spickford
03-24-2008, 10:58 PM
I know this has been brought up and debated over and over again, but I listened to Steve Parent today and although half of the show was him arguing with the other guy on small details, Steve is honestly right:
EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THEIR STATE RULES ON THE GOP WEBSITE
That is the only way you can actually know how the process in your state works. I took the time to read over my state's (North Carolina) rules, and I now know what we here need to do.
For NC, to clarify, delegates are chosen in two places: the district conventions and the state convention for the rest. So we have two shots to become a delegate. Of course, since some of the counties already have their delegates chosen, some will have no chance to become a delegate until state convention.
Also, we are an allocated state, which means if McCain wins 60% of the primary votes, he gets 60% of the delegates. If RP wins 10%, he gets 10%, and so on. And, sadly, we do have to declare who we are voting for before we are allowed to be voted to go to the National Convention. That is where they will get us. That rule is in Article 7, section F of the NCGOP Rules:
F. ELECTION OF PRESIDENTIAL DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES
Compliance with National Republican Party:
In order to comply with the rules of the National Republican Party and with the North Carolina General Statutes, specifically Section 163-213.8, immediately following the Presidential Preference Primary, the State Chairman, after consultation with the North Carolina Chairman for each Candidate receiving votes in the primary, shall allocate Delegate positions between the Candidates accurately reflecting the division of votes in the statewide primary, thereby requiring the election of the 3 Delegates and 3 Alternates at the District Convention and the remaining Delegates at the State Convention, in such allocated numbers as to accurately reflect the results of the statewide primary. Each person nominated as a Delegate or an Alternate at either the District or State Convention must have publicly declared as a representative of a Candidate on the Presidential Preference Primary ballot prior to the election of Delegates and Alternates to the National Convention. Delegates and Alternates shall then be elected in the allocation as announced by the State Chairman.
___________
However, and this is what I've been reading and hearing the most about, these rules can be changed at the state convention. So, if at the state convention, BEFORE the voting begins for the delegates to go to the National Convention, a motion is brought up to amend the "Plan of Organization", and make it so you do NOT have to declare who you are voting for, it can but in place with a 2/3 vote of all the delegates. The other way you can amend the rules is to submit a written copy of the proposed amendment to the NCGOP 30 days prior to the state convention, in which case it will be read at the convention and will only need a 50% vote. We can also vote to have the delegates un-proportioned, and thus UNBOUND when they go to the convention. That is the magic of a democracy! See the rules for amendments below:
ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS, APPLICABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS PLAN
A. AMENDMENTS TO PLAN OF ORGANIZATION
1. The Plan of Organization may be amended, not inconsistent with the Rules of the Republican National Committee, by majority vote of the delegates present and voting at any State Convention provided, however, that the proposed amendment was mailed to the membership of the State Executive Committee, elected at the preceding District Convention, at least thirty days prior to the convening of the State Convention. This mailing requirement shall not apply to the Report of the duly appointed Plan of Organization Committee, which shall be noticed pursuant to Section VI.A.3.b of this Plan.1
2. Amendments from the Convention floor to the proposed Amendments to the Plan (an amendment to the amendment) which would materially alter the intent of the original proposed amendment must receive a two-thirds vote of the delegates present and voting at any State Convention. This paragraph applies only to amendments to Amendments to the Plan that were mailed out to the Executive Committee as above described.
3. Proposed amendments to the Plan not mailed to the State Executive Committee thirty days prior to the convening of the State Convention must receive a two-thirds vote of the delegates present and voting at any State Convention.
____________
So...with enough support and delegates at the state convention, we can actually unbound the delegates and take away the requirement that we have to say up front who we are voting for. Of course logically you would want to unbound the delegates first before people brand you as an RP extremist. All you need is someone to propose the amendment, someone to second it, and a 2/3 vote after that. With 69 delegates in NC, that is only 46 people...I think we have at least that many RP supporters in this state, we just need to see if we can get as many as possible to the state convention!I know time is short, but the districts have yet to hold their conventions, so every one needs to contact their county GOP and see if they have held theirs or not. If not, go to the county convention and put your name on the ballot to be a delegate at district! If your county's convention has passed, go to district anyway! I bet not all will be filled, or you can become an at large delegate at least.
I will repost this is in the NC forum as well, but the point of this is to say to DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Dont bash Steve Parent because you think he is giving us false hope. EVERYTHING IS UP IN THE AIR, that is the magic of a democracy! The rules in place can all be changed at the state conventions! If just a few bound states switched to unbound, there is still the possibility of causing quite a stir at the RNC in St. Paul! Dont lose hope because the MSM is telling you there is none! Dont bash the ones that are pointing out that there is still a chance...do your homework! Find out when and where your county/district/state conventions are, and get to them! You and the other delegates can literally re-write the party rules at that convention, so why dont you? :D
EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THEIR STATE RULES ON THE GOP WEBSITE
That is the only way you can actually know how the process in your state works. I took the time to read over my state's (North Carolina) rules, and I now know what we here need to do.
For NC, to clarify, delegates are chosen in two places: the district conventions and the state convention for the rest. So we have two shots to become a delegate. Of course, since some of the counties already have their delegates chosen, some will have no chance to become a delegate until state convention.
Also, we are an allocated state, which means if McCain wins 60% of the primary votes, he gets 60% of the delegates. If RP wins 10%, he gets 10%, and so on. And, sadly, we do have to declare who we are voting for before we are allowed to be voted to go to the National Convention. That is where they will get us. That rule is in Article 7, section F of the NCGOP Rules:
F. ELECTION OF PRESIDENTIAL DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES
Compliance with National Republican Party:
In order to comply with the rules of the National Republican Party and with the North Carolina General Statutes, specifically Section 163-213.8, immediately following the Presidential Preference Primary, the State Chairman, after consultation with the North Carolina Chairman for each Candidate receiving votes in the primary, shall allocate Delegate positions between the Candidates accurately reflecting the division of votes in the statewide primary, thereby requiring the election of the 3 Delegates and 3 Alternates at the District Convention and the remaining Delegates at the State Convention, in such allocated numbers as to accurately reflect the results of the statewide primary. Each person nominated as a Delegate or an Alternate at either the District or State Convention must have publicly declared as a representative of a Candidate on the Presidential Preference Primary ballot prior to the election of Delegates and Alternates to the National Convention. Delegates and Alternates shall then be elected in the allocation as announced by the State Chairman.
___________
However, and this is what I've been reading and hearing the most about, these rules can be changed at the state convention. So, if at the state convention, BEFORE the voting begins for the delegates to go to the National Convention, a motion is brought up to amend the "Plan of Organization", and make it so you do NOT have to declare who you are voting for, it can but in place with a 2/3 vote of all the delegates. The other way you can amend the rules is to submit a written copy of the proposed amendment to the NCGOP 30 days prior to the state convention, in which case it will be read at the convention and will only need a 50% vote. We can also vote to have the delegates un-proportioned, and thus UNBOUND when they go to the convention. That is the magic of a democracy! See the rules for amendments below:
ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS, APPLICABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS PLAN
A. AMENDMENTS TO PLAN OF ORGANIZATION
1. The Plan of Organization may be amended, not inconsistent with the Rules of the Republican National Committee, by majority vote of the delegates present and voting at any State Convention provided, however, that the proposed amendment was mailed to the membership of the State Executive Committee, elected at the preceding District Convention, at least thirty days prior to the convening of the State Convention. This mailing requirement shall not apply to the Report of the duly appointed Plan of Organization Committee, which shall be noticed pursuant to Section VI.A.3.b of this Plan.1
2. Amendments from the Convention floor to the proposed Amendments to the Plan (an amendment to the amendment) which would materially alter the intent of the original proposed amendment must receive a two-thirds vote of the delegates present and voting at any State Convention. This paragraph applies only to amendments to Amendments to the Plan that were mailed out to the Executive Committee as above described.
3. Proposed amendments to the Plan not mailed to the State Executive Committee thirty days prior to the convening of the State Convention must receive a two-thirds vote of the delegates present and voting at any State Convention.
____________
So...with enough support and delegates at the state convention, we can actually unbound the delegates and take away the requirement that we have to say up front who we are voting for. Of course logically you would want to unbound the delegates first before people brand you as an RP extremist. All you need is someone to propose the amendment, someone to second it, and a 2/3 vote after that. With 69 delegates in NC, that is only 46 people...I think we have at least that many RP supporters in this state, we just need to see if we can get as many as possible to the state convention!I know time is short, but the districts have yet to hold their conventions, so every one needs to contact their county GOP and see if they have held theirs or not. If not, go to the county convention and put your name on the ballot to be a delegate at district! If your county's convention has passed, go to district anyway! I bet not all will be filled, or you can become an at large delegate at least.
I will repost this is in the NC forum as well, but the point of this is to say to DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Dont bash Steve Parent because you think he is giving us false hope. EVERYTHING IS UP IN THE AIR, that is the magic of a democracy! The rules in place can all be changed at the state conventions! If just a few bound states switched to unbound, there is still the possibility of causing quite a stir at the RNC in St. Paul! Dont lose hope because the MSM is telling you there is none! Dont bash the ones that are pointing out that there is still a chance...do your homework! Find out when and where your county/district/state conventions are, and get to them! You and the other delegates can literally re-write the party rules at that convention, so why dont you? :D