Monday, June 9, 2008

The News Tribune






More on the alleged McCain walk-out
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 04:45:40 pm

I got my first e-mail from a McCain delegate about the alleged orchestrated walk-out at the state Republican convention last weekend. I've posted a few comments (and videos) from Paul supporters (scroll down), so I'm glad I've now got at least one commentary from the other side.

Here goes:

Well, there are a lot of ways of looking at the "walk out."

It happend in that there eventually wasn't a quorum, and the convention had to adjourn. But was it an orchestrated "walk-out" or were people just tired? I'm not sure I can say for sure. On one hand, it was orchestrated in that some folks were urging others to leave. On the other hand, it was not orchestrated because plenty of people were leaving on their own because it was late and the Paul people were dragging out the convention.


I'm going to say it was not orchestrated. Because if it was orchestrated, it was orchestrated very poorly.

Plenty of counties stuck around during the quorum call, including McCain counties. Even some McCain whips (the folks carrying the giant YES and NO signs) stayed on the floor. The McCain people were pretty well organized considering the Paul people were incredibly organized and the McCain people were able to beat them back on most of their motions. Since the McCain people were so organized about everything else, it would make sense if they were organized in regards to a "walk-out." But based on how many McCain people stayed during the supposed "walk-out," I'd have to say that the walk-out was not actually planned or orchestrated.

People get tired of these things. In fact, that's how Paul won the counties he did. Paul never had more than about 30% of the delegates at any county convention, but they would drag the business along while supporters of McCain and other candidates would slowly leave. In Clark, Spokane, Thurston, and Whatcom counties, by the time county conventions would finally vote on delegates, enough folks had left that Paul delegates made up a majority. So it's ironic, not to mention petty, that Paul folks are now bemoaning the WSRP convention when they used the same tactics (assuming there WAS an organized walk-out, a sentiment I don't agree with) at county conventions.

Lastly, it's also unfortuante that Paul backers are saying the McCain folks cheated by walking out or passing the set of rules they did. At the open of the convention, Paul delegates tried to remove the entire Skagit County delegation from the floor. They lost at least a dozen procedural votes while trying to make this happen. They never once explained why Skagit County should be expelled (they only said there were "questions" and "abormalities," but never explained what they actually meant), they hoped to just generate enough confusion on the floor to get their way.

If all it takes is more than half of the convention to remove a delegation, the McCain camp would have had easily enough votes to take out Spokane, Whatcom, and Clark. But the McCain folks played very fair and never used parliamentary procedure to unfairly exploit their majority. So to answer your last question, I'm not sure I do see anything wrong with an orchestrated walk-out, if that's really what happened, given how the Paul people were trying to play the game.





15 comments:

theropingeffect said...

Of course it was orchestrated. The McCain delegates never left the building. Why did they all rush back in when the Ron Paul delegates held a quorum?

Poindexter Prometheus Parkenfarker said...

It's all about perceptions.
Both camps on the same team seem to have a different perspective on how things went down and who was playing parlimentary games first, most and reacting to percieved potential parlimentary games.

If I were the manager of this club I would definately call for a closed door locker room head banging session. This infighting within our team is a distraction.

Anyway, That game's in the record books and time to move to the next one.
After all we're all on the same team, right?

Individual Liberty vs Collectivism.

Rob said...

Poindexter, what team would that be?

Poindexter Prometheus Parkenfarker said...

Last I heard,
Everyone at the State GOP convention declared themselves as Republicans.

I'd hate to think that a rare few of my paranoid old geezer buddies are right when they accuse our new friends as a "Trojan Horse".
Especially as hard as I've debated with them that this is not the case.

I'd like to believe that even though many of us have differences of opinions on policy issues that we are all working toward a future that brings back Liberty.

"Collectivism is the enemy of all free men" -Lt. Buck Compton WW2 Vet and Skagit GOP

ps: He has his own book coming out real soon. He was also featured in th book Band of Brothers.

Rob said...

Yep, the Republicans. The ones who stayed on the state convention floor.

Poindexter Prometheus Parkenfarker said...

Well Rob, I guess if Both the McCain and the Paul Delegations are still pissed off at me for my actions during the walkout, then you all agree one thing.

You are mad at me.
Good for you.
That's a start.

If I can unify a bunch of green recruits at the fire academy then I guess I'll just have to resort to the same thing here. (Every engine company I ever trained hated my guts until they fought their first real structure fire in the real world, so I could care less what anybody really thinks of me now.)
If both camps on the same team hate my guts by the time it's all over, but they are working toward the same goal, then good for us.

The pettiness is beneath everybody whom I have known for years and whom I have recently met.

It's time for new and old alike to consider whether or not they are here to help our candidates win elections. If so, put the pettiness aside and get working. If not, pack up their gear and clear out their lockers.
Good attitudes and Bad attitudes are equally contagious.

Madame F's friend said...

I never was pissed off at you nor do I know anyone else who is. Trojan Horse? Let me see that would mean we're deceiving the old guard by putting in front of you something we're not, and jumping out at the moment you are all relaxed, ambush you, and take over your city/organization. Hmmm other than trying to deal with dirty politics by using stealth while trying to become delegates, I see no deception in who we are and what we stand for. You have a mis perception that you are teaching us something that you know and we don't. While I come from the philosophy that we are all teachers and students I think you are missing one HUGE point and the purpose of our presence. We as a group 100% and whole heartedly believe America, sir, is dying and all too quickly. The loss of our civil liberties,our economy, things I'm sure you are barely aware of or you would not even consider supporting McCain. We trust Ron Paul and each other, the rest we are working on one bite at a time. The Unity crap pouring from the top of the RNC is cow dung which we will not eat even if we starve, because again we believe our lives are in peril. Really. This isn't some high school football game where when we lose, oh well we go home and wait for another game. The game as we know it IS ending.

Poindexter Prometheus Parkenfarker said...

Madam F's Friend,
To me unity is not cow dung, and without Unity, Obama wins. That'll be swell for Individual Liberty...

McCain can be reminded of Liberty through hard work and persistance.
Obama cannot.

As many of of my friends who are currently serving have told me they would rather be fighting Hamas, Al Quaeda, Syrian and Iranian regulars over there than they would here where their mothers live. Western Civilization has been under siege on and off since the 7th century. Even Thomas Jefferson knew that the Islamic Pirates off the Barbary Coast were a threat, and sent Marines to deal with them. (Foreign entanglements)
This is where I part ways with Dr. Paul. Iraq is of great strategic importance to both the US and Isreal, and for the secular muslim states that have seeds of moderation forming.

I have nothing to teach, as I presume that everyone I meet is much smarter than I am. I am as ignorant as I choose to be.

However, what I do know in all my unawareness, is that good local Republicans will lose elections if members of the GOP are wasting their time on petty infighting, and from my point of chosen ignorance, that is what I see many folks are finding more important.

If Unity is cow dung, then I'll play in it. And I refuse to buy into doom and gloom and America is dead and dying. I am an optimist, and will continue to be, even if I suspect that some folks (new and old)are looking to create divisiveness and put personal agendas ahead of getting folks elected.

The message of Liberty should be encouraged and is long overdue. But leave the Doom and Gloom and America is dying rhetoric to the democrats. They are professionals at it. we as Republicans should offer an Optimism for a strong USA.

I am not a teacher or student. Not smart enough. No time for that. What I do know is how to win as a team, engine company, political party etc. Those are my limited skills. I know what works and what doesn't work.

well, gotta go now and hit the batting cages, if I sit at home and wait for the next game, we will lose. If I practice and prepare for it, we just might win...
...might work for politics too?

Madame F's friend said...

I am an an American first and forever. The Leadership of Democrats and Republicans are two sides of the same coin.The 2 party system has failed the people miserably. McCain will crush us as badly as Obama as a matter of fact Obama will give you more war for your appetite than McCain will. We are not in agreement at all. So be it. The "petty" infighting may stop soon anyway and we just have to agree to disagree.

Rob said...

The fact of the matter is that Obama will absolutely crush McCain unless McCain chooses Diebold as his running mate.

Poindexter Prometheus Parkenfarker said...

Who's Diebold?

was he from thr Forbin Project?

Rob said...

Lol, no it's not from the Forbin Project. Check out this video.
http://www.bellinghamronpaul.blogspot.com/search?q=diebold

Poindexter Prometheus Parkenfarker said...

I'm bad. I had to go there.
Not sure why colossus comes to mind when I hear diebold mentioned.
In 2000, we had electronic votes at the state convention. It was a huge learning curve for most to operate and didn't speed things up for counting as the voting process was explained to many delegates each time they voted, "What does it mean by, 'are you sure?' click cancel to exit."
For those who don't remember life before computers, they might not understand...
You should have heard the Diebold boys cussed out then...

Madame F's friend said...

Ok Rob it's a game of inches
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DN-fhY96p0

Madame F's friend said...

Hey Poindexter,
Check out this hot Ron Paul chick

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SBCKMTo210k
She's such a hottie that every Ron Paul man under 90 covets her! Al though she might not be as furry as you like.
Just for giggles even a McCain supporter has to laugh at this

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Bol08luwQhk&feature=user

 

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