GOP Rules Change Update: Victory or Farce?

Shane Wright contributed this breaking news on the GOP rules change fiasco…


Victory or Farce?

After much backlash from grassroots groups the RNC has agreed to compromise in an effort to avoid a floor fight over the proposed rule allowing candidates to select their own delegates and silence opposition. The language of the compromise states that delegates must vote for the candidate to which they are bound. There is no real opposition to this aspect of the compromise as it is against the law in most states to vote for a candidate whom you are not bound to, the state laws do differ so this rule seeks to reinforce them.

The issue that some delegates continue to have with the compromise is that proposed rule 12 would allow the RNC to rewrite the operating rules and guidelines of the GOP between conventions, without the influence of delegates, so long as they had a three-fourths majority.

According to www.preservetheparty.com , a website started this week by delegates to help raise awareness on this issue, proposed rule 12 reads: “The Republican National Committee may, by three-fourths (3/4) vote of its entire membership, amend Rule Nos. 1-11 and 13-25. Any such amendment shall be considered by the Republican National Committee only if it was passed by a majority vote of the Standing Committee on Rules after having been submitted in writing at least ten (10) days in advance of its consideration by the Republican National Committee and shall take effect thirty (30) days after adoption. No such amendment shall be adopted after September 30, 2014.

The language of rule 12 makes the compromise on Rule 16, which would essentially allow a candidate to hire and fire delegates as they see fit, a farce, the RNC can simply go back and rewrite the rules once the convention is over.

I spoke with Jeremy Blosser, a Texas delegate, who is furious over the compromise because it does not address proposed rule 12.

“Some are answering that Rule 12 has checks and balances, but far too much is being made of these. There’s no “emergency changes only” requirement, and it’s clear from the debate offered in the committee that the intention is to not restrict it to emergency changes but to allow consideration of substantive and controversial changes that the candidates prevent being discussed during the convention media cycle. There’s no ratification requirement such as requiring a number of State Executive Committees to ratify, or the next national convention to ratify. There’s no attempt to preserve the strength of the individual states.”

If this rule stands it will operate as a contingency plan for the RNC, should Grassroots organizations gain more influence than RNC leadership is comfortable with. This must be stopped.

The vote is happening today.  Please call your state’s Rules Committee delegates here and voice your opposition to the “compromise” on Rule 15, as well as to the changes to Rule 12, and support the full Minority Reports on the Rules.

Shane Wright is a FreedomWorks blogger and marketing strategist for Resist 44. Follow him at ShaneWright22