If this report is true, if indeed Arkansas state Democrats are threatening to ignore any delegates President Obama’s primary challenger, John Wolfe, might win this Tuesday, this is an obvious attempt to not only disenfranchise his voters but to also suppress the turnout of his voters, who are now being informed their vote might not count.
Michael Warren at The Weekly Standard:
After a poll released this week showed President Barack Obama only beating his Democratic primary opponent John Wolfe Jr. by seven points, 45 percent to 38 percent, in Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District, state Democrats moved to practically disenfranchise Arkansas voters. “[D]elegates Wolfe might claim won’t be recognized at the national convention,” national party officials are telling state Democrats. Wolfe is being accused of not following the party rules. …
Wolfe insists he’s done the due diligence to qualify for delegates and that the state party is making decisions ad hoc to get the results they desire. “This is ridiculous,” he says. “These guys are trying to tamp down voter enthusiasm.”
If he’s denied delegates he’s rightfully won, Wolfe says, Democrats would be effectively disenfranchising those who chose him over President Obama. And if that happens, he’ll take his own party to court.
“They took my money and put my name on the ballot,” he says. “They’re trying to make people think it’s hopeless to vote against Obama.”
Wolfe is also on the ballot for Texas’s primary on May 29.
Wolfe suspects these suppression efforts are coming directly from the top, the DNC.
After Obama lost nearly 42% of the West Virginia primary vote to a prison inmate and 20% of the North Carolina primary vote to “no preference,” Democrat officials are obviously and legitimately concerned that a strong primary showing from a relatively unknown attorney will only add insult to the president’s injury. Not only is there a poll of Arkansas Democrats showing Mr. Wolfe within striking distance of Obama (in the Fourth Congressional District), but should Wolfe come out of this Tuesday’s primary with any head of steam or media attention, he could repeat his success in the May 29 Texas primary, where he is currently on the ballot.
As I mentioned in my interview with Wolfe earlier this week, Wolfe’s story is one the media doesn’t want to tell. The Narrative is supposed to be about presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney having trouble consolidating his base, not the Democrat incumbent who is also the media’s chosen candidate.
If the exact same scenario were in play but with players who each had an “R” after their name as opposed to a “D,” I suspect the media would’ve done everything in their power to turn Wolfe into a folk hero by now in an effort to undermine the sitting Republican. Thus far, however, the media’s reaction to Wolfe has been one of almost total radio silence — a position that will be difficult to maintain should Wolfe achieve a respectable showing in a couple of days.
While Wolfe and I disagree on many of the issues, in my dealings with him I have found him to be a serious and thoughtful individual, a man worthy of respect.
If the Weekly Standard reports are true, it’s unfortunate party Democrats would choose such a low road, but not at all surprising.