disabledVet
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As a new delegate to the Republican Convention yesterday I was witness to some 12 hours of command and control. It was the worst exhibit of political gerrymandering that anyone could have imagined. From the opening prayer, which was more a speech than a prayer, the call was sent out to "come together," but the backroom control of the party long timers was evident from the very beginning.
Mind you, since first attending my Precinct Convention, which was not as well organized as the recent tornado rescue, on the very night of that disaster, which was held in a darkened church whose lights had been knocked out by the storm; that meeting was for 21 Precincts but only 11 such had anyone their to meet and thus move on to the State Senate Convention. After that meeting, the Tarrant County GOP did not send out ANY information to the Precinct Chairman or Secretary of our Precinct. We only knew the date, time and place of the State Senate Convention held yesterday. No information, no instructions were given to us by the Tarrant County GOP offices, just word of mouth at the Precinct Convention to show up.
With the Committees pre-selected and a clear atmosphere of cronyism, the push was on from the opening of the school house doors to make it difficult for newcomers to navigate the process or feel welcomed no matter how long they may have been a Republican. In front of closed auditorium doors, was a table lined with areas in different alphabetical segments so that attendees could obtain their credentials to enter. Ten minutes before the start of the Convention their was mass confusion as to order and no one in control of this under manned table.
A lady, dressed in black, was the gatekeeper to the closed doors and she had little information to provide when asked even simple questions as to where do I go from here. When I asked what was happening behind the doors, she asked me if I were a volunteer. Answering no, she then stated I needed to be one in order to enter. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
There was no signage to give any explanations or directions, merely one lady dressed in black with little information to offer.
The entire convention begin in a mist of confusion, as those pre-selected for committees skirted around lines at the closed doors, of those waiting to sign a "Pledge of Loyalty" in order to obtain entry to the Convention. But even they had to continually ask where am I suppose to be.
Finally after entering without permission from the gatekeeper, I learned that the next set of desks was where you obtained your pre-cast coded badges and colored wrist bands. A young man was handing out the bands, but there was no explanation of what the colors signified. The man in front of me simply said, "don't get the blue one, it means your a visitor." I told the young man that I need an orange and red. I never did find out what they meant.
The convention started 1 hour late as the confusion at the front door marked the beginning of what would become the most disorganized "organized" event I have ever attended. The program flow was continually interrupted by side bars, candidates wanting to speak about "vote for me," and long waits for committees behind closed doors down a darkened hallway away from the auditorium in secret sessions.
A clear lack of openness was exhibited over the often spoken rhetoric from the podium by the Temporary Chairman and other speakers in the know who would continually interject, "we must come together and this is open to all," united behind our candidate,... a long pause, allowed one man in the back to interject, "Ron Paul," to boos and laughter, as the speaker moved on without a name.
The rules had been set, to follow 'Parliamentary Procedures" but no complete explanation of the usage of such was available to assist the order and flow of the proceedings. This young man named Jeremy Blosser was available to those that wanted to make amendments or ask questions, or ask for a point of order, he offered help for those that struggled.
Written instructions were not available to follow those procedures and our credentials packets had more "candidate campaign flyers" than substance of the event. Inside one advertising pieces full of smiling "vote for me's" was a one page of the days agenda.
Starting 1 hour late, the event never regained that lost time, the ebb and flow was much like a real time life boat drill. You were timed to speak for only 3 minutes, which every candidate ignored when given the opportunity to speak and that was projected on to a wall that most couldn't view partially hidden behind strings of red, white and blue balloons.
Pre-determined Statements of policy, derived from pre-selected committees were offered up, as some form of mass appeasement, to be reviewed, discussed, possibly amended and then voted on for passage or failure.
It was contentuious and fractured; noting that no one exhibited whom they were backing, I was not however surprised to see the disgruntled look and expressions when Jeremy, a Ron Paul backer dressed in a Red shirt, would stroll to one of the microphones on the auditorium floor. Clearly those in the leadership knew his presence at the mic would bring them pause of concern.
There were shouts of other Ron Paul backers from time to time, but the Temporary Chairman, and others in the leadership would continually ask for "all to come together" to fight to send President Obama back to Chicago in November.
I could go on about the contentiousness of this event, but it was highly controlled by those mentioned in this article as being selected for their longtime attendance and their enthusiasm.
From a new-comers chair, I can tell you and affirm in writing that "inclusion" was not the intent of the Tarrant County GOP. It was painfully obvious the amount of fear of the Ron Paul contingent, although I saw no evidence of an organized covey of people in hats, wearing buttons or signs for any particular candidate.
For I finally figured it out; from our Precinct Meeting, which was a gathering of 21 Precincts where only 11 were attended by those that could then attend the next event, this State Senate 10 District convention, as I looked down our row their were designated areas for delegates that went unfilled during this event. That meant that their Precinct's Delegates would be apportioned by the District authoritarians. And I learned that by not following Jeremy Blosser's proposal for each Precinct to have one delegate and one alternate, that those in charge could convien a committee to decide whom among the Precincts would be elected as Delegates to the State GOP Convention to vote for those people in each precinct without that precinct having direct representation.
Some point of inclusion hey... we'll decide for you, the people, what your candidate will look like for the November ballot. It's all done behind closed doors in committee while a room full of lemmings sit haplessly by in an auditorium full of people who would love to speak their own minds about what happens within their particular precinct.
If not for the persistence of my asking questions, I could not have possibly joined this process. For well over a decade I have been a resident of Arlington, have always voted Republican, but have never been contacted by any Precinct Captain about my affiliation and possibly joining the process. My personal experience is that you have to fight your way into the fray.
At 6:15, I left, tired, frustrated and confused about this selection procress of delegates. I have no idea of who was selected or would be selected. I had full knowledge that "new comers" were less than fullly welcomed or informed..... and would not be getting a ticket to the next dance. It's a good old boys and girls club, that was pointedly clear.
If this lack of direct representation concerns or disturbs you then speak up and contact the Tarrant County GOP's Chairwoman. Speak up and be counted, your Precinct maybe under the voting control of those long time and enthusiasitc people in control of the Republican party.
Yes, Texas Politics is as advertised; a full contact sport and not for the meek.
Read more here:
http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/04/21/3902494/ron-paul-backers-will-fight-to.html#storylink=cpy
