About Re-Convening the GOP Convention
There is, unfortunatey, some misinformation making its way around cyber-space regarding plans to reconvene the Nevada Republican Convention. One has to do with an offer by delegate Wayne Terhune to provide rental space at a Reno casino for the purpose of finishing up our business.
Contrary to what some are alleging, the party appreciated the offer and responded to it immediately. Here is the letter sent to Mr. Terhune on May 19, 2008…
Dear Mr. Terhune:
On behalf of the Nevada Republican Central Committee, please accept my sincere appreciation for your offer to donate the space for the continuation of the 2008 Nevada Republican Party Convention.
You will be pleased to know that before we received your kind offer, we had already made arrangements to reconvene in Reno and continue the 2008 Convention there. We value your concern and dedication to the party and look forward to making the reconvene of the convention a success. You should receive a notice containing details about the meeting, shortly.
Sincerely,
Sue Lowden
Chairman
Nevada Republican Party
There is also an effort underway by some delegates to attempt to reconvene the convention themselves on June 28, 2008. Please be advised that this meeting is NOT sanctioned by the Nevada Republican Party and quite probably would be a violation of our bylaws, Roberts Rules of Order and Nevada Revised Statute. We are researching the applicable provisions and I’ll share them with you here once the research is completed.
Let me repeat, the Nevada Republican Party will NOT be reconvening the convention on June 28, 2008.
A plan for officially reconvening the convention has been drafted and will be presented to the Executive Committee of the Nevada Republican Party at its regularly scheduled meeting tomorrow night. If the plan is approved, delegates will be officially notified as to when and where the meeting will take place. Thank you for your patience.
Filed under: Lowden Line on June 3rd, 2008
I think it is irresponsible of certain groups and the media to be posting this information as though it is the actual reconvening of the convention. Shame on them for taking matters into their own hands when the rules are clearly not in their favor.
I can not wait until these people show up to their June 28th Convention, have their little rallying fun, throw a couple verbal punches at Senator Bob Beers and Chairman Sue Lowden, only to have their entire convention not count at all. It will be a waste of their money,time, and energy. As a young fiscal conservative, I have already learned how to safely manage my money, and I know that going to a non-sanctioned meeting is a total waste of it.
And Sue, keep on doing what you do, I appreciate it and respect it.
How hard is it to make a date & book a room? Robert Terhune has done it twice at a major hotel/casino for us. When Beers “recessed” I thought he said information about the reconvening would be sent out in a week or two. That hasn’t happened. Terhune is just trying to get the ball rolling again. If you aren’t going to do the job, then someone has to do it. If you’ve made arrangements, as you state, why aren’t you revealing them to us? What’s the big secret? As the saying goes, “LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!!!!!”
Let’s finish business!
Conventions are owned and operated by the delegates. WE (the delegates) elect chairmen, WE elect secretaries, WE elect committees, WE make the rules, and WE change the rules - not them. The state party is is purely a guest and a spectator if any of the members are not elected official by the delegation. There is no governing body above the delegation. No rules can be passed and no judgments can be made without a vote of the delegates. The state party was given ample time, ample notice and ample patience - they have not responded in the delegates favor. If WE decide to reconvene, we posses every right to do so.
The party has already been allowed 5 weeks to negotiate, and the executive committee is not needed to review any plans. The delegation did not vote on the Republican Executive Committee to work or vote on our behalf.
KC
I believe that throwing verbal punches, Cynthia, is not the way we should want the Republican Party. Obviously you have never had to plan a major meeting, I’m guessing. The fact of the matter is, there needs to be approval on not only the date and location, but also the meeting space, the meeting budget and other facets of the convention, before it can be convened.
I believe Sue Lowden is doing the best that she can to make the meeting affordable to all, and available to all. Having a meeting set for a week from now, or even three weeks from now can be financially trying for those involved with children and other priorities.
Sue is being a responsible leader and I commend her for her hard work, dedication and all of the bull sh*t she puts up with from a group of “republicans” that shall remain nameless.
“a group of “republicans” that shall remain nameless.” That’s funny Mr. (or Mrs.) Anonymous!
The only reason the “officials” of the party are re-convening is out of fear that Dr. Terhune’s plans will succeed. Sue Lowdon and Bob Beers have disgraced the Nevada GOP nationally.
I beg to differ. Sue & Bob have not disgraced the party nationally. Perhaps, those who hi-jacked the convention and did not want to get on with party business should take a good look in the mirror? Although we all know that you did it for selfish reasons.
I am still not entirely sure why people would want to waste their time and energy on a convention on June 28th that is not going to be productive. The people that will show up are not going to meet a quorum and the meeting will have no actual results.
So with that being said, I have decided to declare my own state convention. It will be held at Sunset Park. All that want to attend are welcome to. We will elect our own delegates and demand the RNC seat them at Natl. Convention.
I urge everyone to have their own random conventions prior to the June 28th one. That way all the Natl. Delegates will be decided before their meeting and they wont have room.
Here is a link to an article that you should read. http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters/324972
The Democrats are going to exploit the antics of the incompetents who shut down the convention and then lie about it.
Well “anonymous” says it all about the writer. Maybe it is Sue herself. FYI, my husband & I were on the Platform Committee. Several weeks prior to our meeting on the Friday before Saturday’s convention, several e-mail went back & forth between the committee members & the Chair; memos about sifting the resolutions down to our top 15, etc. In those e-mails, I asked SPECIFICALLY where the meeting was in the Peppermill. The Chair, who ended up not being able to attend, could not tell me a specific room. When we arrived 15 minutes before the meeting, we went to the convention area, there we found other committee members milling around not knowing where to go. After awhile, a kind gentleman came into the area & told us he’d take us to the meeting room. After a long, circuitous walk we were brought to the room where the meeting was already in progress. I asked, “Why couldn’t we have been told ahead of time the name of the room where we were meeting? Why couldn’t signs have been posted saying where the meeting was?” I was told the arrangements were none of the affair of anyone in the room & that if I had complaints to talk to Sue Lowden & her associates as they had spent $70,000 to put on this convention that used to be put on by volunteers. I’m not going to name who said this, but it was a person who had a long history with the party. If this convention cost $70,000 to put on + the cost of the facility, why was this money so cavalierly thrown away in a recess? That question has never been answered, & I refuse to believe that the convention had out be out of the hall by 6pm Saturday.
Maybe “anonymous” has answers.
And, NO, I don’t subscribe to Thumper’s credo, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say nothin’ at all.” I call it as I see it.
Cynthia
After thinking about it; the best part of this whole fiasco is this:
Wayne Terhune sends formal proposal for free turn-key convention on MAY 15th.
Sue Lowden sends formal denial of offer on MAY 19th.
Today, JUNE 3rd!!! They actually ‘officially’ notify the delegates of their denial of a free convention space.
IT TOOK 20 DAYS TO ACTUALLY POST HERE RESPONSE ON THIS BLOG.
How kind of her to actually consider us finally. If you think 20 days has your best interests in mind, please reconsider.
Now we have the incredibly vague statement “A plan for officially reconvening the convention has been drafted and will be presented to the Executive Committee of the Nevada Republican Party at its regularly scheduled meeting tomorrow night. If the plan is approved, delegates will be officially notified as to when and where the meeting will take place. Thank you for your patience.”
Patience?? Are you kidding me Mrs. Lowden? If you meet tomorrow night, and we wait 20 days for a notice, then 7 days for a mailer, then 14 days for the delegates to respond and confirm, where does that leave us?
I’ll tell you.
Sitting at home watching the National Convention on T.V. with no seated Nevada delegates, and no representation.
That’s how I see it.
The Executive Committee of the Nevada Republican Party is most strongly urged to expedite a decision on a date and place for reconvening our State Convention. It has been well over a month since the convention was suspended, plenty of time to set new plans. Despite many helpful suggestions from loyal Nevada Republicans, little obvious action has transpired to remedy this situation. Further delay does not serve our state delegates well as the uncertainty creates difficulties for personal planning and financial arrangements for travel. We all want to do the right thing and complete the task we were entrusted to perform. Recently I pledged another donation to our party. That donation will not be made until the convention is dutifully reconvened and concluded.
Great News! Looking forward to the date. I think is it best option for the NV Republicans for the State Party officers to run the show. Gives our delegation creditability at the RNC. We all know the issues, but we will all come together and finish our business. They we all can work together in rebuild this party to win in November. I can not stand the thought of Nevada going blue! Please tell us as soon as possible Sue, people have devoted so much time and energy! Thanks
Carl
If the meeting on the 28th has a quorum of delegates (i.e., a simple majority), those people ARE the Republican Party and all proceedings will most definitely be legal. It’s certainly NOT a waste of time.
If the delegates want their voices heard, they need to show up on the 28th.
Dear Ms. Lowden,
You should reconsider the 28th as a viable date. Dr. Terhune is capable of marshalling a quorum on that date, and there is no legal reason that the delegates cannot assemble and complete the business of delegate selection. If the party is not interested in that day and tries to arrange another meeting, it is a foregone conclusion that they have insufficient delegates to attain a quorum. In the interest of unifying the party, it would be best to work with the majority of delegates that are making plans to assemble on June 28th.
Why are you and the party reticent to allow a free and open convention. Is it threatening to the GOP to allow the delegates to vote for the candidate of their choice in a free and open forum?
Hopefully you will see the long term wisdom of letting the people decide the candidates, not the party. That is supposed to be the foundation of our free country.
Sincerely,
Todd Smith
GOP state leadership? How difficult is it to plan a convention date?
What are the items that are under consideration?
Convention space is not an issue?
rep. heller is looking into this issue as well.
This delay is making the delegates at large more uneasy about waiting around as time passes
Not allowing the convention to commence removes Nevada’s elected representation in the process.
Nevada electorate is not too happy about this.
The longer you stall the worse the state GOP looks to the state and the national convention.
Please reconvene asap and accept the Terhune’s offer as quorum will be present with or without you..
thank you for your consideration.
This is comical! Do you really think that RNC is going to recognize anything that a random group of people do outside of party guidelines?
As for why people post anonymously, maybe it is because they are tired of the harrassment that comes with exposing themselves to a radical group of delusional RP supporters.
Finally, with all this indignation, I wonder where that passion was in past years? Have you ever been a volunteer? Have you ever put in the time, money, and sweat that so many others have? And now you speak as though you have the moral high ground? Again…comical.
Why do you think that the June 28th “convention” will have quorum? Do you realize that you need over 650 delegates in attendance to have an official quorum?
Will you have the Convention Secretary and the Convention Credentials committee in place on that date to make sure that all attending and voting are in fact delegates from the convention that you are presumably going to reconvene?
How will anyone know that it is being done properly if its not a sanctioned event?
Obviously all of you are new to politics, the convention process and the likes of how candidates are chosen.
Its clear to see that RP doesn’t have a snowballs chance in hell to get the nomination, as McCain already has the delegates needed (& then some). Why are you so hell bent on overthrowing party rules for nothing?
Dear anon..
not so new to the game actually. donated lots of time and $$’s. the moral of the story here is to resume the process soon to finish the business. insulting your base does not help much either. If you can’t seem to understand the delegates and the party wants to finish it’s business. Nothing more nothing less. Please reconsider Terhune’s offer, it would save the party lots of $$$ too.
Regards,
Excellent comments Mr. Smith. Just what are they afraid of? Perhaps delaying until after the national convention is the real goal of the party leaders.
To anonymous:
You obviously are an expert in the “Goose-step”. McCain is not a Republican in even the most liberal of definitions. At least not as considered back in the time I joined the party. Whether you want to admit it or not this country is in a major crisis. It started it’s down turn when we veered from the original intent of our fore-fathers outline in the Constitution and now we are on the brink of ruin.
What the RP people fail to recognize is that they CAN NOT win!!! They can be disruptive, have their fun trashing honorable people like Sue Lowden and Senator Beers, but they fail to realize that for ALL their effort, RP CAN NOT win. You guys can get together, hold your non-sanctioned convention, get to play like you are accomplishing something, but at the end of the day, you CAN NOT beat McCain or the RNC.
Dear Kerry and every other RP “revolutionaries,”
You do not speak for the party, for the country, or for the millions that participated in caucuses and primaries throughout America.
Those people have spoken and THEY CHOSE MCCAIN!
You were all fine with those systems when you thought they were in your favor. You were never involved in the party before they brought the caucus to Nevada (which you can thank Sue Lowden for). But now that they have included many more participants, you want to spit in their face. Your arrogance is astounding.
It is interesting to read the threads on this blog. Almost universally, anyone identifying themselves as a McCain supporter has hidden behind a fake identity. We have Young Conservative, Right Wing Conspiracy, and an number of ‘anonymous’ postings. Many of the non-McCain bloggers proudly identify themselves. It is easy to take cheap shots when you hide behind a veil of anonymity.
One blogger naively wrote, “Its clear to see that RP doesn’t have a snowballs chance in hell to get the nomination.” To that person, the one that was afraid to post their real name, I ask:
WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? IF SENATOR MCCAIN IS GOING TO WIN IN A FAIR VOTE COUNT, WHY ARE YOU AND THE NEVADA GOP AFRAID TO HOLD THE CONVENTION AND TAKE THE VOTE? The answer is simple. You are wrong. McCain would not prevail. Had the vote been taken in April, CONGRESSMAN RON PAUL would have won most of the delegates. If and when we reconvene, Dr. Paul will have a majority of the delegates in his support. THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE AFRAID OF!
It is amazing that factions in a free country such as ours would approve of electoral shenanigans because their candidate might not win. Support your process, and support your country. Whether or not your candidate will prevail, you should support taking a fair vote and allowing our process to work.
THAT IS WHAT OUR COUNTRY IS ABOUT!