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Fri. Oct 04, 2002

Sour Grapes and Desperation

Sour Grapes and Desperation – I knew it had been too quiet in the 4th District. Perhaps this is what McKinney meant the other day when she referred to her sound defeat in the primary as "a setback in my bid for reelection." There’s now a lawsuit seeking to overturn the primary: "Five DeKalb County voters today filed a federal lawsuit seeking to throw out the results in the Aug. 20 Democratic primary that handed Denise Majette a victory over incumbent Cynthia McKinney in the 4th Congressional District. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, says ’malicious crossover’ voting by Republicans in the primary violated the Voting Rights Act."

And how does one determine that a particular vote was ”malicious” and thus unworthy of being counted in a state that has had open primaries since the Reconstruction? "Georgia does not require voters to register by party, and it allows them to vote in the primary of their choice. Before the election, some Republicans called on their fellow party members to vote in the Democratic primary to help ensure the controversial McKinney’s defeat. Since the vote, she has repeatedly blamed them for her downfall, as well as state Democratic Party officials, whom she says aided Majette."

McKinney has blamed damned near everyone for her defeat. I suppose that the votes of any Democratic Party officials who live in District 4 were ”malicious” as well, and should also be excised from the total. Yep, that’s what the suit asks: "The suit asks that the crossover votes be declared unconstitutional and invalid and McKinney be declared the winner of the Democratic primary. 

Since an indeteminant number of votes may have been cast by Republicans acting within age old laws of the state, this lawsuit calls for the entire result to not only be cast out, but McKinney declared a winner.

Now there’s some Democratic process for you. There’s some ”Voting Rights.”

But let’s get down to just whose vote will be allowed to count if the plaintiffs have their way: " ’The issue is that black Democratic voters in the 4th District had their voting rights interfered with and violated,’ said Atlanta lawyer J.M. Raffauf, who represents the plaintiffs. Raffauf said he had recently talked with McKinney and that she supports the litigation."

If you are a white Democratic voter, or a Hispanic democratic voter, or a Jewish Democratic voter, or a black Independent voter (nevermind a Republican) who cast your legal vote in the Democratic Primary, this lawsuit says you don’t count. It would appear only black Democratic voters should have voting rights in District 4, no matter what Georgia law says.

There are only three salient facts: [1] the black Democratic voters did not turn out to vote for McKinney in anywhere near the numbers they had in previous elections (like Andrew Young, they apparently decided to ”sit this one out.” From the AJC post-election analysis: "Majette carried predominantly African-American precincts despite a full-court press by the traditional black political machine of preachers and politicians to deliver the election to McKinney. And in deep south DeKalb, McKinney’s stronghold over the last 10 years, voters failed to come out as strongly as they have in recent elections."), [2] everyone else of every stripe on God’s Green Earth turned out to vote against her, and [3] Georgia State Law has allowed open primaries for about 130 years (and the Georgia State Legislature would be the proper place to address that grievance, not court).

The people spoke. The law is clear, and has been for more than a century. No judges are necessary. All else is sour grapes and desperation. The outcome this suit desires would be a very Stalinist ”victory” for the Democratic Party, and an abortion of the democratic process.