Take back the GOP from the inside -- become a voting member of it!

[dr. hfn]

We have to take the Party back. From the inside. It requires actually becoming a voting member of it. With HALF the precinct committeeman slots nationwide in the GOP VACANT in 2008, we can invade and take the Party back from the moderates and neocons if we all join it at precinct committeemen. Then we can vote in conservative leadership and endorse the BEST candidates in the primary elections.

Go here to find out more: www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com

[RoamZero]

This is something C4L should be promoting.

[Fr3shjive]

Registered Republican last year. Any libertarian-republicans run in my area and they're getting my vote for sure.

[Matt Collins]

I am the Vice Chair of the Nashville GOP. There are 5 "Ron Paul Republicans" on our executive committee. ;)

[LittleLightShining]

This is something C4L should be promoting.

They are.

[pcosmar]

How do I become a voting member of the UN ?
That is much more relevant at the moment.

We will soon be under UN rule. :(

[erowe1]

Registered Republican last year. Any libertarian-republicans run in my area and they're getting my vote for sure.


It's more than just registering Republican. You need to become a precinct chair (or whatever your state's equivalent is). If you're interested, then you might want to call your county party headquarters and ask how you can get more involved.

[Dianne]

That is excellent info.. thanks for sharing.

[Number19]

This is something that we've been working toward, here in the heart of Ron Paul's Congressional Dist 14, since the 2008 primaries. Other C4L groups are doing the same across the state, with the goal of having a major impact on our Texas GOP.

Here in Texas, precinct chairs are an elected position. Filing deadline is the end of December, with the voting during the spring primary. Be aware of this - if your state is the same - for filing the paperwork.

The precinct chairs, some 80 odd here in Brazoria County, compose the County GOP Executive Committee, with the County Chair being the other elected position.

In my limited experience with the GOP, the single most important power invested in this lowest level of the party is that the Executive Committee controls the delegation to the next level of party politics - the District Convention.

We have our candidate for County Chair and I'll be filing the paperwork for my precinct chair at next month's executive committee meeting.

[1836er]

Number19, I'm here in a nearby Texas county and actually find myself interested in the idea of becoming a precinct chair... any specific advice you can give me would be appreciated.

[heavenlyboy34]

How do I become a voting member of the UN ?
That is much more relevant at the moment.

We will soon be under UN rule. :(
:(

[Number19]

Number19, I'm here in a nearby Texas county and actually find myself interested in the idea of becoming a precinct chair... any specific advice you can give me would be appreciated.First, I'd suggest you find out when the EC meets (Brazoria County meets the 2nd Monday of the month, at the courthouse) and attend a few meetings. But you only have Nov and Dec left before the filing deadline. You can probably find this information by Goggling: <your county>GOP.

Does your county have a local effort, or organization. Something like the Ron Paul Meetup, or Campaign for Liberty. In Texas we changed the name to : Texas Liberty Campaign. Get involved with this. We meet weekly, but I don't attend every meeting.

Here in Brazoria County, filing to run for a precinct chair is not done at the courthouse, but is handled by the GOP County Chair, so you do have to attend a meeting. You can fill out the paperwork at that time, or take it home and bring it back at the next meeting. You could probably mail it, if you got the address. Talk it over with the Chair.

But more importantly, know which precinct you're in and find out if the position is currently vacant. If it is, and no one else files, you are a shoe in. If your precinct currently has a chair and that person intends to run for re-election, you'll have to run a contested race. This may or may not create bad feelings, depending on the situation. Here in Brazoria County, last election, we had a Ron Paul supporter run against and defeated a well known and respected member of the GOP establishment, creating just a little bit of ill will.

I attend meetings and they have never had a quorum. So a lot of chairs don't attend the meetings. In this case they may not be adverse to having you run. We have debated among ourselves whether it is a good idea to "run under the radar" - that is, not make it known that you are a Ron Paul Republican. Consider this, it may be a good idea.

A final note. There is an election day position also called Precinct Chair, but not necessarily the same as above. After the polls close, Precinct Conventions are held. Each of these will select someone to conduct the convention, called the precinct chair. But this is only a one time responsibility.

To attend the next level of the convention process, the County or District Convention (depending on the situation) you MUST attend the Precinct Convention. In some cases, you may be the only person there. In many cases there will only be a few people there.

It is also at the Precinct Convention that you will receive paperwork to fill out, applying to be a delegate to the State Convention.

So, attending the Precinct Convention is VERY important.

Hope this has been of some help. If you have further questions, I'll try to answer.

(edit) Here's a link : http://txgop.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=RPTBasics

[erowe1]

Here in Indiana, the precinct chair is also an elected position. But if there are unfilled positions in a county, then the county chair can appoint people to fill them without an election. Since less than half of the precinct chair positions in my county are filled, it's easy to become one. All I did was pay my $20 annual dues to join the county party and start showing up at various meetings (often informal things like lunches or helping to clean up the supply closet at our HQ), and someone from the county committee asked me to do it before I brought it up. If they hadn't done that, then it still would have been really easy for me to ask one of them how to do it and get the paperwork. I believe that the situation is very similar in most places.

[Matt Collins]

Never mind. The Republican Party doesn't want us. They are trying to kick me out:
http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/10/28/davidson-county-gop-moves-to-oust-ron-paul-supporting-vice-chair/

[LittleLightShining]

Never mind. The Republican Party doesn't want us. They are trying to kick me out:
http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/10/28/davidson-county-gop-moves-to-oust-ron-paul-supporting-vice-chair/

I hate that they're doing this to you but it should be a wake up call to all of those that think getting in and changing it from the inside is practical.

Educate the electorate! That is the ONLY way.

[cheapseats]

Taking back the GOP is like taking back Detroit.

You COULD . . . but, WHY?

[Matt Collins]

Taking back the GOP is like taking back Detroit.

You COULD . . . but, WHY?
Because I'm trying to follow Ron's lead. Imagine if he had given up on the GOP and stayed in the LP. Where would we all be now? :confused:

[cheapseats]

Because I'm trying to follow Ron's lead. Imagine if he had given up on the GOP and stayed in the LP. Where would we all be now? :confused:

It is entirely conceivable that the Libertarian Party would be MUCH stronger right now, if Ron Paul had been in the vanguard of the party for which he rooted, rather than cheering the vanguard from the safety of the Republican party.

[cheapseats]

Because I'm trying to follow Ron's lead. Imagine if he had given up on the GOP and stayed in the LP. Where would we all be now? :confused:

Try trailblazing.

What works for one ENTRENCHED Politician is not necessarily the prescription for Up-and-Comers in other areas.

If everyone will follow you following someone else's lead, then we will always have a two-party stranglehold.

Two parties constitute flip sides of the coins that constitute MONEYCHANGING IN THE TEMPLE OF MAN'S LORDSHIP OVER MAN.

Sayeth I. ;)

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

It is entirely conceivable that the Libertarian Party would be MUCH stronger right now, if Ron Paul had been in the vanguard of the party for which he rooted, rather than cheering the vanguard from the safety of the Republican party.

Aye, it would be. The LP is still strong. We're working on local and State offices. Remember, the message is still getting spread by the likes of Mises Institute, YAL, and of course still as always the great late Murray Rothbard who worked tirelessly for the LP. :D

Cheers.

PS: Besides Paul would be the only LP member in the House. That would have bolstered the Party image a lot and made it a lot more credible on the national stage.

[LittleLightShining]

Try trailblazing.

What works for one ENTRENCHED Politician is not necessarily the prescription for Up-and-Comers in other areas.

If everyone will follow you following someone else's lead, then we will always have a two-party stranglehold.

Two parties constitute flip sides of the coins that constitute MONEYCHANGING IN THE TEMPLE OF MAN'S LORDSHIP OVER MAN.

Sayeth I. ;)Yes.

[Matt Collins]

What works for one ENTRENCHED Politician is not necessarily the prescription for Up-and-Comers in other areas.

If everyone will follow you following someone else's lead, then we will always have a two-party stranglehold.
Not the way TN law is written.

[LittleLightShining]

Not the way TN law is written.

The time for independents is coming.

BTW, not trying to discourage you from fighting back at all. I know you will and the chips will fall where they need to be. My concern with this whole thing is that we're going to spend so much time trying to get in that the real message won't get out.

[erowe1]

Never mind. The Republican Party doesn't want us. They are trying to kick me out:
http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/10/28/davidson-county-gop-moves-to-oust-ron-paul-supporting-vice-chair/

I draw the opposite conclusion from that scenario.

If more RP supporters became precinct chairs in your county, then you'd be able to ensure that 7 of them got elected to the county committee and your position would be secure.

[Matt Collins]

Looks like the Tea Party Movement is lining up behind me:
http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/10/29/tea-party-leader-to-dcrp-your-committee-owes-an-apology/ (http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/10/29/tea-party-leader-to-dcrp-your-committee-owes-an-apology/)

[Number19]

Here in Indiana, the precinct chair is also an elected position. But if there are unfilled positions in a county, then the county chair can appoint people to fill them without an election. Since less than half of the precinct chair positions in my county are filled, it's easy to become one. All I did was pay my $20 annual dues to join the county party and start showing up at various meetings (often informal things like lunches or helping to clean up the supply closet at our HQ), and someone from the county committee asked me to do it before I brought it up. If they hadn't done that, then it still would have been really easy for me to ask one of them how to do it and get the paperwork. I believe that the situation is very similar in most places.Same here. But it is really advantages to "fly under the radar" in this situation. Our County Chair will refuse to fill the position by appointment if she knows you are a vocal Ron Paul supporter. Our chair has total control. But they can't keep you from running for election.

[erowe1]

Same here. But it is really advantages to "fly under the radar" in this situation. Our County Chair will refuse to fill the position by appointment if she knows you are a vocal Ron Paul supporter. Our chair has total control. But they can't keep you from running for election.

I know others have felt that way, and you know better than I about the situation of your own county, but I've taken a different tack. I go out of my way to make sure that everyone I know in the party knows exactly where I'm coming from, knows I'm a Ron Paul supporter, knows I think most big name Republicans (though not necessarily the grass roots) are hypocrites, and knows I think the GOP needs to be reformed if it is to have a positive role in recovering freedom in our nation. I want to help them see that these views aren't just held by some other fringe group out there, or that Ron Paul supporters are best marginalized. I want them to think that I'm doing good for the party, and that the party would benefit if others like me were in it rather than not. The more overt Ron Paul Republicans get involved and the more entrenched they become, the more difficult it will be for them to be marginalized. Hopefully we'll have enough of a foot in the door in 2012 that it will be a whole lot harder for them to do to us then what they did in 2008.