Next February, the process to elect precinct, county, district, and state delegates and GOP officials will begin. Mass precinct meetings in large counties begin in February. In March smaller counties have their mass precinct meetings and all counties have their county conventions. April brings district conventions and the GAGOP state convention will be in May.
Every two years, Republican party officials are elected from the bottom up beginning with the precincts and ending with state party officials. This is as "grassroots" as any political process anywhere. Traditionally, this has been a mostly amicable process. It won't be that way in 2013.
Rule 12 and the desire to hand control of national delegates to candidates and the national party changed all of that. There are other factions fighting within the GOP, but grassroot Republicans of all leanings will oppose the nationalization of local and state decisions.
The infamous Rule 12, allowing rule changes between conventions, is the spear point; but the real thrust is coming from the drive to turn actual delegate selection over to the presidential candidates. This is a perversion of the process.
Georgia's delegates are already bound for the first two ballots to the candidate for whom they are elected as delegates, but the delegates do not represent those candidates. The delegates represent the congressional district from which they are elected or the state of Georgia, NOT a particular candidate.
Mitt Romney has delegates that represent him. They live in Massachusetts. Rick Santorum has delegates that represent him. They live in Pennsylvania. Ron Paul and Rick Perry have delegates that represent them. They live in Texas. Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich have delegates that represent them. They live in Georgia. Those same Georgia delegates also represent me and I don't want them given away - effectively disenfranchising me - to any candidate.
So, candidates for office within the GOP, if you support the nationalization of the delegate process then I will not support you. I will support those who favor keeping our right to representation.
I suggest you remember the reaction to Governor Deal when it was widely interpreted that he was attempting to influence the state party election. You will need the votes of those people who booed the governor.
Choose wisely and rest assured the members of the Georgia Republican Party shall do the same.
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| The red "GOP" logo used by the party for its website (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Rule 12 and the desire to hand control of national delegates to candidates and the national party changed all of that. There are other factions fighting within the GOP, but grassroot Republicans of all leanings will oppose the nationalization of local and state decisions.
The infamous Rule 12, allowing rule changes between conventions, is the spear point; but the real thrust is coming from the drive to turn actual delegate selection over to the presidential candidates. This is a perversion of the process.
Those same Georgia delegates also represent me and I don't want them given away - effectively disenfranchising me - to any candidate.
Georgia's delegates are already bound for the first two ballots to the candidate for whom they are elected as delegates, but the delegates do not represent those candidates. The delegates represent the congressional district from which they are elected or the state of Georgia, NOT a particular candidate.
Mitt Romney has delegates that represent him. They live in Massachusetts. Rick Santorum has delegates that represent him. They live in Pennsylvania. Ron Paul and Rick Perry have delegates that represent them. They live in Texas. Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich have delegates that represent them. They live in Georgia. Those same Georgia delegates also represent me and I don't want them given away - effectively disenfranchising me - to any candidate.
So, candidates for office within the GOP, if you support the nationalization of the delegate process then I will not support you. I will support those who favor keeping our right to representation.
I suggest you remember the reaction to Governor Deal when it was widely interpreted that he was attempting to influence the state party election. You will need the votes of those people who booed the governor.
Choose wisely and rest assured the members of the Georgia Republican Party shall do the same.
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