Platform Strengthened, Rule Changes Troubling (see GCGOP Resolution at bottom of Article)
Changes to the rules and platform passed at the Republican National Convention in Florida will have an impact on the future of the Republican Party. Generally speaking, the Platform is stronger and more conservative than in previous years, especially in terms of life issues, school choice and other value issues. Some of the rule changes pushed through by the liberal wing of the party are troubling and were opposed by the delegates representing the South Carolina Republican Party.
Greenville County Republican Party Chairman Betty Poe invited the South Carolina members of the Platform and Rules Committees to give a report to the Greenville County Republican Executive Committee and guests during their October 1 meeting at the Embassy Suites in Greenville.
LaDonna Ryggs, Spartanburg County Republican Chairman, and Randy Page, former Greenville resident and now a resident of Columbia, were members of the Platform Committee.
Susan Aiken and Drew McKissick were members of the Rules Committee. All of these committee members represent the conservative Christian views of South Carolina Republicans.
A summery of their report follows. LaDonna Ryggs and Randy Page were the first to speak.
“It was an eye-opening experience to serve on the Platform Committee,” said LaDonna Ryggs. “We were serving with several attorneys general, state senators and state representatives, secretaries of state and a U. S. Senator…. and people like Phyllis Schlafly who was attending her 16th consecutive convention (64 years).
“I had learned Roberts Rules from being active in the Federation of Republican Women and each morning I went around the room and introduced myself to everyone I had not met previously so that when Randy and I proposed something we might get their support.”
Randy Page was also a member of the School Choice Subcommittee. Both Randy and LaDonna worked closely with Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Phyllis Schlafley and others to strengthen parts of the platform, especially those sections pertaining to issues important to social conservatives such as school choice and pro-life, as well as opposition to Obamacare.
Anyone who watched the sessions of the platform committee on C-SPAN witnessed the leadership roles of the South Carolina members Ryggs and Page. They were very visible on virtually every issue presented for debate, and their positions were on the winning side.
They noted that delegates from other parts of the country are more liberal on some issues than South Carolina. That was especially noticeable when it came to the Rules Committee.
It was in the rules committee that the so-called “Moderate Wing” of the Republican Party chose to exert their influence and project it into the future. In the past they were called the “Northeastern Wing” of the “Rockefeller Wing.” Regardless of the label, they fear conservatives and especially the “Tea Party” influence in the party.
Some of the tactics allegedly practiced at the convention, and blamed on moderates, bordered on dirty tricks. These tactics involved delaying buses and delaying entry into buildings to make key conservatives late for important votes. Of course, these allegations cannot be proven to involve any specific individual, however, suspicions prevail.
Susan Aiken was a victim of one of the transportation snafus. She missed much of one meeting but got there in time to vote. “Transportation in Tampa was a nightmare,” she concluded. “Whether or not it was a conspiracy, I have no idea.”
Drew McKissick was unable to attend the Greenville meeting, however, Susan Aiken reported on the Rules Committee of which they were members, representing the South Carolina GOP.
“They wanted to give the Republican National Committee the authority to change the rules between conventions,” said Susan Aiken. “I thought that was unnecessary. If they wanted to change the rules before the next presidential election, with a majority vote of the national committee, they could do it. So we fought that. Drew McKissick and I were the first to get up and fight that. We also prepared a minority report, and that really makes them angry when you submit a minority report.
“We got it changed so they must have a super majority of the RNC vote to change the rules between conventions.”
Aiken explained that South Carolina has excellent members representing the state on the RNC currently, but that could change in the future, and we have no control over the representatives from other states beyond the influence of our own representatives on them.
It was proposed that future presidential candidates be able to pick who would be a delegate from each individual state.
“We immediately spoke against this. Drew is a very eloquent speaker and he really carried the torch on this. Unfortunately, the proposal passed, but we filed a minority report.”
Aiken said the controversy got a lot of national publicity and the committee members were showered with messages.
“We were getting a lot of emails in support of our opposition to this rule change. Conservatives really stepped up to the plate.”
It was proposed that the rules committee remove the requirement that delegates selected in March be awarded proportionately.
“We were unable to stop that,” Aiken reported. “It will result in many states moving into March next time, resulting in what we fear will be a national primary, and if we do that we may have fewer candidates,” she concluded.
“We did all we could sand we fought and we feel like we succeeded in beating back the proposed change that the presidential candidate pick the delegates, and that was a great victory.”
In conclusion, Susan Aiken said, “We don’t know what will happen in four years, but when we select delegates again, we need to make sure we have strong people on all these committees.”
The committee members were a little surprised at the number of liberals on the committees, especially the Rules Committee.
Chairman Betty Poe thanked the speakers for their dedication to conservative principles, hard work at the convention and for coming to Greenville and giving a first hand report. “It would be great if every state was like South Carolina, but the RNC is not like us, so we will just have to keep trying to change them,” she concluded.
During this meeting the Greenville County Republican Party Executive Committee passed a resolution condemning the rule changes and rejecting the “new top-down structure of governance as detrimental to the long-term success of the Republican Party.”
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RESOLUTION TO RESTORE THE POWER OF THE GOP GRASSROOTS
“Whereas, the new party rules at the Republican National Convention in Tampa were adopted under questionable circumstances with disregard for convention rules;
Whereas, the new rules impose a top-down structure of governance in place of the party’s traditional bottom-up structure and reduce the power and autonomy of state and local party organizations;
Whereas, the changes to Rule 12 give unprecedented power to the national committee to change party rules without the input and approval of state parties and their members;
Whereas, it is to the benefit of the Greenville County Republican Party that First in the South rules not be open to change between conventions;
Therefore, be it resolved that:
We condemn Rule 12 as antithetical to Republican values and assert the primacy of the delegates to the Republican Convention in setting party rules;
We reject the new top-down structure of governance as detrimental to the long-term success of the Republican Party.”
This courageous Resolution is proof that the Greenville County Republican Party continues to be a Grass Roots party, with a strong liberty movement.
PASSED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT, GREENVILLE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING, OCTOBER 1, 2012.
To be forwarded to the SCGOP State Executive Committee.
Respectfully submitted by:
Christopher S. Lawton, - President Sevier Precinct, Greenville County