ND GOP appeal to delegate rebels doesn't impress

[sailingaway]

http://www.devilslakejournal.com/newsnow/x760615223/ND-GOP-appeal-to-delegate-rebels-doesnt-impress

[FSP-Rebel]

Tax Commissioner Cory Fong says Paul's young backers shouldn't be put off by the dispute. Fong says they should stay active in Republican politics.
Staying active in the GOP doesn't necessarily mean voting for it, buster.

[nobody's_hero]

Young people will not be fooled.

The GOP is saying this everywhere:

"You just need to get involved, and stay involved."

The truth is that the old guard is just ashamed to admit that they have spent their entire lives working within the GOP and have *nothing* to show for it. Apparently, they don't know what a 'revolution' is. A revolution isn't where you come along and go along with whatever the norms are. It's about changing things. You don't get complacent. If the opportunity presents itself so you can change things ASAP, you go for the jugular. That may mean that some people who have been involved their whole lives and secured comfortable or 'esteemed' positions will get dumped out on their butts with a swift election. It shouldn't be personal. It's just . . . a revolution.

[VAMole]

Young people will not be fooled.

The GOP is saying this everywhere:

"You just need to get involved, and stay involved."

The truth is that the old guard is just ashamed to admit that they have spent their entire lives working within the GOP and have *nothing* to show for it.

I think you don't give "the old guard" enough credit. They understand that they won't be around forever, and I expect that they want the GOP to continue on after their death. We've actually got them in a corner: they can't live with us now, but they can't live without us later. Once there are enough of us young people involved to get a majority, then certainly, let's get chairmanships and committee seats and everything else. It will come eventually. Until then, the appropriate thing to do is to keep fighting, and the way to do that is by staying involved. Change doesn't happen overnight... until it does. That tipping point - the point where the revolution ignites - is the point when we reach critical mass within the structure. In any event, there's no use crying over losing a convention at which we were outnumbered nearly 3 to 1.

[SludgeFactory]

I think you don't give "the old guard" enough credit. They understand that they won't be around forever, and I expect that they want the GOP to continue on after their death. We've actually got them in a corner: they can't live with us now, but they can't live without us later. Once there are enough of us young people involved to get a majority, then certainly, let's get chairmanships and committee seats and everything else. It will come eventually. Until then, the appropriate thing to do is to keep fighting, and the way to do that is by staying involved. Change doesn't happen overnight... until it does. That tipping point - the point where the revolution ignites - is the point when we reach critical mass within the structure. In any event, there's no use crying over losing a convention at which we were outnumbered nearly 3 to 1.

Speaking of staying involved I received this email:

Dear State Convention Delegates and Alternates,

Thank you for attending the North Dakota Republican Convention. Now that our convention is behind us, our most important task is to unite and work hard to elect our Republican candidates in this election of a lifetime. The passion that delegates and alternate-delegates brought to the convention shows why the NDGOP continues to be successful. Our big family may have disagreements, but in the end, we all want good government, and know our Republican candidates will work toward that end.

The Executive Committee has heard the concerns over the procedures and rules for the selection of delegates and alternate-delegates to the national convention, and we recognize the need for a better process that is rigorously tested, evaluated, and supported by members of our party. Today the North Dakota Republican Party will begin a top to bottom review of our rules and procedures for national delegate and alternate-delegate balloting and election at the state convention.

Our goal will be to review the process to assure it reflects the views of the collective members of our party, and for the openness on which the party stands. We invite all Republicans to participate in this dialogue, to create a better Presidential election process for North Dakota.

The State Party rules state, “North Dakota’s delegates to the Republican National Convention in 2012 shall caucus prior to or at the convention to discuss voluntarily apportioning delegate representation on the first ballot to reflect the results of the Presidential Caucus, with any fractional result rounded to the nearest whole delegate. However, any such apportionment on the first ballot shall be strictly voluntary. The delegates remain free to vote their conscience on all balloting.”

To those of you who spoke out at the Convention, we have heard you, and our party will be stronger because of you. We urge you to make suggestions to your district chairs or reply to this e-mail as we thoroughly review this process and build a stronger North Dakota Republican Party. Our goal is to have a draft for consideration by June 8, 2012 for the Republican Round-Up.

Thank you for supporting the NDGOP, and Republican candidates. Together, we can provide a strong party and good government for future generations.

Would love to hear any suggestions for a reply that anyone may have.

[nobody's_hero]

Speaking of staying involved I received this email:

Dear State Convention Delegates and Alternates,

Thank you for attending the North Dakota Republican Convention. Now that our convention is behind us, our most important task is to unite and work hard to elect our Republican candidates in this election of a lifetime. The passion that delegates and alternate-delegates brought to the convention shows why the NDGOP continues to be successful. Our big family may have disagreements, but in the end, we all want good government, and know our Republican candidates will work toward that end.

The Executive Committee has heard the concerns over the procedures and rules for the selection of delegates and alternate-delegates to the national convention, and we recognize the need for a better process that is rigorously tested, evaluated, and supported by members of our party. Today the North Dakota Republican Party will begin a top to bottom review of our rules and procedures for national delegate and alternate-delegate balloting and election at the state convention.

Our goal will be to review the process to assure it reflects the views of the collective members of our party, and for the openness on which the party stands. We invite all Republicans to participate in this dialogue, to create a better Presidential election process for North Dakota.

The State Party rules state, “North Dakota’s delegates to the Republican National Convention in 2012 shall caucus prior to or at the convention to discuss voluntarily apportioning delegate representation on the first ballot to reflect the results of the Presidential Caucus, with any fractional result rounded to the nearest whole delegate. However, any such apportionment on the first ballot shall be strictly voluntary. The delegates remain free to vote their conscience on all balloting.”

To those of you who spoke out at the Convention, we have heard you, and our party will be stronger because of you. We urge you to make suggestions to your district chairs or reply to this e-mail as we thoroughly review this process and build a stronger North Dakota Republican Party. Our goal is to have a draft for consideration by June 8, 2012 for the Republican Round-Up.

Thank you for supporting the NDGOP, and Republican candidates. Together, we can provide a strong party and good government for future generations.

Would love to hear any suggestions for a reply that anyone may have.

Copy-paste the Constitution and send it back to them.

[nobody's_hero]

I think you don't give "the old guard" enough credit. They understand that they won't be around forever, and I expect that they want the GOP to continue on after their death. We've actually got them in a corner: they can't live with us now, but they can't live without us later. Once there are enough of us young people involved to get a majority, then certainly, let's get chairmanships and committee seats and everything else. It will come eventually. Until then, the appropriate thing to do is to keep fighting, and the way to do that is by staying involved. Change doesn't happen overnight... until it does. That tipping point - the point where the revolution ignites - is the point when we reach critical mass within the structure. In any event, there's no use crying over losing a convention at which we were outnumbered nearly 3 to 1.

I just don't want to grow to be 80 years old and realize I've spent my entire life involved in a useless party. There's older people in the GOP that I try to appeal to. I try to find the oldest ones there and ask them if they remember America. I don't usually waste my time with the middle-aged ones because they're usually the ones who are so busy thinking they're actually doing some good that they don't stop to take a good look at the before-and-after picture (if they did, they might be open to considering a change of tactics). Old folks remember America, but they've been going along to get along, and they don't want to die thinking that they left the world in worse shape than they found it.

I realize I just put that a bit bluntly, but that's my take on it.

[ClydeCoulter]

So, they get what they want, now they want to make it fair in the future. Right...NOT

[VAMole]

nobody's_hero: Definitely hear what you're saying. I like the tactic. I think we do poorly to be dismissive of the "old guard's" advice to stay involved. Realistically, when you look at the massive number of our fellow citizens, we need to use every structural advantage that we can get, and that means taking over a major party to take advantage of ballot access laws. Staying involved is the route to takeover. That's the only way to ultimate victory.

SludgeFactory: From an outsider's view (guess which state I'm in from my name!) I would suggest a change in the operations of the nominating committee. The nominating committee should be about vetting candidates for national delegate and it should present all legitimate candidates for that office. If candidates have an affiliation to a particular Presidential candidate, they should declare it. I would also suggest changing the "voluntary binding" to a mandatory first-ballot binding a la Nevada. I wouldn't hold out much hope for these reforms, but I do know (what's the other part of my name?) that the "establishment" almost always wants a smooth convention above all else, and mandatory binding based on precinct-level results might be the way to do it.

Incidentally, I would also suggest that if you have an establishment that's willing to play by its rules (which happens more often than threads on these fora would suggest), letting the establishment know of your plans to present a substitute motion at a certain time or pull some other parliamentary shenanigan might be a good idea. From what it looked like (from the outside), nobody at the ND Convention was prepared to deal with a motion presenting a substitute slate of delegates, which causes logistical problems for the convention. Delays happen, tempers flare. The establishment probably wants to treat your motion fairly, and dispense with it as quickly as possible. Having a "let's work together" attitude - and more importantly, a "we won't complain if we lose fairly" attitude - is crucial. Obviously, if your caucus is in St. Charles County, Missouri, don't do this. You have to actually know who you're dealing with. But if you have credibility within your establishment GOP, you can work with the establishment for a smooth convention, in which we win or lose fairly.

[PolicyReader]

I think staying involved, even getting more involved is a good thing.
However involvement does not = support aka submission. I won't donate my cash or my vote to a candidate who I don't support. Nor will I donate either to a local branch of the party which isn't honest and/or doesn't represent me.
If they're not standing up for the Constitution then they're not earning my respect or support.
I'll play nice at party functions and I'll be diplomatic in conversations, that's just good tactics.
What I won't do is be bilked into somehow giving aid and comfort to the Obamny backers inside or outside of the GOP.
If there's any true contrition or inclusiveness let them earn to cooperation that goes along with that by first proving the reality of it through changing their actions within all of their elections starting now and extending beyond the general election of 2016




Also

Copy-paste the Constitution and send it back to them.
+rep