georgiaboy
05-18-2008, 03:55 PM
FWIW, not sure if this has been covered before, but here goes:
At the Georgia convention, the anti-McCain sentiment was evident. Outside the Civic Center, there were zero, yep zero, John McCain signs, though the lawn was littered with signs for just about every other state official running for office (and yes, there were Ron Paul signs out there!!). John McCain was mentioned in speeches 15 times, and though he received applause, he received no standing ovations, and the applause was only slightly above what I would call obligatory or polite applause. One speech was dedicated to John McCain, and it was delivered by someone from outside Georgia. Again, the only ovation was when the speaker ended his speech; the speaker must've said "Commander=In-Chief" about a zillion times. At least three of the speakers stated that "while John McCain wasn't my first or second choice...", obviously trying to distance themselves from him.
We can capitalize on this sentiment and potentially make big inroads into the hearts, minds, and ACTIONS of the delegates in attendance and those headed to national, even if we don't have the numbers to get our own delegates elected to national.
Here's what to do. In addition to your focus on getting delegates elected (primary goal), you must make excellent use of opportunities to address the convention floor. The most appropriate time to address the body is when resolutions are being introduced, debated, and voted up or down. When the chairman opens the floor, You need to be prepared in advance to speak to the resolution under consideration. This is especially important when the resolution in support of John McCain.
We all know generally which types of resolutions will be presented at our various state conventions - immigration, abortion, gun rights, support the troops, support McCain, etc.
In advance of your convention, before you even know what the exact resolutions and their wordings will be, write up brief speeches in support of or in opposition to the potential resolutions. Multiple delegates can do this, and if each one has a brief, say minute or less, well-written statement to read, the convention floor can hear from their fellow delegates what they won't hear from the podium.
Especially for the "Resolution to Support John McCain", imagine if one or more RP delegates rose and calmly and eloquently delivered something similar to these messages to the assembled body:
"Mr. Chairman, I respectfully rise in opposition to this resolution. As we all know, the resolutions presented today hold no force of law or action. They serve as a reflection of the hearts and minds of the delegates in assembly today to the party and our elected representatives, and to citizens all over the state and beyond. Many of us in this assembly did not choose John McCain as our first or second choice. Many of us are extremely disappointed in the failure of our Republican-controlled federal government to deliver on the conservative principles they were elected to uphold and enact into policy. Mr. Chairman, I ask my fellow delegates to join me in opposition to this resolution to send a clear message to our leadership that they must get back on course with us their base."
"Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak in opposition to this resolution. The Republican Party can change course. The choosing of the Republican nominee does not become final until the deciding vote is cast in St. Paul/Minneapolis in September. Each of us as Delegates, and the delegates fortunate to attend the national convention, in all solemnity, alone possess the power of choosing our party's nominee. If we believe the primary process delivered an outcome contrary to the conservative principles we all hold dear as Republicans, we possess the uniqe ability to change that outcome. I urge my fellow delegates to sincerely consider the unique power they have been given to vote their conscience and join me in opposition to this resolution."
... and on and on it can continue, for all the different resolutions that are presented.
Of course, those in control of the convention, once they understand what is afoot, will have the chairman smartly recognize one of their own to end debate and call the question, and if you don't have 2/3 majority, it will end there. However, you'll probably at least get one or two good speeches in there, and if you keep them short and have only one or two in line at the mic at a time, you might get further.
In Georgia, though we didn't use this tactic specifically (hindsight, ugh), we had some excellent speakers rise in opposition to one resolution in particular, and I truly believe that the convention voiced the resolution down and hundreds of delegates changed their vote just from hearing one eloquent, reasoned argument. That is power.
Strangely, I don't think one 'regular' attendee at the convention took the mic. This blows my mind. To me, that's obviously a symptom of (1) not feeling empowered, and (2) of being thought of badly as a time waster, troublemaker, etc. These folks need to be told by us that they have real power and can be the change if they'll join us in support of our conservative ideals! They don't have to sit and eat what they're being fed. They also need to know that that's what these conventions and their election as delegates is all about! IT IS NOT A SOCIAL EVENT AND RAH-RAH SESSION!
There are several other reasons why this is a great tactic, especially if different delegates rise to speak for each different resolution. It can get people thinking, it can help destroy the caricatures we've been portrayed as, and ultimately, it can be a catalyst for additional changes up the line and on to national. It can also potentially turn the convention on its ear and bring more people to our way of thinking, possibly even allowing for you to get delegates elected to national!
Imagine if a 'support John McCain' resolution was voted down by the delegates based on a few speeches ... wowowow! Based on what I saw in red-state Georgia, it can happen. It definitely can happen.
Y'all, make it happen.
Best wishes for all attending future state conventions.
georgiaboy
At the Georgia convention, the anti-McCain sentiment was evident. Outside the Civic Center, there were zero, yep zero, John McCain signs, though the lawn was littered with signs for just about every other state official running for office (and yes, there were Ron Paul signs out there!!). John McCain was mentioned in speeches 15 times, and though he received applause, he received no standing ovations, and the applause was only slightly above what I would call obligatory or polite applause. One speech was dedicated to John McCain, and it was delivered by someone from outside Georgia. Again, the only ovation was when the speaker ended his speech; the speaker must've said "Commander=In-Chief" about a zillion times. At least three of the speakers stated that "while John McCain wasn't my first or second choice...", obviously trying to distance themselves from him.
We can capitalize on this sentiment and potentially make big inroads into the hearts, minds, and ACTIONS of the delegates in attendance and those headed to national, even if we don't have the numbers to get our own delegates elected to national.
Here's what to do. In addition to your focus on getting delegates elected (primary goal), you must make excellent use of opportunities to address the convention floor. The most appropriate time to address the body is when resolutions are being introduced, debated, and voted up or down. When the chairman opens the floor, You need to be prepared in advance to speak to the resolution under consideration. This is especially important when the resolution in support of John McCain.
We all know generally which types of resolutions will be presented at our various state conventions - immigration, abortion, gun rights, support the troops, support McCain, etc.
In advance of your convention, before you even know what the exact resolutions and their wordings will be, write up brief speeches in support of or in opposition to the potential resolutions. Multiple delegates can do this, and if each one has a brief, say minute or less, well-written statement to read, the convention floor can hear from their fellow delegates what they won't hear from the podium.
Especially for the "Resolution to Support John McCain", imagine if one or more RP delegates rose and calmly and eloquently delivered something similar to these messages to the assembled body:
"Mr. Chairman, I respectfully rise in opposition to this resolution. As we all know, the resolutions presented today hold no force of law or action. They serve as a reflection of the hearts and minds of the delegates in assembly today to the party and our elected representatives, and to citizens all over the state and beyond. Many of us in this assembly did not choose John McCain as our first or second choice. Many of us are extremely disappointed in the failure of our Republican-controlled federal government to deliver on the conservative principles they were elected to uphold and enact into policy. Mr. Chairman, I ask my fellow delegates to join me in opposition to this resolution to send a clear message to our leadership that they must get back on course with us their base."
"Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak in opposition to this resolution. The Republican Party can change course. The choosing of the Republican nominee does not become final until the deciding vote is cast in St. Paul/Minneapolis in September. Each of us as Delegates, and the delegates fortunate to attend the national convention, in all solemnity, alone possess the power of choosing our party's nominee. If we believe the primary process delivered an outcome contrary to the conservative principles we all hold dear as Republicans, we possess the uniqe ability to change that outcome. I urge my fellow delegates to sincerely consider the unique power they have been given to vote their conscience and join me in opposition to this resolution."
... and on and on it can continue, for all the different resolutions that are presented.
Of course, those in control of the convention, once they understand what is afoot, will have the chairman smartly recognize one of their own to end debate and call the question, and if you don't have 2/3 majority, it will end there. However, you'll probably at least get one or two good speeches in there, and if you keep them short and have only one or two in line at the mic at a time, you might get further.
In Georgia, though we didn't use this tactic specifically (hindsight, ugh), we had some excellent speakers rise in opposition to one resolution in particular, and I truly believe that the convention voiced the resolution down and hundreds of delegates changed their vote just from hearing one eloquent, reasoned argument. That is power.
Strangely, I don't think one 'regular' attendee at the convention took the mic. This blows my mind. To me, that's obviously a symptom of (1) not feeling empowered, and (2) of being thought of badly as a time waster, troublemaker, etc. These folks need to be told by us that they have real power and can be the change if they'll join us in support of our conservative ideals! They don't have to sit and eat what they're being fed. They also need to know that that's what these conventions and their election as delegates is all about! IT IS NOT A SOCIAL EVENT AND RAH-RAH SESSION!
There are several other reasons why this is a great tactic, especially if different delegates rise to speak for each different resolution. It can get people thinking, it can help destroy the caricatures we've been portrayed as, and ultimately, it can be a catalyst for additional changes up the line and on to national. It can also potentially turn the convention on its ear and bring more people to our way of thinking, possibly even allowing for you to get delegates elected to national!
Imagine if a 'support John McCain' resolution was voted down by the delegates based on a few speeches ... wowowow! Based on what I saw in red-state Georgia, it can happen. It definitely can happen.
Y'all, make it happen.
Best wishes for all attending future state conventions.
georgiaboy