State Committee in Maine - Ron Paul committeewoman voting for Romney Chair

[parocks]

Ok, here's the story. There's an election to replace Charlie Webster for Maine GOP Chair. You've heard of him.

The candidates are Beth O'Connor - who was Endorsed for State Rep by RON PAUL (she lost, so she's available for this)

and

Rich Cebra, who supported Romney in the Primaries against Ron Paul.

Most of the 31 state committee people who we elected in May are voting for Beth. Some of the 31 are saying they're voting for Rich.

What is our opinion of the people who say they'll vote against the Ron Paul endorsed Beth O'Connor?

[trey4sports]

i think this would do better in a maine subcategory as opposed to Grassroots Central since most of us non maine-dwelling folk don't know anything about the two candidates.

[eleganz]

Find out why they're voting for the Romney person instead of our liberty candidate, understand why they did this. Don't judge too early, especially if you're unsure about the situation.

[parocks]

Find out why they're voting for the Romney person instead of our liberty candidate, understand why they did this. Don't judge too early, especially if you're unsure about the situation.

Ok, not OUTRAGE? I'm pretty much in the outrage camp, but it's good to check with everybody here. We go to outrage pretty quickly here, not so much on the facebook group.

[parocks]

i think this would do better in a maine subcategory as opposed to Grassroots Central since most of us non maine-dwelling folk don't know anything about the two candidates.

Well, yeah, but I'm really just looking for responses based on the least of facts.

Just - one was Endorsed By Ron Paul one was for Romney in the primaries. The Romney has the Governors endorse.

[brandon]

I can't really get outraged over people I don't know voting for people I don't know. I'm guessing they have their reasons for doing so. Ron Paul has endorsed tons of people I don't like, so I guess I need more information.

[parocks]

Does anybody remember if there was a thread saying something like "the most important thing is to take over state parties"?

I'm trying to build a case.

There you go, your 5 year old post

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?124683-How-we-will-take-over-the-republican-party.&

[parocks]

I can't really get outraged over people I don't know voting for people I don't know. I'm guessing they have their reasons for doing so. Ron Paul has endorsed tons of people I don't like, so I guess I need more information.

You're an expert here - for this thread of yours about taking parties - Feb 2008.
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?124683-How-we-will-take-over-the-republican-party.&

[brandon]

You're an expert here - for this thread of yours about taking parties - Feb 2008.
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?124683-How-we-will-take-over-the-republican-party.&
Hah excellent find. Forgot about that one. I haven't really followed Maine so I don't know who is the best.

[Gage]

Ashley Ryan?

[Eric21ND]

Before you pull out the daggers, try to reason with them and win them back over to our side. Make your case for Beth to them. Hold a meeting with all our people on the committee and make a combined effort to bring the outsiders on board. Also know the exact number of votes we have on the committee, a few defectors might be mote. Pick your battles in other words. Even if they're not with us now, we might be able to win them over in the future. I don't like burning bridges unless absolutely necessary.

[Uriah]

In most cases I would vote for a Paul person. But is that person competent? Will they be fair and honest and follow the rules? Even so called liberty folks aren't perfect and can fall victim to their ego and operate from a position of tyranny. Judge the individuals on their deeds and how they will function in their new role if elected, based on everything you know about them.

[Keith and stuff]

Ashley Ryan?

She is the committeewoman. I don't know what the Maine GOP Chair does. In NH, it is mostly raise money, fill out paperwork, treat everyone fairly and help build a winning team. In Maine, with the caucuses and all, there are likely additional duties. If a Ron Paul person wasn't well known in the state and the a Romney person was, all else being equal, it might be better for the party as a whole for the Romney person to win. The next presidential election isn't until 2016, if that is what you are worried about. There is still time to replace a chair if the chair doesn't govern fairly.

[TruckinMike]

Don't take any endorsement too seriously -- Recall Ron Paul gave a nod of approval / semi-endorsement to Lamar "Staatssicherheit" Smith.

[parocks]

Ashley Ryan?

Ashley Ryan is fine and dandy as National Committeewoman from Maine. This is not about her.

[parocks]

I'm seeing no Outrage!

[FSP-Rebel]

If this Romney supporter is fair and honest, I don't really see a problem if Paul folk would pick him/her. The important part is having a solid number of our peeps on the state com to have a controlling interest in the party as a whole. Take a queue from MN and don't get overly greedy and purge everyone that isn't in our camp. If they take their ball and go home, you're stuck with party division and a lackluster fundraising mechanism in a blue state. That said, I have no idea what is really going on in ME.

[parocks]

In Maine, Beth O'Connor, the Ron Paul candidate, is not marginal, sketchy. Both candidates have solid credentials. Sometimes the Ron Paul candidate in some places is lacking in areas other than ideology. Here, both candidates are roughly equal.

We have 31 state committee members, not quite half, but we should be able to get the win with unity of the 31, and picking up a few more.

[Mr.NoSmile]

I think it may be noteworthy to point out that Governor LePage has endorsed Rich Cebra for the position of Chairman.

http://undercoverporcupine.bangordailynews.com/2012/11/19/politics/governor-lepage-endorses-rich-cebra-for-state-republican-chair/


To continue pursuing our goals and objectives we need leaders who will provide us the best structure possible with which to communicate our message.

That is why I am writing you to support Richard Cebra for Chairman of the Maine Republican Party.

Rich has a commitment to the grassroots, an understanding of the Legislative process, a core belief in small business which drives Maine’s economy and he strongly supports the principles which unite us. I hope you will join me in supporting him.

Like others, I'm unfamiliar with either one. I first do believe this belongs not only in the Maine subsection (anyone else have the power to do that?), but to step back and consider whether one is bad just because they weren't a Ron Paul supporter.

[parocks]

No, I think this should stay up here until the election on Saturday. 12/1. In how many states is a Ron Paul supporter the state chair? Iowa, I'm pretty sure. Nevada? Minnesota, Louisiana? Anyway, the vote for the Maine GOP chair is Saturday 12/1. And we should want to win this. This is what we're supposed to be doing.

Can we get Ron Paul on the ground here in Maine on Saturday? Reminding those people who he'd like to see win. And that's Beth. I don't believe that this will happen, but it could happen. It would be good to win this here in Maine.

[paulbot24]

It is surprising there are still conservatives that say they are/were Romney supporters. They've been so busy backstabbing and backpedalling at the same time. If you can get them to the point of remembering they only "backed" Romney because he was "electable", it's a start. Then remind them that electablility should mean competence, and when we choose poorly and unprincipled, we all have to deal with something called accountability.

[compromise]

Who is Cebra? Is he a Tea Party/fiscal conservative guy or an establishment Rockefeller Republican? Is he antagonistic towards RP supporters or not?

[parocks]

Who is Cebra? Is he a Tea Party/fiscal conservative guy or an establishment Rockefeller Republican? Is he antagonistic towards RP supporters or not?

He's been a 10th Amendment guy. Which is good. The point isn't that Cebra is bad, but that Beth is good.

[Mr.NoSmile]

The other side may argue that Cebra is good, though. Again, nothing points toward Cebra coming off as rabid anti-Ron Paul or corrupt or even really evil. Plus, we don't know how he would function should he become the Chairman. If enough people actually do believe O'Connor can pull it off, not just on the basis of her being a Ron Paul supporter, but that she would function better than Cebra, then that should be what ultimately leads her to victory.

Here's something quite telling, though. This article about the election mentions Matt McDonald of Belfast, who said the following:


"I think both Rich and Beth - both of them are very friendly toward the liberty supporters - Ron Paul supporters. Both of them can work with traditional Republicans as well."

http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNewsArchive/tabid/181/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3475/ItemId/24875/Default.aspx

So there doesn't seem to be a good or bad here. It can be argued that O'Connor would probably be more approachable by Paul supporters, but that may be because they're more familiar with her than Cebra. I don't know the vibe over in Maine, so it looks like, without looking at any polling data myself, this could go either way.

[parocks]

The other side may argue that Cebra is good, though. Again, nothing points toward Cebra coming off as rabid anti-Ron Paul or corrupt or even really evil. Plus, we don't know how he would function should he become the Chairman. If enough people actually do believe O'Connor can pull it off, not just on the basis of her being a Ron Paul supporter, but that she would function better than Cebra, then that should be what ultimately leads her to victory.

Here's something quite telling, though. This article about the election mentions Matt McDonald of Belfast, who said the following:



http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNewsArchive/tabid/181/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3475/ItemId/24875/Default.aspx

So there doesn't seem to be a good or bad here. It can be argued that O'Connor would probably be more approachable by Paul supporters, but that may be because they're more familiar with her than Cebra. I don't know the vibe over in Maine, so it looks like, without looking at any polling data myself, this could go either way.

People don't really know. I'd like to think that the 31 state committee people that were on the Ron Paul list in Augusta in May would vote for the candidate who was endorsed by Ron Paul.

If the people who were put on the list aren't going to vote for the candidate endorsed by Ron Paul, what's the point of having a list anyway?

[parocks]

bump

[sailingaway]

People don't really know. I'd like to think that the 31 state committee people that were on the Ron Paul list in Augusta in May would vote for the candidate who was endorsed by Ron Paul.

If the people who were put on the list aren't going to vote for the candidate endorsed by Ron Paul, what's the point of having a list anyway?

that would be my first conclusion as well, but I don't know the people involved.

[cpike]

Could be a Romney person who will get shit done, but will be fair and isn't hostile to Ron Paul. That'd be better than a Ron Paul chair that doesn't do anything productive at all. Impossible to say without knowing what the situation is.

[Agorism]

Could be a Romney person who will get shit done, but will be fair and isn't hostile to Ron Paul. That'd be better than a Ron Paul chair that doesn't do anything productive at all. Impossible to say without knowing what the situation is.

Trust issues with these people..