Posted on 05/29/2024 9:00:50 AM PDT by Nevernikki
The first picture shows Dean White, Aaron Delmar and Mark Shaw. Mark is in the red hat. The second picture is when Dean and Aaron start to walk away and while you can’t see it, Mark grabs Aaron’s arm.
After the second round of voting when the floor delegates refused to confirm Mark Shaw as the National Republican Representative, as the delegates overwhelmingly wanted Dean White, Chairman Don Tracy asked for Dean and Mark to talk to try and come to some understanding as it was clear Mark was not going to ever be approved. Dean asked Aaron to come with him to meet with Mark as Aaron is very well versed in the rules of the convention and Dean wanted his assistance.
As soon as Dean and Aaron walked up to meet, Mark insisted that Aaron leave the meeting. Aaron refused to leave as Dean had asked him to accompany him and Aaron had every right to be present as he was a floor delegate and a committee member as well. It was around this time when Mark Shaw threatened to “beat Aaron’s ass” if he did not leave the conversation. Aaron was not intimidated and he continued to assist Dean to work through the procedural maneuvering at the convention even though he was physically threatened by Mark Shaw.
Ultimately, Dean, Aaron and others were successful in getting the necessary committee votes to beat Mark out for the national committee appointment notwithstanding Mark having threatened Aaron with physical violence, as well as others like Larry Smith, trying to strong arm floor delegates to switch their votes.
In the end, Mark Shaw tried to appear diplomatic and cordial by speaking to the crowd and encouraging his supporters to vote for Dean White. I just feel it’s important for all of you to know this little public display of diplomacy at the end by Mark Shaw was completely fake and he did so only after he knew he had lost, as his threats of physical violence against Aaron had failed, as well as the likes of Larry Smith trying to intimidate floor delegates to vote for Mark had also failed.
While I wasn’t present on this day, I learned of this from firsthand accounts by Aaron and others, but I have been present at other events and personally witnessed this similar kind of toxic behavior of Mark Shaw. I hope this man can get help for whatever he’s suffering from, but this kind of behavior has no place in our political discourse. Politics is hard enough without having people like Mark resort to threats of physical violence as well as encouraging, or acquiescing, others to strong arm on his behalf. I am grateful for all of us this man will not be representing Illinois on the national stage. I am also hopeful someone will run against him the next cycle and he is no longer a state central committee person.
Two different reports of different physical threats and intimidation from this convention. Not good but typical Illinois politics.
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