Usually behind-the-scenes activities are the most interesting (and controversial) at a political convention. This year is no different with a monumental power grab by Republican insiders. Romney wants no criticism or dissent from the irksome grassroots and the elites are doing everything they can to crush those bothersome tea party activists and Ron Paul supporters. The scenario in the Rules Committee is to take over the convention and "disappear" the duly elected delegates who don't support Romney. They want a big love fest for the TV viewers. But the reality is that there are plenty of disagreements within any party and a little knock down drag out isn't necessarily bad to keep folks honest. Why does anyone think the pro-life plank has stayed in the platform so long? Not because of the Rockefeller country-club Republicans that's for sure! So here's the deal according to Nevada delegate
Cynthia Kennedy:
Two [rules] changes stand out far beyond the rest and must be defeated on the floor of the convention if we do not want to see the grassroots shut out of the party for decades to come.
First, the committee voted to allow the RNC to make rule changes between conventions, with little to no checks or balances. The original threshold proposed was 2/3 of the entire RNC. Melinda Fredericks of Texas got this changed to 3/4, but as Morton Blackwell of Virginia noted, in his many years on the RNC he has never seen a situation where the chairman did not get what he wanted on a vote, regardless of threshold.
Second, the committee voted to dramatically restrict who can be elected a delegate to the national convention. All states now are required to pledge all delegates, and all national delegates must be approved by the candidate they are pledged to. As originally proposed, the candidate had to pre-approve people before they could run, but this was changed to instead give candidates veto power over elections. Attempts to carve out exceptions for caucus states that have party rule requiring they not pledge some delegates failed.
The convention will be voting on these changes. In the meantime, ask your
state delegates on the Rules Committee to sign onto the minority report. If these rules pass at the convention it signals the end to grassroots voters having an impact and gives the inside-the-beltway gang complete control.
Mary Ann, if we're truly honest with ourselves, the fact is that the Christian Conservative is being deliberately marginalized and cast off into the ghetto by BOTH political parties and our eventual lot may be poverty, persecution and martyrdom. I feel in my gut that the Lord will allow Obama to "win" re-election so we can no longer be forced to compromise with the RINOs. Perhaps His plan is that, after the chastisement, we will be the corner stone of the new America - a nation restored to His grace and rebuilt in His image, but we must first be “refined as silver and tested like gold.” It just breaks my heart to see what is happening, especially for the young people, but we must trust Him completely and prepare.
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