Posted on 05/08/2009 8:38:55 AM PDT by RecallMoran
Alexandria Democrats Allegedly Pledging Vengeance
Ms. Hughes is a federal employee who ran as an independent. An African-American non-democrat with tax lowering sensibilities drives the local Democrats bonkers. Democratics are gearing up to attack her election as improper under the Hatch Act which would go to the Obama Office of Special Counsel.
(Excerpt) Read more at campaignspot.nationalreview.com ...
A local reader writes in:
I live in Yuppie Acres, Alexandria, Virginia as well. My neighborhood is a sea of Democrats stunned at the election result, especially Alicia Hughes. Ms. Hughes is a federal employee who ran as an independent, though it is pretty clear that she has ties to the local Republican Party. An African-American Republican drives the local Democrats bonkers (remember Bill Cleveland?). Since Tuesday, I have been told through several Democratic sources that the local Democrats are gearing up to attack her election as improper under the Hatch Act. The claim seems bogus to me but the complaint goes to the Obama Office of Special Counsel so who knows what will happen.
Do not underestimate how stunned and angry the local Democratic machine is at having lost two seats in a very blue city. The Hatch Act states federal employees may not "be candidates for public office in partisan elections"; how running as an independent constitutes partisan activity is beyond me. When the local GOP says, "we like her," what, pray tell, was Hughes supposed to say? "No, please don't vote for me"?
Having said that, I also saw a few blog posts and Tweets from angry liberals contending that the Alexandria Republican Party was engaging in "voter fraud" with their "plunking" strategy. The "plunking" strategy consisted of urging their supporters to vote for the two Republicans and their preferred Independent, and for no other candidates; as the top six vote-getters are elected to the council, any vote for any Democrat made it less likely one of the local GOP's preferred candidates would get one of the top six spots.
"Fraud" has a particular meaning, at least in the English language. Voting for three candidates out of ten is not fraud; there's no rule or law that says a voter must pick six.
By contrast, below, you'll find the latest of a seemingly endless string of indictments of ACORN workers for actual fraud — filing hundreds of fraudulent voter-registration cards. The people listed on those cards don't exist; that's "fraud."
Words have meanings, as the wise philosopher nicknamed "El Rushbo" says frequently.
Let's see how "united" the left will be when only slightly threatened at the City level.
Some of our multi seat elections in this neck of the woods are similar - like vote for three top three are seated.
For those who really want their guy to win they only vote for 1.
Of course. You can’t make people vote for someone. I’ve been plunking for years because there aren’t enough republicans running to fill City Council and I WILL NOT vote for a democrat, period.
This was bound to happen. Dems were feeling emboldened and impervious. Alicia dropped in to show them they weren’t. So instead of being gracious losers (they still control City Council in the People’s Republic), they go after her. Imagine, a bunch of Dems going after an African-American woman who was elected fair and square, on something as “bogus” as the Hatch Act in this case. One of the Dems she defeated is an Amtrak employee. The mayor, who is also African-American, ought to rise to her defense a well. All they are going to do is cost her a lot of money in legal fees to defend herself. The GOP ought to pay for her defense. And the NAACP ought to come to her rescue, but I will believe that when I see it.
Her strategy of putting her face on her campaign posters was brillant. Bill Cleveland, also African American, and an out and out Republican was on Council for years and was finally defeated when he pushed it and ran for mayor. When he got close to winning, democrats burned their own candidates campaign signs on Beth EL temple property and blamed in on the Republicans. The Alexandria City Machine is Chicago-esque in its ruthlessness and sleezy tactics.
On top of that, she is the best educated and obviously the most talented of the lot. How dare she be black and not a dem! Let’s throw oreos and try to prosecute her. When I think they can’t get any lower, they do.
Forgot to say, shouldn’t your screen name be “RecallMoron”? :)
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