RULES
The controversy over the proposed Rules changes actually was settled in a way that reflects a victory for grassroots and the right of states to select their national delegates as they choose. Yet there is so much misinformation going around the internet concerning those recently adopted rules. Originally, the rules changes as presented were undesirable and several states were prepared to present a Minority Report to keep two especially troublesome rules from being enacted.
Thanks to many phone calls and emails from concerned grassroots Republicans like you, our concerns were addressed during the subsequent Rules Committee meeting which was held prior to the Rules actually being presented to the convention for approval. And in that committee meeting, we grassroots won a great victory! First, the onerous language which would have negated the way that states select their delegates and which would have given a presumptive nominee the ability to "disavow" a delegate(s) was REMOVED. Additionally, the rule which allowed the RNC to change rules between conventions was significantly modified so that any change would need to have 3/4 rather than only a 2/3 majority of the RNC members to pass any change. You can read a report on the rules changes with more details and somewhat different conclusions from the revered and long-time Virginia Platform delegate Morton Blackwell by clicking
here. Morton’s advice to concentrate now on winning our November election is excellent and we urge all pro-life, constitutional conservatives to follow that advice! To read the entire new set of rules go
here.
Now as to the manner in which the Rules (and other committee reports) were handled on the floor, it was heavy-handed and not a good way to handle approval of those reports. For one thing, there was no way to have an accurate voice vote as alternates and guests could (and did) yell either “Aye” or “Nay,” rather than just the delegates voting and being heard. Additionally, many – if not most – delegates likely were unaware that there would not be a minority report offered since the offending language had been removed or improved in the last Rules Committee meeting. This confusion certainly could have been better handled by the convention chairman and would have made the issue which so divided the convention much less of a problem.
