GOP Rules Committee Rapidly Moving to Shut Out Grassroots at 2:00 p.m. Today (It's not over)

RedState ^ | Tuesday August 28, 2012 | Erick Erickson

[Bigtigermike]

At 2:00 p.m. today in Tampa, the Republican National Committee, led by Team Romney, is moving to shut down conservative grassroots activists. I’ve been on the phone with several individuals involved in the fight who tell me that the fight is not over, it is only just starting.

Specifically, the media is reporting that the rules fight is over because Team Romney is abandoning Ben Ginsberg’s effort to allow candidates to control delegates. Under an initial proposal, delegates would, in effect, be chosen by the presumed nominee’s campaign and not based on votes in the states and delegate selection processes in the states.

That issue appears resolved, but several people I’ve spoken to this morning make clear that Team Romney and the RNC establishment are using that compromise as a red herring to distract from two major rules change proposals that would decimate Republican grassroots and prevent upstart political campaigns.

Reports that the floor fight threat is over might be designed to calm the grassroots and get them to ignore what is coming at 2 o’clock.

The first rule to be proposed is one that would give the Republican National Committee the power to change rules between conventions with a three-quarters vote of the RNC. One source tells me, “With a Republican President, of course this is doable. Everybody will roll over if a President Romney asks them too. They’ll be able to get Ben Ginsberg’s proposal next year.”

In other words, if Team Romney prevails in this rules change, they don’t have to worry about Ben Ginsberg not getting his way today on the delegate changes. They’ll be able to do it later when the press and grassroots are not watching.

The second rules change would front load winner takes all primaries.

[itsahoot]

No one is talking about except here on FreeRepublic.

Yep, I will eat my peas today.

John Kennedy once said that a rising tide raises all boats. The converse is also true, and some one is getting ready to pull the plug on our bathtub. Have fun, because sunk duckies are no fun at all.

[Slyfox]

I just don’tlike the RNC anti grassroots attitude.

It is only happening because the grassroots are making their points known. At some point it will be recognized that the grassroots are right and their opinion will be honored. We are actually working our way to a point of shared moral philosophy, the objective truth variety. And, we are in the process of watching it take place.

[rbmillerjr]

yes...Palin, Santorum, Newt...

they are all supporting Romney.

[rbmillerjr]

Your post isn’t to the point.

Iran was working on nuclear capability but didn’t have key components of the capability when Bush was in office.

He did the right thing and pressured Iran politically and economically. The Bush Doctrine didn’t say to use preemption on a future capability lol.

[Monorprise]

I just don’t see how that can work without destroying the party. A political party is not a company out to create a product in some area. The product of a political party is the power over-which they are here fighting.

So in essence if the RNC had decided to ignore the State and Local Republican parties in this way they would in effect be devaluing the stock of the stock holders. Which of course would leaves the same stock holders predisposed to place their “money” elsewhere, thus devaluing the product as well.

Simply put to cut out our State & local parties is no different than a toy store deciding to sell less appealing toys.

[Marcella]

“I just don’t see how that can work without destroying the party.”

Now, you have it. Romney will have a party in name only and he runs it. Mission completed.

[itsahoot]

He did the right thing and pressured Iran politically and economically.

He will have accomplished exactly what he did in North Korea. I heartily disagree with your assessment. Bush had to know what was coming along behind him, or we have absolutely no government agency that has a clue what is going on in the world.

[rbmillerjr]

You didn’t address my points.

What was Bush supposed to do with Iran attempting to build a nuclear capacity, but nowhere close to having the enriched uranium nor the centrifuges to even pretend to build a nuke?

[itsahoot]

What was Bush supposed to do

You sound a little like Chris Matthews defending the president.

[rbmillerjr]

“You sound a little like Chris Matthews defending the president.”

You sound like a 16 year old brat, taking his ball home because you can’t be Quarterback.

[itsahoot]

You sound like a 16 year old brat, taking his ball home because you can’t be Quarterback.

Could be, I have been told that old people go through a second childhood.

Chrissy complained what more can we expect the man to do, he has done everything...yada, yada, yada.

On one hand we would have to believe that none of our alphabet agencies had a clue who Obama was, or that McCain had no opposition research capable of finding out who Obama was. Most here on FreeRepublic had a good idea that he was Marxist, Muslim, Socialist and all we have is the internet.

Knowing that we were able to learn all that, and it turns out to be correct, it boggles the mind to believe that GW could not have known exactly what the Obama administration would do to prevent Iran from developing the big one, it further requires you to believe that no one in our government reads what the Iranian power mongers say daily about their intentions toward Israel.

GW should not have left this on his plate, but then again he was no great friend of Israel in the first place, I am still waiting for him to move the Embassy to Jerusalem like he promised.

Madness.

[Syncro]

Typically republican - Determined to alienate their conservative base and snatch drefeat from the jaws of victory.

I believe many at the top of the party would rather lose the presidential election than lose their own power and influence.

How very true.

Like they did four years ago.

McCain paraphrased: Nothing to fear from Obama as a President

He threw the election to Obama on that day a few weeks before the election.

Typically republican - Determined to alienate their conservative base and snatch drefeat from the jaws of victory.

I believe many at the top of the party would rather lose the presidential election than lose their own power and influence.

[OldEarlGray]

Look. Like I’ve been explaining - it’s all about weight ratios.

A Gym Rat simply can’t carry a RINOcerous; not even if he grips it by the husk and could’ve been a professional skier.