By Engr101.com staff
Published April 18, 2012
On April 15, 2012, Paul Burka of Texas Monthly issued the following alert on his blog:
“This e-mail went out to party regulars over the signature of Bill Crocker, Republican national committeeman:
‘Please plan to attend the SD [Senate District] conventions next Saturday and bring all your friends. We need to be sure we are not overwhelmed by the Ron Paul people, who still want to send a list of all Ron Paul people to the state convention.’”
Burka writes: “Obviously, the Republican hierarchy is worried about this. If the Ron Paul forces are really organizing a takeover of the Senate District conventions — and Bill Crocker seems to be worried that this is what they are doing — there could be a statewide fight for control of the Republican Party of Texas. How realistic this threat is, and what it might mean, is unclear at the moment, but it is certainly one more example of the cracks and fissures that divide the state GOP. If the lack of a meaningful presidential primary saps the enthusiasm of Republican voters, and cuts into attendance at the local conventions, the Ron Paul threat could get very serious indeed.”
What to expect:
The following is from “Chapter 14 – Convention Notes” in June Melton’s latest book Ron Paul is Right: Rick Perry is No Conservative:
“The precinct level is where American citizens can again regain control of the destiny of our country. Here are my notes: (taken in March, 2008)
“I am a precinct delegate in Precinct 359 at the Senate District 14 convention but today I passed up an opportunity to go further to the State convention in order to enable a younger delegate from my precinct to participate (we were allocated only one delegate). I am 65 years old, a believer in our Constitution and our individual liberties, and first voted for Barry Goldwater against Lyndon Johnson here in liberal Democrat Travis County and have continuously voted as a conservative Republican ever since. I attended the SD14 convention today (first time) because I wanted to know what occurred before a national convention.
“The national conventions (Democrats too) have become Hollywood-staged for prime time TV. Problem has been that they have become so boring that many people have stopped watching, which is the desired result of those in power who are trying to keep the American people asleep. The conventions of the 1950s and 1960s, on radio and then TV, used to have inspiring speeches, open debate, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley and Walter Cronkite, even fisticuffs between delegates with the sergeant-at-arms hauling them out (no tasers back then), and people yelling and screaming their positions and really behaving in a disgracefully democratic and non-politically correct way. That was what American politics was really about. Not this polite ho-hum flowers, good-hair and perfume canned-stuff both parties have stuffed into our faces for so many years.
“I arrived at Delco Center at 8 am; stood in line about 30 minutes to register. A young man was handing out yellow fliers to everyone in line, titled “Vote FOR the Minority Report of Robert Morrow.” He wore Ron Paul buttons on his shirt. Out of 16 delegates and alternates elected at the recent precinct 359 convention, 9 of us had been willing to spend this Saturday engaging in the democratic process. (Two additional people who had previously been at our precinct convention were apparently Demo infiltrators and they did not show up for today’s convention). Roll call indicated limited attendance from most large precincts, although the small precincts had most or all of their delegates show up.
“Committees had met the previous week. Those committees evidently consisted of “old party” plus some new entrants into Republican Party. Resolutions Committee had issued report encompassing 2006 platform; but apparently all of the amendments proposed at our own precinct convention had been given “short shrift.”
“Convention started about 9:30 am. Then there was an estimated thirty-nine percent spattering of polite applause for aggie Governor Rick Perry with a few “moos” or “boos.” Next 5 hours were spent debating and voting on the single Rules Committee Minority Report of Robert Morrow and other matters. Vote of our precinct was 4 yes (in favor of the Minority Report), 3 no and 2 abstentions. Actual vote out of around 1600 attendees was about 49% for and 51% against.
“Evidently, the Ron Paul turnout in the small precincts had been high, and old guard was worried about it so committee had voted to exclude 95 small precincts because they were afraid of the Ron Paul support. After the adverse vote results were announced, when a young woman (and committee volunteer) proposed from the floor that, because of the close vote, an equitable adjustment be made so that the Morrow minority report could be reflected in the minority precinct totals, the chairman told her to put it in writing. Business proceeded for a few minutes, and when the young woman returned to the microphone and submitted it in writing she was ruled out of order and out of luck.
“Some Ron Paul supporters walked out at this point. Personally, I was disappointed at what I had just witnessed. Before the count had been totaled – and also thereafter – speakers at the podium reflected on what was happening to the Republican Party and why the party is in trouble, and I sat there with about 1,600 other people and saw it for myself. Exclusion of points of view and lack of transparency must not be tolerated at any level. First, the committee obviously stacked their report to exclude the wishes of 95 precincts. Next, 49 percent of the attendees were in favor of the minority report, but the way it shook out, the wishes of those 49 percent were excluded. That left us with about 800 delegates angry; and 800 delegates semi happy but even they were not happy because when I caucused with them in my own precinct I learned that the big things to all of us including the minority was (1) close the borders, (2) no amnesty, (3) no more illegal immigration with hospitals and schools suffering from it, (4) no NAFTA – get the mega corporations with their 35,000 K-street lawyer-lobbyists out of their corrupt partnerships with the federal government, all of whom work against the American small businessman and woman, (5) right to life, (6) our Middle East policy and (7) shut down the Federal Reserve. NO ONE in my precinct caucus, nor people in other precincts I spoke to, was in favor of our government or our party being dominated by the big New York bank /House of Morgan “Rockefeller Republicans” selling out this country through the Federal Reserve to Saudis or China or France or the Queen or anyone else with their CFR and their NAFTA and NWO.
“I spoke with a woman who had previously been a delegate to the State Republican Convention. She told me that it was just as fixed there as what we had just witnessed, and good luck even getting passed any amendments to the platform not already sanctioned by the “old guard”. Nevertheless, she said that it is important to get viewpoints to the State convention and even national convention and speak to the committees because some of them might think the same way you do.
“Now, I’ve worked on a lot of political campaigns in my life. What I have to say to the Republican Party is that they had better start listening to the young people wanting to enter the party and who are being rebuffed by the old party “Legacy”. It’s their future at risk. Obama is attracting a lot of young people on his own, and both parties are in trouble with all the corruption. What I witnessed today was EXCLUSION of points of view so that the Republicans can have a “sanitized convention” (and extremely boring one) for Senator John McCain. I doubt that I will waste the electricity to my TV to turn the convention on, and I believe I am in the majority on that one unless something happens.”
