Posted on 04/10/2016 11:36:07 PM PDT by ObamahatesPACoal
Special note from Colorado GOP Chairman Steve House on the decision to eliminate the presidential straw poll:
This past week I have received many questions about why the Colorado GOP eliminated the presidential straw poll at this year's caucus. There are several important facts and considerations to take into account.
At no time prior to this year has a straw poll bound delegates to specific candidates. Many thought that the 2012 straw poll bound delegates to winner Rick Santorum. In fact it did not.
There are some voters who believe this year the Democrats will bind delegates to Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders on Tuesday - they will not. The last time either party bound their delegates was in 2000 when we had a presidential primary.
This year the Republican National Committee requires that if a party conducts a straw poll it must bind delegates to the results.
Some ask why the Colorado GOP doesn't just comply and bind all of our delegates proportionally to the result of a straw poll. There are a number of reasons the executive committee decided against the poll this year and I won't go into all of them.
However, I want to share my most pressing concern with doing a binding preference poll. There is no such thing as a binding preference poll because when you actually award delegates via a poll it's not a poll - it's an election. The results could affect the outcome of the presidential race because this year the race is likely to be very close if not unsettled at the national convention.
So what's wrong with an election? Nothing if you are actually going to run it with all the precautions and security measures of an actual election. In our case we have over 2000 precincts in 64 counties where there is no uniformity of ballots, no uniform credentialing training process, no clarity on who actually counts ballots, no clear answer to who controls the tally sheets, and no uniform transparent process with integrity in the event there needs to be a recount. The prospect of awarding delegates through a straw poll with so many systemic loopholes and fraud risks is an unacceptable gamble given the stakes of this presidential election.
Picking our delegates through a controlled and secure four step process that is open to all registered Republicans is far preferable than an opaque straw poll. Something needs to change going forward but election integrity is still more important to me than any other factor.
I am confident that the process we use to elect delegates which provides the option for delegates to self bind to a presidential candidate will give Coloradans the opportunity they need to express their preference for president.
-Steve
Find your caucus location at caucus.cologop.org
41 Likes 149 Comments 69 Shares
The eGOP, Welcome to 1984 where no choice is expression.
“The system worked. Cruz would’ve won the state in a primary vote “
Then why all the fuss NOT to allow Trump delegates to be seated??
“Here’s a hint: Yes, some delegates are bound by Party pledge to support a specific candidate during the Convention vote. CO has no such stipulation.”
They don’t need to put it in writing since it can be done in the backroom by only allowing delegates intending to vote as the eGOP demands.
If Steve House thought that nearly unintelligible statement would make this thing look fair and transparent, he utterly failed.
Your right, that’s the way works in Cuba. Maybe Cruz should return home?
>How were the delegates selected? Republicans selected them by VOTING for them.
You skipped the part where they just tossed out Trump delegates whenever they felt like this. This isn’t republicanism, this is Putinism.
We’ll never know who would have won a primary, but Trump was leading Cruz in the poll held within a month of the decision to scrap the primary. Carson was the leader, followed by Rubio, then Trump, then Cruz. Bush was at his usual 2%.
Just looking through my comment history. Turns out that story was COMPLETELY false. Another lie told about the Cruz campaign, in an effort to hurt his candidacy. Lies, lies, lies.
I implore you to speak truth, to promote your candidate rather than lie about your political opponents.
Pretty much says it all. Just wait until November.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.