Annnnnd now VA AG Cuccinelli is *not* backing changing the primary ballot.

Interesting; and a pretty strong reversal from Saturday’s statement.

“I obviously feel very strongly that Virginia needs to change its ballot access requirements for our statewide elections,” Cuccinelli said in a statement.

“However, after working through different scenarios with Republican and Democratic leaders to attempt to make changes in time for the 2012 presidential election, my concern grows that we cannot find a way to make such changes fair to the Romney and Paul campaigns that qualified even with Virginia’s burdensome system.

“A further critical factor that I must consider is that changing the rules midstream is inconsistent with respecting and preserving the rule of law — something I am particularly sensitive to as Virginia’s attorney general.”

A blow to every campaign that isn’t Romney’s or Paul’s, of course.  Also appears that Cuccinelli is falling into line with the VA GOP’s position that it didn’t do anything wrong in the first place.  Motivations I will leave up to the individual reader, although I would suggest that there are alternatives to nefarious plots…

Moe Lane (crosspost)

10 thoughts on “Annnnnd now VA AG Cuccinelli is *not* backing changing the primary ballot.”

  1. My guess is that there was a clear rejection of the idea from VA GOP lawmakers. I just hope Paul doesn’t benefit from enough protest votes to win the thing.

    1. Aruges: Oh, I suspect that this is part of the 2013 VA-GOV election contest at this point. I also suspect that from now on it’s going to be all brazening it out, all the time.

  2. It would be nice to have Romney and Paul in a head to head debate. Romney would be able to tee off on Paul’s crazy bits and Romney would have to prepared for Paul’s attacks on his record. Win Win.

  3. Aruges with any luck the two will totally destroy each other, couldn’t get a better result!

  4. I, for one, hope Paul _does_ benefit from protest votes. He cannot win nationally. Romney, if he wins Virginia, can.

  5. Agree with both Moe and Aruges: I think Cuccinelli’s proposal got soundly rejected by the leadership in the legislature, and the AG backed down rather than demonstrate weakness by initiating a fight he had no hope of winning. Cuccinelli made his point and differentiated himself from the party leadership, but this thing never had a prayer of passing. Even if the entire VA GOP lined up behind it, the Democrats would have shot it down quietly. The existence of a bunch of dissatisfied and disaffected Perry and Gingrich supporters, asking themselves if it is really worth volunteer (or even voting) this fall, is a no-brainer for a state Democrat party looking to hold onto a Senate seat and maybe pick up one or two congressional seats down-ticket.

  6. Can we look any more inept here?? This whole thing is just ridiculous. The AG and LG are using the voters to poke sharp pointy jabs at each other for 2013. The RPV wants us to swear allegiance to Moldor before we can vote in the primary. And crazy Uncle Ron and Captain Plastic are the only people on the ballot (for now).

    This whole thing is a disaster. Makes me want to tell people I am from Guam.

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