Tillis Votes With MeckGOP to Silence Local Activists
At the Mecklenburg Republican Party Convention on Saturday, a rules change was presented and passed that essentially strips the local GOP of the ability to voice its opinion on issues. It was a move that solidifies in my mind that the Republican Party is dysfunctional and presiding over its own demise.
Since this is an off year election, participation in the Convention was at its cyclical low. Without national delegates to elect or local leadership to vote on, the convention participation was limited to just over 80 delegates. Attendees listened to hours of speeches from those running for office before the convention finally began its business session.
There wasn’t much on the agenda, but Rules Committee Chairman Warren Cooksey presented a series of convention rules changes for consideration by the body. Among them was Rule 19a, which reads as follows:
Resolutions considered by the Convention shall be in one of the following categories:
i) Resolutions in memory of Republican activists in Mecklenburg County or honoring a particular achievement or achievements of Republicans in Mecklenburg County; or
ii) Resolutions recommending that the State Convention adopt specific resolutions, platform planks, or amendments to the State Plan of Organization.
Seeing this, delegate Adam Love rose in opposition and proposed an amendment to the rules changes that would strike proposed Rule 19a. He cited that this rule would essentially prohibit the local County Party from passing meaningful resolutions designed to take a stand on issues or direct local elected officials to support or oppose specific legislative goals.
For example, under the proposed rules, the MeckGOP couldn’t pass a resolution condemning the culture of corruption witnessed with former Mayor Patrick Cannon this week.
Speaking in opposition to Love’s proposed amendment was State Representative Bill Brawley who suggested he didn’t like receiving conflicting resolutions from various County GOPs. He thought it more prudent for all of the GOP to have a single voice and only work through the State Party.
The vote was held, the amendment was narrowly defeated, and the rules changes went on to be passed as originally submitted.
Among those voting in favor of this rule was Senate candidate Thom Tillis. He was joined by many of his supporters. Purely speculation on this writer’s behalf, but those in favor were not at all happy when last year the MeckGOP passed a resolution opposing HOT lanes. Apparently the remedy was to simply remove the ability to pass meaningful resolutions at all.
Essentially, all that can happen now is that the local delegates can request the State Party take something up and hope (as what usually happens) that the State Convention doesn’t run out of time before resolutions are even heard.
This represents nothing but a smack in the face to local activists. Silencing the membership’s ability to address compelling issues through resolutions is not the way to grow a movement. The GOP told activists today to “sit down and shut up”.
Supporters say to opponents, “Well, you should have organized better”. What they apparently fail to realize, or don’t care to realize, is that moves like this just further alienate Conservative activists from even participating in the Party to begin with.
All this move does is continue to shrink the Party. The delegates present today seemingly support a Party that is made up of only monolithic, anti-activism Republicans. They want to be in complete control of a Party that does nothing.
Frankly, I say let them have it.
It’s becoming more and more obvious that if you want to take an active role in the operation of government, you don’t want to join the Republican Party, you want to join the Tea Party. Our very focus is issue advocacy, something the local GOP just proved it cares little about.
They had a vote- you lost. The exit door is under that sign that says EXIT. See you next year, thanks for coming.
So Rick, you don’t believe the local GOP should have the ability to express views on issues? What then is it’s point?
Nope, won’t see me and a lot of folks next year. What’s the reason to participate at all?
Christian- what would you have a NCGA member do if their district covered two different counties, and the GOP conventions in those counties had competing views on an issue. Brawley was right. NCGA members or any elected official for that matter are not bound by the directions given by their party- I hated I missed the show last night. Always fun to watch Love get his undergarments in a knot.
This concept may be new to you and some politicians, but about they DO THEIR JOB and talk with constituents from both counties and craft a solution / compromise?!?!?!
you can express views all you want. But an elected office holder is not bound to act on your view
I imagine the Whigs standing around like these establishment want-to-be bullies: “hey you don’t like it there’s the exit”, “if you don’t vote for our s#itty candidate you’re voting for the other guy”…..I also imagine them a few short years later just like these “republicans”: “hey where did everybody go?”
What’s really the point in having a county convention if you’re just going to adopt the stance of the state establishment? Oh no, if different counties have differing opinions an elected official may have to do his job and talk with his constituents to find out what their convictions on the subject may or may not be.
When the GOP is left scratching it’s head on why they are losing members and elections, they need to remember this. And Mike Barton’s comment is a shining example of the way people within the party regard each other and interact. Is it any wonder?
who is Mike Barton?
Not a surprise at all. The GOP needs every Republican to stand in line in order the be successful.
And if the Democrats are ever sucessful in implementing their plans for the country, everyone will be standing in line…..for toilet paper.
Point of Information: Does this rule apply only to resolutions made *at* the convention? Or does it apply also to resolutions submitted in advance?
If it was submitted on time, it would be kicked out for failing to meet the criteria.
It could be heard if 2/3 of the assembled delegates voted to hear it.
Problem is, half the delegates are establishment shills who would vote to publically execute Tea Party members if they could.
Wrong to muffle the democratic process at the point closest to the citizenry. I see each person’s 1st Amendment rights being cut off and frankly it is disturbing. In a major political party it appears you can join the party but not speak or be heard. Are we to assume that like Barack Obama only certain preople can lead if they sgrer with the president. It makes me wonder why be a member, is it only to be a foot soldier during elections, help raise money. I’m new to party participation and I am very disappointed at the new rule and that a candidate running for office would agree. Even God used a straw vote for the replacement apostle. Seems the democratic process is too fearful, should the party vote other than the executive officers would want the outcome to be. That is the democratic process to make a more perfect union, I thought. Let membership be heard and vote not just show up and listen and line up I’m single file.
Why aren’t you folks taking out the establishment GOP at the precinct level? Control all the precincts and kick Cooksey and company out. Let them go back to whatever fortune 500 company they are looting the taxpayer for.
This is following the national trend of reducing the influence of citizen voters and increasing the influence of those who purchase it. If you don’t have a bank account to significantly underwrite the Party or the Party’s chosen (chosen by those who purchase the influence), the Party has no interest in you. Like a 19th century child, you are to be seen, but not heard. Conventions are becoming increasingly irrelevant. The result is a Party that can’t attract new blood and new energy. A Party that, in limiting internal debate, is forcing it outside into organizations that sap the vitality of the Party itself. Like a river who’s channel has become choked with dead wood and debris, the water flows to the next available outlets, spending it’s force in all directions. If you want the river to run with greater flow and force, you widen and deepen the channel to capture all the water. That is not what is happening and, Rick Barton, the question isn’t whether or not we know where the exit is. The question is how many more people can the Party afford who have no interest in finding the ENTRANCE. Someone seems to think that the Party has just too many people and voters at present.
The lobbyists love this. Nice job making yourself irrelevant. Now go change rules and make Tillis the nominee so he can lose to Hagan.
The GOP is not going to risk blowing another election with unelectable cartoon characters like Christine O’Donnell and Greg “I am not a conspiracy theorist/criminal/all-around fruit-bat” Brannon. Tillis is simply acting like a responsible adult here.
We should remember several “Cartoon Characters” as you describe them, Jesse Helms, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, Allen Grayson, etc., etc. They don’t merely get elected, they have profound impact. Unlike the vanilla standards who tend to be advanced by their Establishment cohorts and do little more than hold a space for future “Cartoon Characters”.
I always believed the Republican Party celebrated the voices of their individual members from the ground up but this leads me to re-evaluate that perception. Like our federal government who believes the individual is no longer sovereign, the Republican Party now has the same philosophy. Our form of government is a Republic, which means the rights of the individual are protected from mob rule and by it’s very definition means – re•pub•lic [ri-puhb-lik] a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them. Is this not the very idea behind electing “Delegates” to a convention? To represent the body of the County at the District or State level? How then are those delegates supposed to vote on issues affecting the party if not by debating those issues that are affecting them as individuals?! If the local county body will not entertain debate for the purpose of passing local Resolutions for that county body’s voice to be heard at a higher level, no wonder both the federal government and the State Republican Party view themselves as the ultimate sovereign power.
This is about power and control, as others have stated. It is no different than Boehner stripping committee chairmanships from those who dare to think.
As constitutions are agreements with the people about how governments should behave, I suggest tea parties and other groups of this type, should continue to write resolutions to their representatives about how to stay in line with those agreements.
For Bill Brawley to fall in line on this one is disappointing. Certainly differing opinions will be offered. That is the nature of the beast. Can he not make a discerning decision about how to vote, or is he afraid of something?
Correct. The reason Warren Cooksey (the Rules Committee Chair) and the party did this is very simple: LiberTEA activists have been using resolutions to address policy issues during conventions and forcing the party leadership and elected officials to take votes on those issues. They knew that, whether we passed our resolutions or not, by forcing votes, we made politicians show their colors in a way that is unambiguous. They got tired of it, and have now made it against the rules.
What Warren doesn’t seem to get is that by reacting this way, he and his fellow censorship enthusiasts are still helping us win in the long run. Now, news of this action will spread, angering more and more conservatives, driving them to withhold their support from the party and their preferred candidates, and to give that support instead to organizations like CAUTION and Lkn Conservatives. In the long run, we get stronger, while they get fewer and weaker. In the long run, we still win.
So Christian, what are the rules concerning resolutions in the county where you live, York County SC? Also, as a participant I can assure you that the amendment was soundly defeated, not narrowly. And any resolution can be voted upon with 2/3 vote to suspend the rules. I’m guessing that those opposed know they will have difficulty ever getting 2/3 to agree with their arguments. Win the argument, then win the vote.
Just out of curiosity, Brenda, why do you think an argument in favor of free speech was unconvincing to you and your fellow Tillis supporters?
I saw this video and I am convinced that this guy Tillis is crazy and delusonal. If you didn’t like what happened in a small convention yesterday look how he breaks the rules working against the whole state. See crazy Tillis arguing with reporters at 1:30 am about him pushing a secret midnight vote and further silencing the public or anyone who might be opposed to him.
The video shows Tillis trying to justify a secret midnight vote at 12:45 am in the House without giving notice to the public that a vote would be taking place. Another instance of silencing the public just like yesterday. Listen, just listen to this video of Thom Tillis trying to justify he unjustifiable and arguing with reporters. This man does not belong anywhere near a legislature. We’ve already got “Tricky Dick” Burr that we;ll need to extract out of office next time around, we don’t need “Tricky Thom” Thillis thoo. Watch this video and you can’t tell me this man isn’t delusional lost in his own world. “Tricky Thom” Thilis Throw the bum out!
Sorry, but your spin is making me dizzy Adam. There was no silencing of free speech. No one bought your spin and that’s why your amendment failed miserably.
How is limiting what delegates can bring resolutions about NOT limiting free speech?
Adam, actually there is no limiting of free speech in this issue. You are free to talk, write and print all you want. The issue is how the R party runs its meetings. Of that, they have every right to decide the rules for how the party operates.
Having said that, I find it sad they would do this, sad but expected. The establishment is not interested in small government types having any real influence. Notice how the press constantly berates the tea party, even though the tea party types are the only ones who would support the press’s right to publish.
To silence the voices of party members on many issues while at the same time asking them to support the party with their time, energy, and hard-earned dollars is absolutely nonsensical and absurd.
Christian is right about one thing, attendance was abysmal and those that did attend were subjected to approximately an hour and a half of candidate speeches before any convention business took place. What makes it worse is that you can’t even vote for many of the candidates who spoke since they’re not in your district. I left at about 11:40 prior to the rules change vote because of other obligations. This is nothing new, however, but the MeckGOP exec. comm. really needs to look at streamlining the convention, especially in off years when there are no elections taking place.
Ms Hine
I was not at the convention so I won’t comment on the specific vote on changes to your rules. I am on the state platform committee while I can’t disclose any changes to the state platform, I can say they your opinion on hot lanes has been discussed at the state level. Based on your comment about candidates taking hours to give their speeches, I can say that at the Moore County convention we handled 34 candidates giving speeches in a little over an hour. We did this by limiting each speech to two minutes and stopped speakers from going over. As for any rules changes that you don’t agree with, you can always can always change your county executive committee and chairman. We also have a resolution from our county (Moore) that advises all Republicans to follow Ronald Reagen’s 11th commandment “Thou shall not speak ill of any republican”. Just in case Rep Tillis manages to win the primary in May, any adverse comments made by Republicans about candidates will be used by democrats against that candidate.
Mr. Mendelson, Christian Hine is a man.
And just because Ronald Reagan said something, it doesn’t make it true in all cases. If Republicans can’t confront and/or criticize our lawmakers in public, then how will they ever know we are unhappy with their performance?
The MeckGOP has recoined Reagan’s Commandment as ” “Thou shall not speak.”
So the Moore County GOP is also looking to remove citizens rights to free speech? We can’t be critical of someone just because they are a Republican? Mr. Mendelson, what happens when a Republican does something wrong? Will you sit idly by and remain silent simply because they wear the same jersey you do? The GOP you describe is becoming just as totalitarian as the government we in the Tea Party and Liberty movements are actually fighting against.
It isn’t Democrat vs Republican anymore. It’s liberty vs tyranny. If you can’t tell the difference, you sir are part of the problem.
Well said, Christian Hine!!
>> “Thou shall not speak ill of any republican”
Speaking ill of a fellow Republican is how Thom Tillis got into politics, smearing a National Legislator Of The Year with the help of Jim Black and Richard Morgan.
I trust that Mr. Mendelson is just as diligent in scolding people who are on websites speaking about other candidates as well? If he doesn’t think we have the right to raise legitimate concerns about Tillis, I’d imagine seeing another Republican candidate being called a “fruit-bat” by a Tillis supporter keeps him from sleeping at night?
And yet, no one seems to be in favor of a strong conservative third party.
What I would ultimately like to see is a refocus of our election laws that would minimize the role of political parties. Certainly, if private organizations want to form and rally for particular candidates, that is perfectly fine. However, giving nearly exclusive ballot access, government subsidy, paid for primaries, and the like are out of place. Why does the “republican party” have all the benefits that other organizations formed to influence policy don’t have? The Party system is obsolete and I think, frankly, dangerous to a free country. They place an extra step between elected officials and their constituents and many vote just for Party without actually looking at the merits of individual candidates.
As an interim step, I’m becoming less and less opposed to a new 3rd party. If done right, with a strong leader, the funding, and an over night mass exudus of people, I think the new conservative party could actually relegate the GOP to 3rd party status pretty quickly.
And this all hurts me to say as a lifelong Republican…
Time for a strong conservative third party folks!
If you want a Socialist Venezuelan style America a third party is the way to ensure it. A better way would be for Conservatives to retake the Southern and Western wings of the Democrat Party and leave the GOP to the Country Clubbers and Rockefellers.
It will help if folks at Pundit House had their facts correct or perhaps choose to not misrepresent what actually happened at Saturday’s MeckGOP County Convention.
Traditionally, and what has been the case for many years – is that resolutions brought before the convention have never carried any actual force or gained any impact whatsoever because they are not forwarded to the NCGOP State Party in order to be presented, voted, included or adopted at the state level. Without resolutions taken to, debated by and voted on… at the state level – then resolutions are only for political theater & show.
There have been many resolutions entered in the past that were either poorly written, or written for solely punitive purposes – designed by one internal opponent to embarrass or harm another internal opponent. There are certainly many avenues to succeed as such tactics without turning the County Convention into a Gotcha-Fest.
There are those members of the convention who want and rightly believe that resolutions should not merely be for show – that they should be taken to the state level for serious consideration and adoption. Nearly every Resolutions Committee and its members for a few years now have also complained that resolutions being entered are not turned in with enough lead-time for the committee to intelligently discuss them and offer edits or amendments. Under the old rules, resolutions could be submitted as late as 30 minutes prior to the convening of the convention. As result – what has happened quite often in the past is those resolutions do not even make it to the County Convention Floor because the committee has not had time to review, edit and discuss them. If a resolution appears to have the potential of being controversial, with no lead time – they simply do not make it to the floor.
Under the new rules:
Resolutions will be turned in at least one week in advance; allowing the committee time to meet, discuss, make suggested edits or changes and then communicate that back to the submitting party for further discussion – all days before the convention convenes.
Any resolutions brought to the floor and approved by majority vote of the delegates will be immediately forward the NC State Convention to be debated on and voted on in order to have actual and real impact state wide. (This is certainly better than just having them for political theater or show).
If there is a resolution that is not forwarded to the floor by the committee – and members of the convention feel that it is crucially important that it does receive consideration – they can call on the convention delegates to vote on an immediate suspension of the rules by a 2/3 vote of the delegates.
None of these changes silences anyone. Any member of the convention can enter resolutions, and they can ultimately ask the convention delegates to suspend rules and allow full debate if there is some type of protest. Even more importantly, this will have the Resolutions Process begin to carry actual real meaning and impact – whereas; under the old rules, they have no real meaning or impact at all.
Mr. Hine of Pundit House was present at the convention – he heard all that was discussed – but yet conveniently left these details out of his reporting. I think we can certainly argue that Mr. Hine is very biased.
He closed his piece on Pundit house by writing… “It’s becoming more and more obvious that if you want to take an active role in the operation of government, you don’t want to join the Republican Party, you want to join the Tea Party. Our very focus is issue advocacy, something the local GOP just proved it cares little about.”
By his comments – it would appear that Mr. Hine is not a Republican – that he is not interested in helping the party or working with the party – he is more interested in tearing the party down.
I’m not misrepresenting anything. You, however, are trying to spin yourself out of a negative situation by bringing up superfluous arguments.
Given your second paragraph, it appears you have no interest in allowing the local party to take stands on issues. Certainly, some issues do have state impact and should be brought up to the state. This isn’t true across the board, however, and the new rules prohibit the local party from speaking for itself.
If the resolutions have no weight, then that too is a failure of the party, not those trying to make statements.
Nothing in this article suggests opposition to other rule changes that encourage resolutions being submitted in a timely manner.
Funny that you seem worried about “controversial resolutions with no lead time”. You mean, sort of like what you just did with the rules changes?
You know as well as I do that the resolutions at the NCGOP conventions are an afterthought. More often then not, the convention runs out of time before even hearing and debating them. The NCGOP has failed in taking resolutions seriously as well. At the state convention, rather than solid debate on issues, you get repeated quorum calls until finally most people just call it quits…at least those uninterested in debating issues.
There is no misunderstanding, these rules changes prohibit the County Party from taking stands on issues. If all it can do is forward something to the state convention, hope it even gets heard, and then hope that the issue is even of interest to the statewide participants, then Mecklenburg County has truly given up its local voice. It’s a sad day.
What you have done is mandate a supermajority before the local party can take a stand on anything. That’s wrong.
As for “conveniently leaving out details”, I left nothing out that was relevant. I didn’t give a recap of the 30 some odd speeches we heard from candidates either, because it wasn’t relevant to the rules change at issue.
I have been a Republican all my life, but as the GOP continues to destroy itself though actions such as this, don’t be surprised when you wake up one day, go to the GOP Convention, and find that you are the only person there.
The Republican Party should be the leading voice for conservatives in our community. It should be commenting on local issues, encouraging activism, holding liberals accountable. But no. It doesn’t want to get its hands dirty. It doesn’t want to have a voice. It wants to pass the buck to the State Party and hope they will do something.
That’s why I mentioned joining the Tea Party. At least we DO SOMETHING.
This is not the way to create a movement. You’re only hurting yourself.
[…] March 29, 2014, at the Mecklenburg Republican Party Convention, Tillis, along with his supporters, voted in favor of a series of convention rule changes that prohibit the local County from passing meaningful resolutions designed to take a stand on […]
[…] took place during the March 29th MeckGOP county convention, which Mr. Hine previously blogged about here. But, I am writing this post in an effort to hopefully generate some productive dialogue about how […]