Dustancostine
09-09-2007, 11:34 AM
This is an editorial not letter to the editor.
http://www.waxahachiedailylight.com/articles/2007/09/09/dailylight/opinion/editorials/column1.txt
Inside the Texas GOP straw poll
Posted: Saturday, September 8, 2007 6:09 PM CDT
If the recent Texas Republican straw poll was any indication of how the next state party convention might proceed, my hope for the Republican Party of Texas is at an all-time low.
Our little meeting felt like something produced by Joel Osteen, T.D. Jakes and G. Gorden Liddy while all three were having a bad day. I am not saying that Pastors Osteen and Jakes are insincere ministers, but I like some separation between my war rallies and other people’s theology. I consider myself an evangelical Christian, and my family and I are baptized members of a P.C.A. church, but give me a little space between the guided propaganda bombs, please — especially if the propaganda is coated in a benedictory prayer.
Only two well-known candidates for President made it to the Republican straw poll: Congressman Ron Paul of Texas and Congressman Duncan Hunter of the people’s republic of California. In all fairness, Congressman Hunter’s positions on some issues distance him from the average Californian, who sees Arnold Schwarzenegger as a conservative.
Ron Paul presented the convention with tangible ideas, agree with him or not. He spoke on a variety of subjects from “anchor children” and government spending to abortion. He presented legislative ideas on how his issues could be addressed. Congressman Paul links his positions to what, strictly interpreted, he thinks the constitution will allow. That is his connection to the bulk of his supporters. He was received well by the delegation.
After his “stump” speech Congressman Paul, in typical humble fashion, presented members of his family with little fanfare. For a man in the public eye, he consistently comes across as one who lives his principles.
Where Ron Paul brought tangible, Californian Duncan Hunter brought Hollywood. Congressman Hunter was accompanied by an ostentatious multimedia display that all but draped him in the flag. To his credit, Congressman Hunter does have real military service, as does his son, but the congressman had nothing tangible to say about any plan to reduce the growth in government or the government reach into our daily lives other than the usual generalities and platitudes. At the end of Hunter’s speech, recorded applause was played and served to cue and heighten the noise of his already enthusiastic supporters.
This little shindig should be remembered as the horribly under-attended event where many of the attendees couldn’t vote. More than 400 guest passes were issued to Ron Paul supporters. These folks couldn’t vote according to the rules of the convention. They were a potential margin of victory, if they had been allowed to vote. Unlike the real presidential primary in Texas, voting at this straw poll was limited to those who had the patience to attend and maybe sleep through a recent state convention. The accuracy of the straw poll was further complicated by the fact that a large group of Ron Paul supporters from Houston were denied credentials, even though many were pre-registered.
Some Republicans rode a bus all the way from Houston to Fort Worth on a hot day; on arrival, they were told that the cut-off for registration was 10 a.m. Saturday. Though they were only a few minutes late, they were denied credentials and not allowed to vote — shades of the Democrat party during the days of Lyndon Johnson. The supporters presented a print-off of the online instructions; no clear cut-off time for registration was visible. There may have been a rule stated somewhere that cut off registration; nevertheless, no real Republican convention in Texas that I’m aware of has refused a delegate the right to check in with their delegation. The party leadership should have erred on the side of inclusion. Regardless, the party should have shown more courtesy to a group coming all the way from the coast.
Believe me, there were plenty of empty chairs inside an already downsized event. The video of this gaff is circulating on the Internet. The delegates affected should seek recompense from the party for their registration fees and travel expenses, at the very least.
Following Duncan Hunter’s star-spangled multimedia presentation and immediately prior to voting, the delegates were introduced to Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell, ret., who was horribly injured during the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. He has spoken before the Republican state convention in the past. As one would expect, the lt. colonel is very focused on taking it to the terrorists. Who can blame him?
However, I really question the placement of this speech immediately before the conventioneers’ vote and immediately after Duncan Hunter’s victory dance — especially given the graphic and lengthy display of Lt. Col Birdwell’s formerly burned and skinless arm on the twin overhead displays.
It is no secret that the party establishment was and is opposed to Ron Paul’s campaign. It’s also no secret that Congressman Paul’s position on the Iraqi war is his most difficult sell to the party faithful. If this was an attempt by leadership to use Birdwell’s sacrifice and sincerity to their own ends and to further favored candidates at a straw poll delegates paid to attend, then it was unconscionable.
Duncan Hunter garnered the most votes in the straw poll followed by Fred Thompson and then Ron Paul. The rest, including Giuliani, Romney and McCain, received lesser numbers of votes.To their credit, both Congressman Hunter’s and former Sen. Thompson’s partisans did an excellent job organizing their respective campaigns. My understanding is Thompson’s forces did so with a late start and on a shoestring. It doesn’t hurt that, as an actor, he is often seen on television. We can only hope that if he ends up being the Republicans’ nominee, he is as effective as some of the characters he has portrayed in show biz.
Ron Paul, in what in effect was a closed straw poll, came in third; he still drew more votes than Giuliani, Romney and McCain combined. Over a thousand attended Congressman Paul’s Friday night rally, making his rally the most highly attended. Not bad for a man who is being treated as an outsider by his own party establishment. A friend of mine who is a Thompson supporter told me he thought Congressman Paul would have taken it all by a landslide, by his own count, if all those who came with Ron Paul to the event had been allowed to vote. The numbers reflect that. Those supporters will be allowed to vote in the Texas primary.
A last note: It appears the Republican Party of Texas has southern history and southern heritage in its crosshairs. A video by David Barton on the Reconstruction Era, while accurate in some of its facts, took those same facts in large part out of context; much as his comments on church and state have often done. David Barton sells his materials for a living. It might be helpful to the party if there were a wall of separation between Mr. Barton’s stilted view of history, along with his commercial interest and the podium of the Republican Party.
Paul D. Perry is a contributing Sunday columnist for the Daily Light. He is a local businessman and mediator.
http://www.waxahachiedailylight.com/articles/2007/09/09/dailylight/opinion/editorials/column1.txt
Inside the Texas GOP straw poll
Posted: Saturday, September 8, 2007 6:09 PM CDT
If the recent Texas Republican straw poll was any indication of how the next state party convention might proceed, my hope for the Republican Party of Texas is at an all-time low.
Our little meeting felt like something produced by Joel Osteen, T.D. Jakes and G. Gorden Liddy while all three were having a bad day. I am not saying that Pastors Osteen and Jakes are insincere ministers, but I like some separation between my war rallies and other people’s theology. I consider myself an evangelical Christian, and my family and I are baptized members of a P.C.A. church, but give me a little space between the guided propaganda bombs, please — especially if the propaganda is coated in a benedictory prayer.
Only two well-known candidates for President made it to the Republican straw poll: Congressman Ron Paul of Texas and Congressman Duncan Hunter of the people’s republic of California. In all fairness, Congressman Hunter’s positions on some issues distance him from the average Californian, who sees Arnold Schwarzenegger as a conservative.
Ron Paul presented the convention with tangible ideas, agree with him or not. He spoke on a variety of subjects from “anchor children” and government spending to abortion. He presented legislative ideas on how his issues could be addressed. Congressman Paul links his positions to what, strictly interpreted, he thinks the constitution will allow. That is his connection to the bulk of his supporters. He was received well by the delegation.
After his “stump” speech Congressman Paul, in typical humble fashion, presented members of his family with little fanfare. For a man in the public eye, he consistently comes across as one who lives his principles.
Where Ron Paul brought tangible, Californian Duncan Hunter brought Hollywood. Congressman Hunter was accompanied by an ostentatious multimedia display that all but draped him in the flag. To his credit, Congressman Hunter does have real military service, as does his son, but the congressman had nothing tangible to say about any plan to reduce the growth in government or the government reach into our daily lives other than the usual generalities and platitudes. At the end of Hunter’s speech, recorded applause was played and served to cue and heighten the noise of his already enthusiastic supporters.
This little shindig should be remembered as the horribly under-attended event where many of the attendees couldn’t vote. More than 400 guest passes were issued to Ron Paul supporters. These folks couldn’t vote according to the rules of the convention. They were a potential margin of victory, if they had been allowed to vote. Unlike the real presidential primary in Texas, voting at this straw poll was limited to those who had the patience to attend and maybe sleep through a recent state convention. The accuracy of the straw poll was further complicated by the fact that a large group of Ron Paul supporters from Houston were denied credentials, even though many were pre-registered.
Some Republicans rode a bus all the way from Houston to Fort Worth on a hot day; on arrival, they were told that the cut-off for registration was 10 a.m. Saturday. Though they were only a few minutes late, they were denied credentials and not allowed to vote — shades of the Democrat party during the days of Lyndon Johnson. The supporters presented a print-off of the online instructions; no clear cut-off time for registration was visible. There may have been a rule stated somewhere that cut off registration; nevertheless, no real Republican convention in Texas that I’m aware of has refused a delegate the right to check in with their delegation. The party leadership should have erred on the side of inclusion. Regardless, the party should have shown more courtesy to a group coming all the way from the coast.
Believe me, there were plenty of empty chairs inside an already downsized event. The video of this gaff is circulating on the Internet. The delegates affected should seek recompense from the party for their registration fees and travel expenses, at the very least.
Following Duncan Hunter’s star-spangled multimedia presentation and immediately prior to voting, the delegates were introduced to Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell, ret., who was horribly injured during the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. He has spoken before the Republican state convention in the past. As one would expect, the lt. colonel is very focused on taking it to the terrorists. Who can blame him?
However, I really question the placement of this speech immediately before the conventioneers’ vote and immediately after Duncan Hunter’s victory dance — especially given the graphic and lengthy display of Lt. Col Birdwell’s formerly burned and skinless arm on the twin overhead displays.
It is no secret that the party establishment was and is opposed to Ron Paul’s campaign. It’s also no secret that Congressman Paul’s position on the Iraqi war is his most difficult sell to the party faithful. If this was an attempt by leadership to use Birdwell’s sacrifice and sincerity to their own ends and to further favored candidates at a straw poll delegates paid to attend, then it was unconscionable.
Duncan Hunter garnered the most votes in the straw poll followed by Fred Thompson and then Ron Paul. The rest, including Giuliani, Romney and McCain, received lesser numbers of votes.To their credit, both Congressman Hunter’s and former Sen. Thompson’s partisans did an excellent job organizing their respective campaigns. My understanding is Thompson’s forces did so with a late start and on a shoestring. It doesn’t hurt that, as an actor, he is often seen on television. We can only hope that if he ends up being the Republicans’ nominee, he is as effective as some of the characters he has portrayed in show biz.
Ron Paul, in what in effect was a closed straw poll, came in third; he still drew more votes than Giuliani, Romney and McCain combined. Over a thousand attended Congressman Paul’s Friday night rally, making his rally the most highly attended. Not bad for a man who is being treated as an outsider by his own party establishment. A friend of mine who is a Thompson supporter told me he thought Congressman Paul would have taken it all by a landslide, by his own count, if all those who came with Ron Paul to the event had been allowed to vote. The numbers reflect that. Those supporters will be allowed to vote in the Texas primary.
A last note: It appears the Republican Party of Texas has southern history and southern heritage in its crosshairs. A video by David Barton on the Reconstruction Era, while accurate in some of its facts, took those same facts in large part out of context; much as his comments on church and state have often done. David Barton sells his materials for a living. It might be helpful to the party if there were a wall of separation between Mr. Barton’s stilted view of history, along with his commercial interest and the podium of the Republican Party.
Paul D. Perry is a contributing Sunday columnist for the Daily Light. He is a local businessman and mediator.