Posted on 09/01/2012 1:16:40 PM PDT by Lazamataz
Recently, the GOP passed some Presidential primary and delegate rules changes, in a very shady manner, that enraged conservatives. This rule will lessen the impact of delegates, and soften the voice of conservatives and Tea Party members. I was one of those who were enraged. In fact, I was at the front of the parade.
However, in life and especially in politics, not all is as it seems. One of Mitt Romney's closest advisors, a man by the name of James Bopp Jr., led the charge to prevent the rules from being this drastically changed. In a letter he wrote, he states:
This is the biggest power grab in the history of the Republican Party because it shifts the power to select delegates from the state party to the candidate. And it would make the Republican Party a top down, not bottom up party.
It would also hurt state parties because they use delegate selection as a way to honor party volunteers and party contributors. A Presidential candidate will have his own agenda for delegate selection. As a result, this always is a threat to party regulars who make up most of our delegates. But it is also a threat to both moderates and conservative who could be purged, depending on who is the Republican Presidential nominee.
This proposal is an over reaction to the problems in a few states where Ron Paul delegates threaten to not support the winning Presidential candidate. I agree that they should honor that pledge, but that can be fix by a few tweaks in a few state laws. Massachusetts handled this successfully by requiring an affidavit promising to vote for the candidate, Mitt Romney, who carried the state. But the Rules change here is overkill -- killing a fly with a sledgehammer.
After the Rules change imbroglio, I decided not to dash off a furious editorial, but instead to let time reveal all the workings, and to allow a little cooling off period. I'm glad I did. It's not as simple as it seemed.
Are there some scoundrels in the Republican party? Absolutely. John Boehner, who ruled against the floor vote in an entirely arbitrary way, springs to mind. One cannot help but think that Karl Rove clapped his chubby little hands together upon the Rules Change, as well. John Sununu, another villain in this power grab, may have been instrumental in removing key Florida delegates from the Rules Commitee. Perhaps the largest and most damning villain in the fiasco is Ben Ginsberg, who is Romney's chief legal advisor. It appears he was interested in even more power-consolidating Rules Changes.
There will be more revelations in the days ahead. It has been leaked to me that there will be more to follow, and that it may well show that Romney's camp initially wanted the Rules Change -- to undercut the Ron Paul brigades -- but when some of the party Establishment took the ball and ran too far downfield, that many in the Romney camp backed off of support. Of course, at that time, it was too late. The blue-blood establishment hacks had grabbed the concepts, racheted them up, and ran as hard as they could for the goal line.
So, we are starting to see the first glimmers of discontent in the Romney camp over the Rules Changes. If more follows, the changes may well be addressed -- with a little push from us, the Dreaded Grassroots.
The fact remains, though, that the Rules, having been changed, are horrific for the grassroots conservative and Tea Party members.
Romney, if he wants our support, should lead.
He should get in front of some conservative groups and let us know that the Rules will be changed again to allow our voices to be heard. We do understand if Romney himself cannot do it, since it is an old chestnut -- run to the right for nomination, run to the left for election -- but a high level surrogate would help us believe his intent.
The jury is still out. Is Romney willing to forego conservative support? We shall see. The blowback from a Romney rejection would be tragic for his election efforts.
Laz, the problem with Romney is that we can't believe ANYTHING he says, much less something that comes from a mouthpiece. To cite just one instance, he's already changed his abortion position at least twice (from abortion supporter prior to his 'conversion' to 'pro-life' to 'health of the mother').
Romney can talk all he wants. But talk is cheap. In fact, from Mitt Romney, it's free.
I'll give him your message next time he stops by Colorado!
I'll give him your message next time he stops by Colorado!
I don’t mean to belittle your point, which is solid. But what CEP candidate has invested over 6 years, has the backing of a GOP level group and spent tens to hundreds of millions (collectively and over the duration of 2 elections) to get the job?
None.
And that’s my point. There is everything at stake for him, the GOP and many believe, the planet. There is no way some schmuck was vetted at Obama level into positions of authority anywhere near him.
The GOP has all their deck chairs arranged and they are the finest mahogany their money could buy.
No accident, no rogue action. Planned, executed and now one of 2 things. 1: Damage control. 2: He wanted this for some reason still unfolding.
I’m going with 1.
“Presidential primary and delegate rules changes” by definition can be changed, like presidential diktats when the chief executive is a Castro/Clinton-wannabe: “Stroke of the pen, law of the land. Cool.”.
The incoming president says, “I disagree with it (e.g. the quasi-DREAM act approval by Zero that failed in Congress), it was an usurpation of the powers of a co-equal branch of government and I’m rescinding it.”
Don’t worry, be happy. And don’t sweat the small stuff.
I’m a giving person Laz...Therefore I will give you the opinion you should have.
No, no thanks needed. It’s my duty to my fellow Americans to guide them along the proper course. Because I’m simply THAT freaking GOOD ;)
Or not!
LOL!
Didn’t you hear what Rush said yesterday? Romney is up 15% with Independents. Would that almost wipe out you guys?
"You guys"?
Interesting. See, you are on a website populated by "you guys". What does that make YOU?
In response to the meat of your post:
A) Conventions do have bumps.
B) Romney needs all the votes he can get.
C) I don't expect this to be a Romney landslide. Too many 'takers' in America.
I guarantee you that he doesn't, and he won't.
What kind of cheese would you like with that Whine? Whoop - de-do - things did not go exactally the way you wanted it. What is this - a Ron Paul support group?
I look at it like this. We all make mistakes and if we learn from them, great.
For example, I myself discovered that at 4 years of age, I was in error about the moon and swiss cheese. That was a hard lesson and one I took to heart. I learned from that and to date, have not been wrong about anything else.
;)
I’m hearing little rumors and rumblings to the opposite affect.
Under the 2008 Maine rules that said delegates are selected to represent the candidate chosen by the voters. The Paul delegates were chosen on those rules then refused to sign the delegate sheets saying they were for the winner (in this case Romney) and tried to switch their votes to Paul instead.
This happened in several other States as well, taking delegates from both Romney and Santorum.
Waiting for it.
That was for the VP vote in which there were no alternatives. The Paul people have been pushing that lying saying it was for the Presidential votes, they even doctored a video to make it look like it was for the Presidential nomination- there wasn’t a Aye or Nay vote for the President, only the VP.
In that case, make me #139 please.
I’m with Norm as my prior post reflects what he believes. I know how the Party works, been there, done that, and Romney had that tightly planned and it worked like clock work.
When you see the national committee add that other rule he wants, you will know the transition of the party to Romney’s liberal party, is totally complete. Then, you can try to explain that one away.
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