J.D. Ellis,

Vice Chairman of America's Party of Tennessee,

2012 Vice Presidential nominee of America's Party

As the Republican Party has seen fit to provide no choice to the American people of even a single presidential candidate who understands their first and most basic obligation to protect the right to life of all innocent persons; and since, therefore, whoever they eventually nominate will be an opponent of America's Party's candidate; I had decided not to waste my time with the Republican primary process, but to spend it, instead, trying to help save our nation.

But then it occurred to me that, since I have business at the court house today anyway, I might as well stop in at the office of elections and cast a write-in protest vote.

And then I also remembered that any other registered voter in Tennessee--including others, who like myself, have little direct interest in the Republican Party--can nevertheless vote in the Republican Primary.

We have open primary elections here in Tennessee.  Every time I have gone to vote in a primary in this state, the poll worker has asked me which primary I would like to vote in--the Democratic or Republican. Many Democrats have been asked this same question, and have often chosen to vote in the Republican primary.  This happens quite often in Tennessee.  Democrat voters know that, of course, their party's eventual nominee will be a liberal.  There's no need to question or worry about that.  And so they are politically free to focus on who the Republican nominee will be.

The Democrat field is always made up entirely of liberals; the Republican field is typically somewhat more diverse.  Though there are rarely truly conservative, Constitutionalist candidates on their ballot, there are always some Republican candidates who are more liberal than others.  And often, Tennessee Democrats are more concerned with getting these liberal Republicans nominated than they are with who their own liberal nominee will be.  And they are able to use our open elections to make sure that these liberal Republicans win the primary, so that in the general election, they are ensured that a liberal will win, even if the Democrat doesn't.

With Tennessee Democrats, this has become an art form.  For example, in 2010, Tennessee crossover voters helped liberal Republican Bill Haslam win the gubernatorial primary, in spite of the fact that sitting Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey was the favorite among Republicans.

In a year in which there is, in effect, no Democratic presidential primary in Tennessee, it is my prediction that Mitt Romney's win in the Republican primary is virtually guaranteed by our the Republicans' open process.

One of two things need to happen for conservatives to have any chance of being heard in the Republican Party in Tennessee--or in any other state with open primaries:  Either the nomination process needs to be closed, so that liberals are not allowed to run as Republicans; or else the primary needs to be closed so that only members of the Republican Party are allowed to vote in the Republican primary.  Even doing both does not guarantee that the process would be put back into the hands of conservative voters in the Republican Party.  But doing neither does guarantee that it will be Democrats who continue to choose Republican candidates for the general election.  Sadly, foolishly, doing nothing is exactly how the Republicans insist on dealing with this problem.

Please do not misunderstand.  In the general election, the American people are, and should be free to vote for whomever they believe is the best candidate for the job, regardless of party labels.  But if political parties are to exist, and to nominate candidates, then it is absurd for them to allow their decisions to be made by those outside the party.

Since the Republican Party refuses to even address the problem, conservatives have no realistic hope of even being heard--much less being victorious--at any point in the Republican process.  If you want to reclaim your political voice, please consider affiliating and working with America's Party.  All of our candidates must be approved by our affiliates, and our nominating convention is open only to qualified delegates.  We control the process of choosing our own nominees--not the media, not the monied interests, and certainly not the Democrats!