Grassroots Republicans protest hardball tactics at GOP national convention
It’s looking more and more like the DC Republican establishment has created for itself a MAJOR PR ISSUE that could blow up in the party’s collective face in November. The hardball treatment of congressman Ron Paul and his delegates, as well as the dubious tactics to change the delegate selection procedure has GOP grassroots activists from across the spectrum TICKED OFF.
A video showing NCGOP chairman Robin Hayes getting all Tony Soprano on a bunch of Tar Heel State delegates has Ron Paul supporters and Tea Partiers alike here in North Carolina spitting mad.
At the national level, you have convention delegates from across the country publicly protesting the RNC’s tactics in Tampa. I am still asking: Why? Why did the DC crowd HAVE to do this? They went into Tampa with a UNIFIED party ready to rally behind the nominee MANY initially had qualms about. Why rock the boat? Why try to fix something that isn’t broken?
The crowd that runs the GOP in DC sees their gig as mainly cutting deals that accumulate power and wealth for them and their friends. Saving the country is a DISTANT second. The Tea Party and other grassroots activists are trying to upset the ol’ apple-cart in the nation’s capital, and the establishment guys are NOT HAPPY. The grassroots gave them SPEAKER Boehner and MAJORITY LEADER Cantor. The establishment appreciated that, but now wants us to go away so they can get back to managing the welfare state. THAT is why we get maneuvers like these rule changes at the RNC. They want to shut us out of the process so there are no more surprises like 2010. *God forbid one of those Tea Party types wins the Republican presidential nomination!*
If Mitt Romney wants to avoid a repeat of the historic 1948 “Dewey Defeats Truman” debacle, he and his team need to start boning up on those diplomatic skills. If you can’t hold your political party together, how on Earth are you going to handle the Russians or the Iranians?
These establishment fools not only damaged Romney, but they hurt our chances of taking the Senate. They started a war with the Maine GOP. Why do that in a state with a critical Senate race we must win if we are to gain control of the Senate? That is stupid to the nth degree. The GOP establishment has shown it is more interested in keeping power within the GOP party structure than it is in taking power in the US Senate.
Boehner was apparently a big part of changing the rules. That is going to make conservatives redouble their efforts to dump Boehner as Speaker. The very same Boehner who has been weak as water in standing up to the Democrats in Congress seems to decide that the time to play hardball is in fighting the GOP grassroots.