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Member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2007
- Messages
- 549
So you want to be a delegate? You think Dr. Paul could win a brokered convention? Great!
But it isn't going to just happen. Every Ron Paul delegate will have to be prepared to play the party politics game as a team. Every convention will have to have a leader who is smart, organized and at least knows the basics of the rules for his state. And if we go in acting like a herd of cats we are going to have our butts handed to us by the opposition.
Now that I have read this I can see how woefully inadequate our delegate training has been to this point in Iowa.
I am a strong believer in the KISS method ("Keep it simple, Stupid") but there are some things that just can't be dumbed down too much. We will need to be organized at the district level to have any hope of electing delegates to national.
Delegate Selection (Republican Party)
To Iowa’s Caucuses and Conventions --A How to Guide
Serving as a delegate to one or more of Iowa’s caucuses or conventions is truly a unique
and interesting endeavor. The process avails the participant of one of this country’s truly
grassroots participatory political practices. Below you will find a simple guide to the
process of Caucus Participant to Delegate to the Republican National Convention. All of
Iowa’s registered Republicans are availed the opportunity to actively participate in the
process.
Please consider joining the ranks of thousands of Iowans who work to make their
voices heard during this unique process.
The levels at which you may serve are as follows:
1. Precinct Caucus Attendee
2. Delegate to your County Republican Convention
3. Delegate to the District Statutory Caucus (often referred to as the District
Convention). A District meeting is held in each of Iowa’s Five Congressional Districts.
4. Delegate to the District Presidential Caucus (convention) --only during
Presidential election years
5. Delegate to the State Republican Convention
6. Delegate to the Republican National Convention (only during Presidential
election years
• Important Note: If you are elected to serve as a District Delegate, you
automatically serve as a Delegate to the Republican State Convention. The
delegates to these two gatherings (or three, during Presidential election years), are
the exact same people.
Step One: Attend your precinct caucus. Each of Iowa’s precincts conducts a precinct
caucus at the beginning of each election year. The caucus is typically held in January,
but no later than mid-February. Iowa law mandates that caucus locations be listed in the
primary newspapers servicing your county during the two weeks immediately preceding
the scheduled dates of the caucuses. Volunteer for or have someone nominate you to
serve as a delegate to your county’s Republican Convention. During a non-presidential
year, many precincts are “looking” for people interested in serving as county delegates.
The process is more difficult during presidential election years, especially if the
Republican nomination is contested. In order to better ensure your election, invite as
many friends (who live in your precinct) to attend the caucus with you as possible. Ask
them to support your nomination and vote for you after nominations cease.
Step Two: If you were elected to serve at your precinct caucus, contact your county
Republican chair to determine the process for the next nomination process. Some
counties nominate and elect the next level of delegates directly from the floor of their
county convention. Other counties prepare a slate to be presented to the county
convention delegates for their approval. This slate may contain names adequate to fill all
positionS or may be a partial delegate listing. For this reason, it is imperative that you
contact your county GOP chair to determine the exact method of this process.
Step Three: Make sure that you actually attend yur county convention. It is much
more difficult to proceed to the next level of delegate participation if you fail to attend the
conventions to which you have been nominated to serve. Be prepared to have someone
nominate you to serve at the next level (District and State Delegate) or contact the
nomination committee to determine what must be done to have your name added to
the pre-prepared slate. Your local County GOP Chair can tell you who sits on the
nominatin committee.
Step Four: If you are elected at your County Republican Convention to serve as a
District Delegate, you automatically serve as a delegate to the State Convention. Attend
your District Caucus (convention). If it is a Presidential election year and you wish to
run to serve as a delegate to the Republican National Convention, your efforts should
begin during this meeting. Let people know of your interest in serving as a National
Delegate. Begin campaigning at this meeting for your election at the Presidential Caucus
(Convention). People who wish to serve in this capacity must be willing to campaign;
send out letters to the delegates, distribute information sheets regarding your skills and
qualifications to serve during the District events.
Step Five: If this is a presidential year and you wish to seek a seat as a National
Delegate, you should attend your District Presidential Caucus (Convention). This
meeting is always held the Friday evening before the state convention. Have
someoneprepared to nominate you (this speech is normally limited to 1 minute) from
the floor and someone prepared to second the nomination. (Usually no speech
allowed.) Be prepared to give a short speech to the delegation (usually between 3 and
5 minutes). Make sure you arrive early to distribute your campaign material. Some
individuals actually take the time and effort to contact each of the delegates by phone or
mail prior to the day of the elections. Fifteen (15) delegates - 3 from each congressional
district are elected in this fashion.
Step Six: A nominating committee will be elected during the District presidential
Caucus (convention); two members from each congressional district. This nominating
committee is commissioned with the task of putting a slate together to be elected as “at
large”
delegates. This at-large slate is presented to the delegates prior to the state
convention and the convention delegates have the opportunity to approve or decline this
slate at a specified time during the convention. Contact someone from the Republican
Party of Iowa to ask who is serving on the nominating committee. If you were
unsuccessful in your attempts at the District Presidential Caucus (convention), you may
still 1obby the nomination committee to place your name on the slate. You should be
aware, however, that the slate typically consists of high level Republican activists or
leaders and one’s best opportunity to serve as a National Delegate comes at the District
Presidential Caucus (convention).
Step Seven: Congratulations if you have made it through the process and have been
successfully elected as a National Delegate. This is an elite group, usually only
25-40 Republicans are honored in this way. The National Convention will be held on
September 1-4, 2008. As a delegate, please be aware that you are responsible for the
cost of the entire convention It is typical for the convention expenses to run from $1500
to $3000 depending on the delegate hotel assignment and what type of meals you eat.
Have fun and enjoy the experience!
Simplified Step by Step
• Attend Precinct Caucus and get elected to County Convention
• Attend County Convention and get elected to District and State Conventions
• Attend District Presidential Caucus (convention) and State Convention and get
elected to serve as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. Three (3)
from each congressional district elected at District Presidential Caucus
(convention); slate elected during Republican State Convention.
But it isn't going to just happen. Every Ron Paul delegate will have to be prepared to play the party politics game as a team. Every convention will have to have a leader who is smart, organized and at least knows the basics of the rules for his state. And if we go in acting like a herd of cats we are going to have our butts handed to us by the opposition.
Now that I have read this I can see how woefully inadequate our delegate training has been to this point in Iowa.
I am a strong believer in the KISS method ("Keep it simple, Stupid") but there are some things that just can't be dumbed down too much. We will need to be organized at the district level to have any hope of electing delegates to national.
Delegate Selection (Republican Party)
To Iowa’s Caucuses and Conventions --A How to Guide
Serving as a delegate to one or more of Iowa’s caucuses or conventions is truly a unique
and interesting endeavor. The process avails the participant of one of this country’s truly
grassroots participatory political practices. Below you will find a simple guide to the
process of Caucus Participant to Delegate to the Republican National Convention. All of
Iowa’s registered Republicans are availed the opportunity to actively participate in the
process.
Please consider joining the ranks of thousands of Iowans who work to make their
voices heard during this unique process.
The levels at which you may serve are as follows:
1. Precinct Caucus Attendee
2. Delegate to your County Republican Convention
3. Delegate to the District Statutory Caucus (often referred to as the District
Convention). A District meeting is held in each of Iowa’s Five Congressional Districts.
4. Delegate to the District Presidential Caucus (convention) --only during
Presidential election years
5. Delegate to the State Republican Convention
6. Delegate to the Republican National Convention (only during Presidential
election years
• Important Note: If you are elected to serve as a District Delegate, you
automatically serve as a Delegate to the Republican State Convention. The
delegates to these two gatherings (or three, during Presidential election years), are
the exact same people.
Step One: Attend your precinct caucus. Each of Iowa’s precincts conducts a precinct
caucus at the beginning of each election year. The caucus is typically held in January,
but no later than mid-February. Iowa law mandates that caucus locations be listed in the
primary newspapers servicing your county during the two weeks immediately preceding
the scheduled dates of the caucuses. Volunteer for or have someone nominate you to
serve as a delegate to your county’s Republican Convention. During a non-presidential
year, many precincts are “looking” for people interested in serving as county delegates.
The process is more difficult during presidential election years, especially if the
Republican nomination is contested. In order to better ensure your election, invite as
many friends (who live in your precinct) to attend the caucus with you as possible. Ask
them to support your nomination and vote for you after nominations cease.
Step Two: If you were elected to serve at your precinct caucus, contact your county
Republican chair to determine the process for the next nomination process. Some
counties nominate and elect the next level of delegates directly from the floor of their
county convention. Other counties prepare a slate to be presented to the county
convention delegates for their approval. This slate may contain names adequate to fill all
positionS or may be a partial delegate listing. For this reason, it is imperative that you
contact your county GOP chair to determine the exact method of this process.
Step Three: Make sure that you actually attend yur county convention. It is much
more difficult to proceed to the next level of delegate participation if you fail to attend the
conventions to which you have been nominated to serve. Be prepared to have someone
nominate you to serve at the next level (District and State Delegate) or contact the
nomination committee to determine what must be done to have your name added to
the pre-prepared slate. Your local County GOP Chair can tell you who sits on the
nominatin committee.
Step Four: If you are elected at your County Republican Convention to serve as a
District Delegate, you automatically serve as a delegate to the State Convention. Attend
your District Caucus (convention). If it is a Presidential election year and you wish to
run to serve as a delegate to the Republican National Convention, your efforts should
begin during this meeting. Let people know of your interest in serving as a National
Delegate. Begin campaigning at this meeting for your election at the Presidential Caucus
(Convention). People who wish to serve in this capacity must be willing to campaign;
send out letters to the delegates, distribute information sheets regarding your skills and
qualifications to serve during the District events.
Step Five: If this is a presidential year and you wish to seek a seat as a National
Delegate, you should attend your District Presidential Caucus (Convention). This
meeting is always held the Friday evening before the state convention. Have
someoneprepared to nominate you (this speech is normally limited to 1 minute) from
the floor and someone prepared to second the nomination. (Usually no speech
allowed.) Be prepared to give a short speech to the delegation (usually between 3 and
5 minutes). Make sure you arrive early to distribute your campaign material. Some
individuals actually take the time and effort to contact each of the delegates by phone or
mail prior to the day of the elections. Fifteen (15) delegates - 3 from each congressional
district are elected in this fashion.
Step Six: A nominating committee will be elected during the District presidential
Caucus (convention); two members from each congressional district. This nominating
committee is commissioned with the task of putting a slate together to be elected as “at
large”
delegates. This at-large slate is presented to the delegates prior to the state
convention and the convention delegates have the opportunity to approve or decline this
slate at a specified time during the convention. Contact someone from the Republican
Party of Iowa to ask who is serving on the nominating committee. If you were
unsuccessful in your attempts at the District Presidential Caucus (convention), you may
still 1obby the nomination committee to place your name on the slate. You should be
aware, however, that the slate typically consists of high level Republican activists or
leaders and one’s best opportunity to serve as a National Delegate comes at the District
Presidential Caucus (convention).
Step Seven: Congratulations if you have made it through the process and have been
successfully elected as a National Delegate. This is an elite group, usually only
25-40 Republicans are honored in this way. The National Convention will be held on
September 1-4, 2008. As a delegate, please be aware that you are responsible for the
cost of the entire convention It is typical for the convention expenses to run from $1500
to $3000 depending on the delegate hotel assignment and what type of meals you eat.
Have fun and enjoy the experience!
Simplified Step by Step
• Attend Precinct Caucus and get elected to County Convention
• Attend County Convention and get elected to District and State Conventions
• Attend District Presidential Caucus (convention) and State Convention and get
elected to serve as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. Three (3)
from each congressional district elected at District Presidential Caucus
(convention); slate elected during Republican State Convention.
