Posted on 06/15/2012 1:25:38 PM PDT by EDINVA
For Immediate Release: June 15, 2012
Contact: Randy Marcus Phone: 804-814-7117 Email: randy.marcus@billbolling.com
Website: www.billbolling.com
BOLLING ISSUES STATEMENT ON STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE’S DECISION REGARDING 2013 METHOD OF NOMINATION
Lieutenant Governor expresses disappointment in Committee’s decision to abandon primary and choose nominees for statewide office via a party convention, and pledges to aggressively restructure his campaign to successfully compete in the convention process
Earlier today, 47 members of the State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia voted to rescind the Committee’s previous decision to nominate our party’s candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General in 2013 in a statewide primary and instead decided to nominate these candidates in a party convention. In response to this decision, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling issued the following statement:
“I am disappointed in the State Central Committee’s decision, which will effectively disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Virginia Republicans, and all active duty military personnel, from participating in the nomination of our candidates. If we want to grow our party we have to involve more people in the nomination of our candidates, not fewer; and I believe that we do that through primaries, not party conventions. This decision creates the impression that our party is an exclusive party, as opposed to an inclusive party, and that is not the message we should be sending to the people of Virginia.
“In addition, I am disappointed that the State Central Committee chose to change the rules in the middle of the 2013 election campaign. In October of 2011 the State Central Committee voted to nominate our candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General in a statewide primary. Since that time, numerous candidates, including myself, have hired staff, made strategic and tactical campaign decisions, and expended hundreds of thousands of dollars to put together primary campaigns in reliance on the State Central Committee’s decision. These decisions cannot be undone and these dollars cannot be unspent. To change the rules now, in the middle of the campaign, is unprecedented and unfair.
“Based on discussions with our attorneys, it is my belief that the Committee’s decision to change the mode of nomination in the middle of the campaign may also create significant legal questions. However, I have decided that it would not be in the best interests of the Republican Party to pursue a judicial remedy. Right now, our party needs its focus firmly fixed on electing Mitt Romney, George Allen and our Republican congressional candidates in November. I will not take any action that might further divide our party or distract our attention from the 2012 campaigns.
“In the days to come I will aggressively move to restructure my campaign and prepare to compete in the convention process. I have run and won in conventions before and I will do so again in 2013. My candidacy enjoys the support of hundreds of Republican Party leaders and activists form all across Virginia, and thousands of grassroots Republicans who share my vision of mainstream, results oriented conservative leadership for families and businesses in our state. With their help I am confident that we can defy the political pundits and win in a party convention, just like we would have won in a statewide primary.”
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Authorized and paid for by Friends of Bill Bolling
I was certain Ken Cuccinelli could win a republican primary, because he would have the motivated base.
But contrary to popular opinion here, I think this move will increase the odds of Bill Bolling winning.
Bill does have the support of the “establishment”, for those who want to call it that. The establishment is very good at turning out people for conventions. Conventions count votes proportionately, and based on republican vote strength, which will negate Ken’s huge base of support in the northern virginia area.
On the other hand, depending on when they schedule this thing, my daughter will be in college down in Richmond, so I’ll have a good reason to drag my wife down for a convention to vote for Ken. On the other hand, my daughter will most likely show up and vote for Bill, because she really does like him (I like him to, and would happily support him if it wasn’t Ken running against him).
The scary part is that some of this push in the RPV is due to the Ron Paul contingent that has been taking over party apparatus. There are things that could happen at conventions that would not be good, and I hope we can avoid those pitfalls.
I guess I’m going to have to rejoin the Republican Party, just so I can vote for Ken. That’s the worst part of this.
No, it is not the Ron Paul contingent but the Tea Party that is gaining control over the Central Committee. We won't forget what happened to Jeff Frederick. Now it is payback time for the Establishment.
This move will help Bolling. KC would have won state wide and he is the type of person that is needed now not another go along to get along guy. Maybe that is why they have done this. The presidential primary was botched and now this.
You don’t have to be on a county committee to vote at convention, do you ? We went to 2 in the early/mid 90’s (before the lawsuit that stopped them for a while). I was then a county committee member but husband wasn’t. We both went and voted.
Ken will win either way, primary or convention. Did you see the recent Quininpiac poll....Ken 51% to Bolling 15% with Republicans???
This will save both candidates $2 to 3M they would have had to waste, bashing each other. Either will be stronger in the General election because of that savings.
Since the Democrat Party has already declared they will nominate their Governor by Convention in 2013, only the Republican Party would have been forcing a $3,000,000 cost on the VA taxpayers for the Primary. Glad the Convention will save taxpayer money.
Historically, our candidates have LOST more when nominated by State Primary and Won more when nominate by Convention.
The convention clearly gives us better candidates and a stronger party!
A primary favors more moderate candidates (since Democrats can vote in the Primaries) and makes political consultants rich.
I think Bolling’s goose is cooked (to quote Palin) in VA. His only hope is a Romney appointment in DC, which I think is certain if Romney is elected.
I can see the Bolling press release now....”Dear Virginians, I wanted to run for Governor and my internal polls showed me leading in all areas, but this job offer from Mitt is too good to reject. Imagine getting $200K as Chief Paper Pusher in the Dept of Bureauracy.......so once again, I will step aside for the good of the party, since I am such a team player,......”
No, you don’t have to be a member of the local republican party to go and vote for Ken Cuccinelli at the State Convention in 2013....you just have to be a registered voter who considers himself a Republican.
You must register thru your local committee when they hold Mass Meetings in Spring of 2013. Depending on the local committee rules, you may have to attend the Mass Meeting to register in person but some committees allow registration by mailed form only (no meeting to attend).
Bolling’s spin:
“Based on discussions with our attorneys, it is my belief that the Committee’s decision to change the mode of nomination in the middle of the campaign may also create significant legal questions. However, I have decided that it would not be in the best interests of the Republican Party to pursue a judicial remedy. Right now, our party needs its focus firmly fixed on electing Mitt Romney, George Allen and our Republican congressional candidates in November. I will not take any action that might further divide our party or distract our attention from the 2012 campaigns.
“In the days to come I will aggressively move to restructure my campaign and prepare to compete in the convention process. I have run and won in conventions before and I will do so again in 2013. My candidacy enjoys the support of hundreds of Republican Party leaders and activists form all across Virginia, and thousands of grassroots Republicans who share my vision of mainstream, results oriented conservative leadership for families and businesses in our state. With their help I am confident that we can defy the political pundits and win in a party convention, just like we would have won in a statewide primary.”
TRANSLATION:
Based on discussion with my attorneys, I don’t have a leg to stand on, since courts have consistently ruled this is a PARTY MATTER. I really had no plans to sue but just made the threat to scare some votes on State Central my way, unfortunately that did not work so I wont sue so as to save the remaining 5% of my positive image in the Republican Party of Virginia.
Right now, we must focus on electing Romney to the Whitehouse so I get a high-paid desk job in the Romney administration in DC, the only way out where I can save face.
I will restructure my campaign so I can scrounge up more than the 80 people who will support me, so we can at least fill 2 buses going to the 2013 convention.
There are a lot of establishment Republicans and Democrats who share my vision of moderate, center/left leadership for families and businesses in our state. With their help I am confident that we can defy the political pundits and win in a party convention, just like we would have won in a statewide primary, despite the recent poll that shows me hopelessly behind, 51% to 15%. That poll is well within the margin of error.
LG Bolling
Official ribbon cutter of Virginia
Pretty much nails it.
I wish the intra-party *stuff* could be put aside for a few months. If VA goes blue again it’s our own fault. IMO, the problem lies with letting out-of-state college students register and vote here. Allowing that to happen in ‘08 is probably what earned Timmy the DNC Chairmanship. Let’s hope McDonnell cracks down. Maybe this class won’t have the same enthusiasm as their older brothers/sisters.
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