By Mary Mostert, Analyst, Original Sources (www.originalsources.com)
February 29, 2000
Today’s primaries in Virginia and Washington State provide an opportunity for voters in those states to select from among a group of candidates who provide possibly the widest choice of candidates in the history of America. All of the candidates seem to be hitting their stride in their ability to articulate their philosophies of governing.
On the left we have Bill Bradley who is running ads in Washington state that accuse Al Gore of once having been a "conservative who even voted with other conservatives to define life as beginning at the moment of conception - an attempt to criminalize abortion. …As a conservative congressman, Al Gore was anti-choice, pro-gun, pro-tobacco and indifferent to education and health care. As Vice President, Gore followed right in step with Clinton's lead, but without Clinton, his record is quite different."
Al Gore and John McCain have remarkably similar agendas which include the outlawing of "issue ads" which would be an unconstitutional restriction of freedom of speech that is guaranteed by the First Amendment. Both would substitute the present system with a system of public funding.
In Michigan last week John McCain approved the script for telephone calls which were made to Catholic voters telling them about George Bush’s visit to Bob Jones University and the University President who calls the Catholic Church and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "cults." Yesterday, warming to his subject McCain, retaliated against the perceived prejudice of Bob Jones University by lobbing a verbal bomb at Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell who oppose McCain. McCain said their lack of support was "Because I don't pander to them, because I don't ascribe to their failed philosophy that money is our message," a judgmental statement this isn’t likely to set too well with Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell’s followers.
Somehow George Bush’s motto of being "a uniter, not a divider" has become a liability of sorts, at least among the media. We appear to be in the midst of a campaign in which the majority of the candidates, Gore, Bradley and McCain are somewhat successfully branding any notion of "uniting" folks like Pat Robertson, Catholics, Minority groups, Mormons, Pro-Life advocates and blacks under one banner in the Republican Party not only impossible but suspiciously evil.
Bush is fighting back by listing his accomplishments as governor of Texas and by calling himself "A reformer with results." Unfortunately, about the only way to find out what reforms he has implemented and their results is to read his website. About the only thing the media is covering is the negative infighting in the Republican party especially, while rarely mentioning the substance of Bush’s program.
And then there is Alan Keyes, who is largely ignored by the media. However, wherever he speaks he mesmerizes his audience who nod their heads in agreement, applaud and give him standing ovations. Almost nothing about his campaign is covered by the media, which doesn’t seem to know what to do with him.
Keyes is able to articulate his message and inspire audiences, but it doesn’t translate into rising numbers of votes. It might have, had it not been for McCain and the fears many Republicans have that a vote for Alan Keyes may very well mean that John McCain becomes the candidate.
A campaign speech by Alan Keyes probably has more quotable quotes in a paragraph than any other candidate produces in 20 pages. "Our loss of integrity exposes us to the loss of liberty," he told an audience in Virginia high school.
Speaking of the impact abortion on demand had had on on our national culture he said, "We have turned the heart of motherhood into a heart of stone."
On the separation of Church and State he noted, "If we think that what the lst Amendment said is that Congress shall not establish religion, that’s an awkward way of saying it. But, that isn’t what it says, It says, ‘Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion.’ That basically means: ‘Congress, none of your business! Hands off this issue! This is not the concern of the Federal Government so don’t touch it!’ That left the question of establishment squarely in the hands and under the purview of the state and local government.
"I have marveled at the tolerance of the American people for groundless illogic in the decision making of our judges."
Because George Bush won elections in Puerto Rico and Guam, he and John McCain are almost even in the number of delegates they have. Bush has 93 delegates, McCain has 96 delegates, Keyes has four delegates and 11 delegates are undecided. The winner will need 1034 delegate votes and it appears that the early boost John McCain obtained from his victories may not be long-lasting.
Tomorrow three states will hold primaries: Virginia, Washington State and North Dakota. Only Virginia with 56 delegates is a winner take-all state and Bush is ahead there. Nineteen delegates will be elected in North Dakota where only Republican votes are counted for the delegates and 12 for Washington State.
To comment: mmostert@originalsources.com
The Primary Schedule:
| FEBRUARY 29 | ||
| State/territory contest | Delegates | Open/closed |
| North Dakota Republican caucus | 19, allocated proportionally | Open; only votes of registered Republicans count in delegate selection |
| Virginia Republican primary | 56, winner take all | Open |
| Washington Democratic primary | nonbinding; delegates awarded in March | Open |
| Washington Republican primary | 12 of 37, allocated proportionally | Open |
| MARCH 7 The year's 'Super Tuesday.' Republicans have 613 delegates at stake, Democrats award 1,315 delegates, excluding unpledged 'super delegates.' |
||
| State/territory contest | Delegates | Open/closed |
| California Democratic primary | 367 | Open; delegates awarded based only on party votes |
| California Republican primary | 162, winner take all | Open; delegates awarded based only on party votes |
| Connecticut Democratic primary | 54 | Closed |
| Connecticut Republican primary | 25, winner take all | Closed |
| Georgia Democratic primary | 77 | Open |
| Georgia Republican primary | 54, allocated based on statewide and congressional district winner | Open |
| Hawaii Democratic caucus | 22 | Open; voters must affiliate with Democrats before participating |
| Idaho Democratic caucus | 18 | Open; voters must affiliate with Democrats before participating |
| Maine Democratic primary | 23 | Closed |
| Maine Republican primary | 14, allocated proportionally, unless a candidate gets a majority, then winner take all | Closed |
| Maryland Democratic primary | 68 | Closed |
| Maryland Republican primary | 31, allocated based on statewide and congressional district winner | Open to independents |
| Massachusetts Democratic primary | 93 | Open to independents |
| Massachusetts Republican primary | 37, winner take all | Open to independents |
| Minnesota Republican caucus | 34, nonbinding straw poll | Open; voters must affiliate with party before participating |
| Missouri Democratic primary | 75 | Open |
| Missouri Republican primary | 5, winner take all | Open |
| New York Democratic primary | 243 | Closed |
| New York Republican primary | 101, allocated by congressional district except for 8 at-large delegates to be selected by party officials | Closed |
| North Dakota Democratic caucus | 14 | Open; voters must sign a statement at caucus indicating they are Democrat before participating |
| Ohio Democratic primary | 146 | Closed; may change status and register with party and vote on day of primary |
| Ohio Republican primary | 69, allocated based on statewide and congressional district winner | Closed; may change status and register with party and vote on day of primary |
| Rhode Island Democratic primary | 22 | Closed; unaffiliateds may participate |
| Rhode Island Republican primary | 14, winner take all | Closed; unaffiliateds may participate |
| Vermont Democratic primary | 15 | Open |
| Vermont Republican primary | 12, winner take all | Open |
| Washington Democratic caucus | 75 | Open; voters must affiliate before participating |
| Washington Republican caucus | 25 of 37, allocated proportionally | Open; voters must affiliate before participating |
| American Samoa Democratic caucus | 3 | Must sign statement at caucus indicating they are a Democrat |
| MARCH 9 | ||
| State/territory contest | Delegates | Open/closed |
| South Carolina Democratic primary | 43 | Open; voters must affiliate before participating |
| MARCH 10 | ||
| State/territory contest | Delegates | Open/closed |
| Colorado Democratic primary | 51 | Closed, unaffiliateds may participate after registering with a party |
| Colorado Republican primary | 40, allocated proportionally | Closed, unaffiliateds may participate after registering with a party |
| Utah Democratic primary | 24 | Open |
| Utah Republican primary | 29, winner take all | Open |
| Wyoming Republican county conventions | 22, delegates are not bound by vote | Closed |
| MARCH 10-14 | ||
| State/territory contest | Delegates | Open/closed |
| Democrats Abroad caucuses | 7 | Must sign a statement at caucus indicating they are a Democrat |
| MARCH 11 | ||
| State/territory contest | Delegates | Open/closed |
| Arizona Democratic primary | 47 | Closed |
| Michigan Democratic caucus | 129 | Open |
| MARCH 11-12 | ||
| State/territory contest | Delegates | Open/closed |
| Minnesota Democratic caucuses | 74 | Open; voters must affiliate before participating |
| MARCH 12 | ||
| State/territory contest | Delegates | Open/closed |
| Nevada Democratic caucus | 20 | Closed |
| MARCH 14 Republicans have 341 delegates at stake, and Democrats 566 |
||
| State/territory contest | Delegates | Open/closed |
| Florida Democratic primary | 161 | Closed |
| Florida Republican primary | 80, allocated based on statewide and congressional district winner | Closed |
| Louisiana Democratic primary | 61 | Closed |
| Louisiana Republican primary | 29, allocated proportionally | Closed |
| Mississippi Democratic primary | 37 | Open |
| Mississippi Republican primary | 33, allocated based on statewide and congressional district winner | Open |
| Oklahoma Democratic primary | 45 | Closed |
| Oklahoma Republican primary | 38, allocated based on statewide and congressional district winner | Closed |
| Tennessee Democratic primary | 68 | Open |
| Tennessee Republican primary | 37, allocated proportionally, unless a candidate gets a majority, then winner take all | Open |
| Texas Democratic primary | 194 | Open |
| Texas Republican primary | 124, allocated proportionally, unless a candidate gets a majority, then winner take all | Open |
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