My mother-in-law saw it on the news in Michigan.
As an eyewitness to the debacle which occurred at the Republican Presidential caucus in St. Charles County Saturday, it was shocking to see how quickly the pretense of openness and adherence to the Bill of Rights is dismissed by the current leadership of the Republican Party. The crisis, which made national news, involved calling in about 20 police officers, having a helicopter fly overhead and with two law abiding citizens being arrested---one was a Republican committeeman.
This caucus epitomizes what is wrong with the Republican Party.
Despite weeks of preparation, those running the meeting were doomed to failure. Their options were to either offend the "power brokers" to whom they owed their allegiance and positions or offend the caucus members who were shut out of the process. They sided with the power brokers.
The first hint of trouble began with the presence of a police car parked right in front where everyone entered. Having police officers in a building before there are any problems sends the wrong message. This was not a meeting of criminals. This was a gathering of people who care about participating in the political process. Other social events do not include law enforcement, so why pre-offend people with a presumption they want to start a riot.
Though Missouri does not have registration by party, I was told to leave because I am running for Lt. Governor on the Constitution Party ticket. That should not have denied me the opportunity to participate no more than a Reagan Democrat should have been told to leave. I was also told that I could not stay to simply observe the proceedings. Then the doors are locked and nobody is allowed to simply observe or to record anything. Rules against being open and transparent have no place in a modern political party.
The meeting was held in a public building built with taxpayers dollars but turned over to a private exclusionary group and process. How then do the two parties justify the taxpayers of Missouri spending nearly $8 million to hold a beauty contest for President a few weeks ago, but then turn around and say the process for the selection of the real delegates is locked?
If the political parties can pay to rent public space to select a Presidential nominee, then why didn’t they both pay for the statewide vote that meant nothing?
The caucus was scripted in a manner that mocked open discussion, debate and fair voting. The party bosses put their thumbs on the scales to guarantee that no one else could be elected to chair the meeting. This meant refusing to allow any points of order, having people arrested for video recording and adjourning the meeting with no business conducted.
This is how far the political insiders were willing to go to make sure there was no possibility the outcome could be anything other than what they had rigged.
This is the kind of behavior that precipitated my decision to leave the Chairmanship of the Republican Party in St. Charles County and to run for Lt. Governor on the Constitution Party ticket.
I truly feel sorry for those in the Republican Party, who are principled because they are in a hopeless situation, surrounded by those who have polluted the process by money and power. Some people may think the elected officials are in charge, but it is really a very small group of puppeteers pulling the strings who are orchestrating a plan that defies freedom.
These are the tactics of third world dictators, not freedom loving Americans.
I thank the 1,200 people who cared enough to give up their Saturday to come out and attempt to participate in the selection process. The citizens were innocent and deserve to be acknowledged for their efforts, especially those in St. Charles County who gave up half of their day to learn just how broken our system of government has become.
When I attended four years ago, there were only about 300, so I know most attended for the first time and left with a more cynical impression of the political process.
There were 1200 witnesses this year to why the party is no longer capable of nominating good people. Lawlessness happens when the players lose confidence in the referees. This is why voters I speak with across Missouri are so hungry for change and to send the leadership of both parties a message this November that they have taken the middle-class and average Americans for granted too long, and they don’t own our votes.
As an eyewitness to the debacle which occurred at the Republican Presidential caucus in St. Charles County Saturday, it was shocking to see how quickly the pretense of openness and adherence to the Bill of Rights is dismissed by the current leadership of the Republican Party. The crisis, which made national news, involved calling in about 20 police officers, having a helicopter fly overhead and with two law abiding citizens being arrested---one was a Republican committeeman.
This caucus epitomizes what is wrong with the Republican Party.
Despite weeks of preparation, those running the meeting were doomed to failure. Their options were to either offend the "power brokers" to whom they owed their allegiance and positions or offend the caucus members who were shut out of the process. They sided with the power brokers.
The first hint of trouble began with the presence of a police car parked right in front where everyone entered. Having police officers in a building before there are any problems sends the wrong message. This was not a meeting of criminals. This was a gathering of people who care about participating in the political process. Other social events do not include law enforcement, so why pre-offend people with a presumption they want to start a riot.
Though Missouri does not have registration by party, I was told to leave because I am running for Lt. Governor on the Constitution Party ticket. That should not have denied me the opportunity to participate no more than a Reagan Democrat should have been told to leave. I was also told that I could not stay to simply observe the proceedings. Then the doors are locked and nobody is allowed to simply observe or to record anything. Rules against being open and transparent have no place in a modern political party.
The meeting was held in a public building built with taxpayers dollars but turned over to a private exclusionary group and process. How then do the two parties justify the taxpayers of Missouri spending nearly $8 million to hold a beauty contest for President a few weeks ago, but then turn around and say the process for the selection of the real delegates is locked?
If the political parties can pay to rent public space to select a Presidential nominee, then why didn’t they both pay for the statewide vote that meant nothing?
The caucus was scripted in a manner that mocked open discussion, debate and fair voting. The party bosses put their thumbs on the scales to guarantee that no one else could be elected to chair the meeting. This meant refusing to allow any points of order, having people arrested for video recording and adjourning the meeting with no business conducted.
This is how far the political insiders were willing to go to make sure there was no possibility the outcome could be anything other than what they had rigged.
This is the kind of behavior that precipitated my decision to leave the Chairmanship of the Republican Party in St. Charles County and to run for Lt. Governor on the Constitution Party ticket.
I truly feel sorry for those in the Republican Party, who are principled because they are in a hopeless situation, surrounded by those who have polluted the process by money and power. Some people may think the elected officials are in charge, but it is really a very small group of puppeteers pulling the strings who are orchestrating a plan that defies freedom.
These are the tactics of third world dictators, not freedom loving Americans.
I thank the 1,200 people who cared enough to give up their Saturday to come out and attempt to participate in the selection process. The citizens were innocent and deserve to be acknowledged for their efforts, especially those in St. Charles County who gave up half of their day to learn just how broken our system of government has become.
When I attended four years ago, there were only about 300, so I know most attended for the first time and left with a more cynical impression of the political process.
There were 1200 witnesses this year to why the party is no longer capable of nominating good people. Lawlessness happens when the players lose confidence in the referees. This is why voters I speak with across Missouri are so hungry for change and to send the leadership of both parties a message this November that they have taken the middle-class and average Americans for granted too long, and they don’t own our votes.
I can't think of, and I've spent considerable time thinking about this, any person more deserving of being thrown out of a caucus than Cindy Davis. To bad they could not throw her out of the Missouri Generally Assembly when she was a State Representative.
ReplyDeleteI mean it said up front it was a
St. Charles County Republican Caucus, not an 'open mike' for the hateful dialogue she spews or karaoke or whatever she had in mind.
She is a member of the 'Constitution' Party; whatever that is. Get them folks together for your own caucus, Cindy.
Cindy's the living example of what home schoolin' will get you; all mouth, limited knowledge, sorry social skills.
ReplyDeleteCynthia is the right person in the right place at the right time. She should have the support and votes of everyone who loves liberty in Missouri. Hopefully there will be enough liberty lovers to elect her Lt. Governor of Missouri.
ReplyDeleteNo Cynthia, the reason you resigned as the St. Charles GOP Chair is that you saw the handwriting on the wall. The committee members had enough of your behavior, statements to the media representing your viewpoint which was seldom, if ever, the viewpoint of the central committee.
ReplyDeleteYou were about to be thrown out after, for some time, being asked to resign.
Ssorry to have to tell you the real reasons. We all thought you knew.
It's great how everyone has tons of guts that they can insult Cynthia without including their names. Cowards...
ReplyDeleteKristieSue, I'll add to your comment that they don't even call her by her correct name either. It's Cynthia, not Cindy. And she's not a Mr., but a Mrs. She's a female if her name isn't that obvious.
ReplyDeleteI suppose people think Cynthia should hang her head in shame and be too embarrassed to show her face at a GOP meeting but instead she came to the caucus which was open to the public and has every right to campaign there.
What's so bad or terrible that the GOP had to shut and lock the doors? What are they hiding?
I for one am glad Cynthia left the corrupt GOP.
I have no bone in this fight BUT as someone that worked very hard to
ReplyDelete'host' our county caucus I have to say that someone that is running as a candidate for another party would have been asked to leave. In fact our sign up sheet was a statement saying that the participate was a good and faithful REPUBLICAN and she had no right as a CONSTITUTIONAL candidate to be there much less campaign.
Define "true and faithful republican." If that means voting for whatever candidate the establishment forces down my throat I will never be one. If it means honoring the platform the party was founded upon then I don't think there are many "true and faithful republicans" left.
ReplyDeleteLet me try to join in this fray and respond to the comments of KristieSue, AmyLynn and PattyCake.
ReplyDeleteCindy or Cynthia or whatever she is called wanted to be thrown out of the caucus for the headlines and publicity she would receive.
You can stick a fork in her. She's done.
Is this a home where the Missouri Division of Family Services should intervene?
ReplyDelete