Baptist Church, said there is a "groundswell in the community to ...send a message to the governor."
Bill Ballenger, editor of Inside Michigan Politics, said Sunday that McCain has genuine Democratic support and doesn't need mischief-makers.
Members of Third New Hope Missionary Baptist Church said they will take Branch's advice. Lee Hollenquest said a vote for McCain would "get back at Engler, all the way, for closing Lafayette Clinic, putting mentally ill people on the streets."
Tish Richardson said she has two reasons to support McCain.
"He is the best candidate. Sure we want to send a message to Engler, but I like him. I like his message. And we as a church family, we're going to stick together."
Of course, what these black ministers did Sunday was a blatant violation of the law for a tax-exempt Church. Perhaps it's time that those churches which are telling their congregations how to vote and even WHY they should vote the way they are being told to vote, lose their tax exempt status. After all, Bob Jones University lost its tax exemption merely for not allowing interracial dating. Perhaps it's time for the Third New Hope Missionary Baptist Church to lose its tax exempt status for violating the law which prohibits politicking by tax exempt churches and organizations.
What really is galling in the Michigan primary is that evidently the Democrats who voted for McCain will also, apparently, be able to vote for one of the Democrats also in the coming Democrat Presidential Caucus in Michigan on March 11. They were able to vote yesterday in the Republican primary in an attempt to nominate a candidate they believe can be easily beaten in the general election and who, if elected, would be more liberal than Bush.
The 157 delegates who will represent Michigan at the Democratic Convention will be selected in 3 steps, according to the Michigan Democratic Party. . First, on Saturday, March 11, 2000, people can attend a Presidential Caucus in the county where they live to vote for their preferred candidate for President. Delegates to the Convention will be apportioned based on the vote for each presidential candidate.
Then, on May 6, 2000, 84 delegates and 14 alternates will be elected by Michigan Democratic Party members and precinct delegates at 16 Congressional District Conventions based on the results of the March 11, 2000 Caucuses.
Finally, on May 20, 2000, based on the results of the March 11, 2000 Caucuses, 47 delegates, 8 alternates, 18 Convention Committee members and 4 pages will be elected at a meeting of the Democratic State Central Committee in Muskegon.
All of these elected delegates, alternates, committee members, and pages, together with 26 super-delegates - Michigan's 11 federal lawmakers and 15 Democratic National Committee Members - will make up Michigan's delegation.
In 1996, when there was no contest in the primary, there were 142,750 votes cast for uncommitted Democratic delegates. Yesterday there were only 6344 votes cast for uncommitted Democratic delegates. Neither Bill Bradley nor Al Gore were on the ballot in yesterday's Republican Primary although Democrat Lyndon LaRouch, and Reform Party Donald Trump WERE on the ballot.
What's the goal in all this? It's dividing the Republican party and encouraging them to exhaust their funds and their energies on infighting, thereby giving Al Gore a clean shot at the White House. There is a clear pattern in all this. So far we have had the Iowa Caucus and three primaries and in NONE of them have the Democrats voted for Democrats in a normal pattern.
Hang onto your hats folks. If you think that there was campaign finance abuse in the 1996 election, you ain't seen nothin' yet! This promises to be the dirtiest campaign in history. The Michigan hijacking of the Republican primary by a deliberate scheme to make the votes of Republicans meaningless is just the beginning.
To comment: mmostert@originalsources.com
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