Re some of the proposed changes to Bucks County Democratic Committee bylaws:
I've come to view the fight for endorsements as a blood sport that leaves us wounded and weakened. Primary battles are bruising enough; adding endorsement contests is like shooting ourselves in both feet.
Maybe the rationale used to be that we in the inner circle were better acquainted with the candidates and so more qualified to judge who would have the best chance with the voters at large, but I can't say I buy that at this point. Wouldn't voters be more engaged if we used our website to provide detailed information about all the candidates and let them decide?
If we must have endorsements, some of the damage could be minimized if all the candidates' names were on the goldenrod with an asterisk after the endorsed candidate's name. And let's allow all the candidates to distribute their signs, literature, etc. from party headquarters. And if we must have endorsements, by all means increase the threshold from 50 percent + 1.
The proposed change to the bylaws that would require committeepersons to support endorsed candidates would be intolerable to the hardworking, engaged individuals who do these jobs, and would discourage others from ever volunteering to take them on. Not a good idea.
