Stop the Establishment’s Shell Game at the RNC

The Romney camp is seeking to pacify the brewing discontent among grassroots activists at the Republican National Convention by pushing for a proposed “compromise” on Rule 15. Don’t fall for the establishment’s shell game.

Of course, it sounds like a good deal, removing the rule change that would have allowed presidential candidates to disallow and remove delegates elected under state party rules or state law. But as Erick Erickson at RedState reports:

…several people I’ve spoken to this morning make clear that Team Romney and the RNC establishment are using that compromise as a red herring to distract from two major rules change proposals that would decimate Republican grassroots and prevent upstart political campaigns.

Reports that the floor fight threat is over might be designed to calm the grassroots and get them to ignore what is coming at 2 o’clock.

The first rule to be proposed is one that would give the Republican National Committee the power to change rules between conventions with a three-quarters vote of the RNC.

The second rules change would front load winner takes all primaries. Grassroots conservatives point to both Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum as reasons to stop this rule. Had there been front loaded winner takes all primaries, neither the Gingrich nor the Santorum campaigns would have been able to get any traction.

Basically, this so-called “compromise” on delegate selection in Rule 15 means nothing as long as Rule 12 allows the RNC to change the rules without oversight. Rule 12 would enable an RNC chairman to enact almost any rules change he or she desired, centralizing control of the party and removing the input of grassroots activists. This is an insider, establishment shell game at its worst.

Please call your state’s Rules Committee delegates here and ask that they oppose the “compromise” on Rule 15, oppose the changes to Rule 12, and support the full Minority Reports on the Rules.

Thank you.