The Nevada State Republican convention (held on April 26, 2008) was put into recess without a vote from the delegates. This happened for one of two reasons, depending on who you ask. Many of the delegates (most of whom were supports of Ron Paul) vote for and gained a rule change on electing delegates to the national convention. As my regular readers may remember, I went to the Clark County Republican convention back in March. One of the phrases I used to describe the county convention is that there were a lot of “people splitting hairs” over various issue and lots of arguing. I’m sure at the State Convention had a lot of the same thing going on. However, one item that the Ron Paul supporters were able to get past I fully agree with. At the start of the State Convention, only people who were “preapproved” by the State party’s executive board could run to be a delegate to the national party. These Ron Paul supporters (with others) were able to get this rule changed to say that any delegate to the state convention could run to be a delegate to the national party. I believe that anyone interested should be able to do that. Shortly after this rule changed finally happened, the state party leaders put the convention in recess as the convention was an hour over the time the room was rented for.
Some of the delegates decided to gather together and, following Robert’s Rules of Order, voted to resume the convention. The State Party was invited to attend, but declined, saying that they were planning on resuming the convention themselves. To quote from these delegates’ website (emphasis added): “It’s well over a month since the Nevada state Republican convention was recessed and it is becoming apparent that the Nevada GOP has not made any plans to reconvene“. Today, the State Party canceled the upcoming resume convention, and I believe that the party never had any plans on resuming the convention after they lost the ability to decide/control who could go to the National Convention.
There was some debate a month or so ago on what would happen when the “Ron Paul Convention” elected delegates (which they did) and when the resumed “State Party Convention” elected delegates, who would the National Convention seat? According to a news report on KXNT “the party’s executive board will likely appoint delegates to September’s Republican National Convention”. However, does the State Party not resuming the convention and chosen their own delegates change anything? I hope that the “Ron Paul Convention” delegates sue if the State Party’s delegates (chosen in secret, backroom meetings) are seated and not there’s. Insults like this to the good people of Nevada who chose delegates at the February caucus can not be allowed. This is another nail in the GOP coffin that is known as McCain 2008 and almost enough to cause me to change my voter registration from GOP to Independent American/Constution Party.
6 Comments;
nevadagop.orgDid you read what is on the State Republican Party’s website?
http://www.nevadagop.org/News/Read.aspx?ID=8297
“With so many people concerned about the economy, it simply wouldn’t fair for us to ask delegates from all over the state to spend money to attend a convention if we know that a quorum won’t be present.”
What a load!
Yeah, I read it, and I don’t believe it. Something that they failed to mention in the letter they sent out to try to get the state delegates to come, they asked them for another $35.00 and they asked if they’d rather elect delegates via mail. If I was asked if I wanted to go to Reno again and pay $35.00 or if I wanted to elect via mail, I would have chosen mail. The state GOP seems to be forgetting this.
youtube.comSome good links from back in April
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/04/27/nevada-gop-convention-chaos-mccain-outmaneuvered-by-paulians-party-leaders-shut-down-voting/
I noticed on you Jerk of the week comment, Casey said there was a lot wrong with it, but didn’t have time to go into it. I wonder what it was they were going to say. I think at this point, the State Republican party will say just about anything to get themselves out of hot water.
I’ve thought about this, and I think if they want to cancel this convention, they should go ahead and do so, as long as they send the delegates elected from the “Ron Paul” convention.
So, are they just disregarding the mail-in thing? They just aren’t going to do that?
They are sadly sounding a lot like democrats right now.
When I left to go out of town yesterday, I caught the very end of Casey & Heather talking about it. So, I didn’t hear most of what they talked about (and, to make matters worse, their connection from their live remote kept dropping out), but one of the things casey said is “bottom line, the ones who are most involved with the party are the ones who should be able to go to the national convention” or something along those lines. So, to use a Hannity line “party insiders” are the ones who should be able to go to the national convention and vote for who ever they want, completely disregarding the will of the people. Sounds like Super Delegates in the Democratic Party. It also sounds like Soviet Union. The people can vote for whoever they want, as long as its who the Party leaders said.