Loyalty Oaths?

August 17, 2004 8:27 AM

I'm an non-GOP person who wants to attend a Bush rally in St. Paul. Are they still doing the loyalty oaths at every event? Is it legally binding? I'm not going to run on stage and interrupt anything, I just want to hear the man speak. Am I going to get in?
posted by graventy to law & government (21 comments total)

LOYALTY OATH??? Are you friggin kidding? WTF is that?
posted by aacheson at 8:38 AM on August 17, 2004

I think the loyalty oaths are only for when Cheney speaks. IMHO
posted by mhaw at 8:39 AM on August 17, 2004

It angers and saddens me that this question even has to be asked.
posted by fletchmuy at 8:45 AM on August 17, 2004

Just go.

I don't know where you got this loyalty oath business, but it's not true.
posted by cedar at 8:45 AM on August 17, 2004

Really, cedar? The Washington Post begs to differ: Political campaigns are always eager to keep hecklers out of their pep rallies, but the Republican National Committee took that desire to a new level last week, requiring supporters to sign an oath of loyalty before receiving tickets to Saturday's New Mexico rally featuring Vice President Cheney.
posted by stonerose at 8:52 AM on August 17, 2004

Oh really?
1 and 2
posted by dirtylittlemonkey at 8:53 AM on August 17, 2004

Obtaining Cheney Rally Ticket Requires Signing Bush Endorsement.

Bush-backers-only policy riles voters at RNC rallies

Ceder - it is true, and is really telling about the President. Since this isn't in the Blue, I will not discuss the implication further.

It is my understanding that all of the BC04 events you need tickets for, and the only way you can get them are from the local GOP/BC04 office. Call them, and tell them you are leaning toward Bush, and you would like to hear him speak. You should be able to get a ticket.
posted by plemeljr at 8:53 AM on August 17, 2004

Editorial about the loyalty oath
posted by fletchmuy at 8:53 AM on August 17, 2004

Well, don't wear a pro-choice t-shirt or a Kerry t-shirt and head to West Virginia. You might just have a chance.
posted by Otis at 8:55 AM on August 17, 2004

Right. I did a search for the oath and all I could come up with was a New Mexico Cheney event. So, I was wondering if anyone knew if they had stopped doing the oaths after that and if they didn't, if the oath was legally binding.

I don't want to turn this into a blue thread. :)
posted by graventy at 8:59 AM on August 17, 2004

I would second plemeljr's suggestion - call and ask.
posted by stonerose at 9:01 AM on August 17, 2004

There was a story about this in our local paper yesterday. The best way to get into the event is to call the local republican party office and see if you can get tickets. The loyalty oath was specific to a Cheney event in New Mexico, but across the board they are tightly controlling access to their campaign events. Tickets are mostly given as a reward to the party faithful and hard to come by. The events are also being staging in places where it's hard to stand outside the ticketed area. The Bush campaign admitted to the reporter that this was being done intentionally.
Two local examples show the differences in the campaign. Kerry had a rally in a public park. A few thousand got tickets, but a total of 20,000 came and stood outside of the enclosed area, including protesters. Bush held a rally in a 2000 seat auditorium attended by campaign volunteers and party faithful and took prescripted questions.
posted by putzface_dickman at 9:02 AM on August 17, 2004

Posted today on the Minnesota GOP site: Tickets for President George W. Bush's campaign rally at the Xcel Energy Center tomorrow are available today until 9 p.m. from the Bush-Cheney campaign office at 1445 Energy Park Dr., St. Paul. For more information, call the campaign at 651-645-5614.

I'd be interested to hear what you find out.
posted by Otis at 9:11 AM on August 17, 2004

Well, I'll be something or other. That's fucked up.

I had no idea. My apologies for the misinformation, the thought that something like this would be required never entered my mind.
posted by cedar at 9:14 AM on August 17, 2004

It also helps that when you call for tickets, that your phone number doesn't show up on the caller ID as "Kerry '04" as it did in New Mexico when the Kerry campaign tried to get tickets to infiltrate the rally.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 9:30 AM on August 17, 2004

"infiltrate" haha. hahaha.

Infiltrate... hee.
posted by Space Coyote at 9:40 AM on August 17, 2004

the Kerry campaign tried to get tickets to infiltrate the rally

Well, that would completely justify making people sign loyalty oaths to get in -- if it happened, which of course it didn't.
posted by jjg at 11:08 AM on August 17, 2004

Steve_at_Linnwood: Are you aware of how insane you are? Infiltrate?!
posted by xmutex at 12:17 PM on August 17, 2004

I got my tickets. I was asked if I was 'a supporter of the president'. I said I was a Democrat. I was given the ticket anyway.

Along with instructions on what was allowed into the rally building, the volunteers were announcing to the crowd of about 30-40 waiting in line for tickets that the event is open to all people, not just Republicans.

The next step: to see if I'm allowed in the rally. And Steve, no, I'm not part of the Kerry campaign.
posted by graventy at 12:28 PM on August 17, 2004

per my knowledgable hubby, the loyalty oaths are done at a state party level. the RNC has apparently said that the states can do what they want, so it can still happen depending on where you live.

keep us posted, graventy, on what happens. these are interesting times!
posted by evening at 1:23 PM on August 17, 2004

Ticket ripped because of sticker

Kathryn Mead wanted to see her first sitting president when George W. Bush visited the city.
      Instead, Bush campaign staffers tore up the 55-year-old social studies teacher's ticket and refused her admission because she sported a small sticker on her blouse that touted the Democratic ticket of John Kerry and John Edwards.
      "I had my ticket and photo identification, but they would not let me in because of this sticker," said Mead, a teacher at Traverse City West Senior High, who said she has seen Queen Elizabeth and Pope John Paul in person.
posted by emelenjr at 4:20 PM on August 17, 2004