Why The Exclusivity?

First the GOP in Virginia floated the "loyalty oath" idea, which was thankfully rescinded quickly.

Now, on the Dem's side, we have the ordeal of Kenton Ngo.

Obviously, I don't agree with Kenton on most (if not all) issues. We have had disagreements in various places around the blogosphere, including one on my blog. I do think he is an intelligent, bright young man who is a name to keep in mind when looking into the more distant future of Virginia politics (I'm talking 15-20 years from now). Despite our difference of opinion, I hope he finds success in the field of politics, and I believe he probably will (yes Kenton, you can quote me on that).

Apparently, there was an attempt by people in power in the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) to remove young Kenton (who is either 15 or 16, I'm not sure which) from the FCDC, although he's been a member since the age of 13. The claim was that his age prevented him from doing so, as stated in the DPVA's Party Plan.

The thing is...there is nothing in the DPVA's Party Plan that excludes those not of voting age. It seems like it was a ploy to "keep out the young'ns", so to speak. No particular reason as to why, but it seems like some of the people in charge want to continue the "older people's club" going. Also, the issue of Kenton's age seems to have come up because there was an upcoming election of officers.

Kenton recounts the incident at his blog. Ben from NLS adds more to the story (he doesn't have the bridges that could be burned like Kenton does), and includes his experience as a teenager in the FCDC...as well as presenting the fact that the subsequent actions of the FCDC regarding Kenton's ability to vote in the committee may have disqualified the results of the officer elections.

If either party is going to be a better representative of the people...they need to start making attempts to appeal to people and expand their base...especially when it comes to reaching out to those who will become the future of the party.