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Loud boos erupted Tuesday on the floor of the Republican National Convention as RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, ruled that a voice vote was sufficient to approve credentialing rules for delegates at future conventions.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Delegates shout in protest over changes in Republican party rules that would restrict the impact of grassroots movements, before a vote to adopt the new rules during the second session of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, August 28, 2012.
Chants that sounded like "Seat them now!" did battle with chants of "U-S-A" from supportive delegates seeking to shout the protestors down.
The rules change essentially tightens party control over the manner in which delegates are allocated and bound to candidates.
A delegate rule change by RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and House Speaker John Boehner was approved despite the vocal objections of conservatives and supporters of Texas Rep. Ron Paul at the Republican National Convention.
The proposal prompted frustration from some supporters of Paul, whose campaign was able to appeal to the somewhat arcane rules of delegate allocation to win a majority of four states' delegations, despite having failed to win a single nominating contest.
Other conservatives -- including 2008 vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin -- had protested the move as a power play to shut out grassroots conservatives.
As Priebus and Boehner brought up the controversial rules change for a voice vote, supporters replied with loud "ayes," and almost equally vocal "noes."
When Boehner determined, in his capacity as the convention's permanent chairman, that the ayes had won it, cheers and boos mixed together in the convention hall.
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It’s been pretty clear from day one that the machine was going
to force Romney down everyone’s throats, … and they did. Furthermore they wish to cement their ability
to stamp out dissent / democratic alternative voices / representation they don’t
agree with. Power never concedes
anything willingly. They’ll prattle on
endlessly about liberty and democracy while simultaneously stamping it
out. And yet, the flock will continue to
follow. Kinda like America at large, ain’t
it. Perhaps one day americans will wake
up and recognize they have a ruling aristocracy / oligarchy and that this
charade otherwise is merely in place to enforce social conformity and control. Meanwhile, the faithful will pretend Romney’s
“conservative”.
It would appear this rules change is within the rules.
What a shame, Ron Paul was the only one I thought was worthy of voting for and they turn around with one of the worst candidates besides Rick Perry to run on their ticket. Kinda forcing me to vote Obama because I'd rather see him stay in then Put Romney in office. It's not like Obama has been all that bad, however there is alot of things I don't agree with that has went on but I know what the "Anyone but him" mentality can do and you can find out exactly how much worse it can get. Romney is worse
fall in line GOP,you can not think for yourself.what you want dose not matter.all that matters is what the corporations want.
It means Koch brothers & other Billionaire donors own the GOP now. Few years from now, when these rich people start acting like Nazis against their own GOP voters, many of these voters will move to the Democratic camp realizing what a big mistake they did with all that racism and hatred directed towards Obama. All these lies, hypocrisy, racism and hatred will come to bite them (their living standards, their freedom & liberty). It is bound to happen. They are feeding a monster.
No, no tard it doesn't. It's a minor, meaningless rule change which will keep someone who didn't get the highest # of votes in a state (Ron Paul) from getting a majority of the delegates.
Ron Paul never finished #1 in any state in votes. Therefore, if some rule gives him the majority of 4 state's delegates, that should be changed.
Democracy in America is a long lost dream.
Well Mitt has lost my vote as well as any other republican...I have voted as a Republican since I was 21 that was in 1965....Not any more...I'm done with these fools...I will write in Ron Paul....
Which is what you were planning to do anyway.
Republican TeaBilly Conservatives are just like a “Category 5 Hurricane”. They are a Major Disaster, Cause Fear, Panic, Chaos, Misery and Destroy anything good in their Paths.
This has been a long time coming. Every day people have less influence over who gets nominated by either party. If the voters are not in line with the party bosses wishes, they simply change the rules. We need to eliminate ...
1. individual party primaries, and
2. the electoral college.
Electoral margins in the past eight presidential elections are characterized by popular votes with very narrow margins, generally 1%-5%. The electoral college vote in those same elections exhibit a relatively wide margin, 10%-36%. Bottom line, your vote is being high-jacked and converted to what the "powers that be" want it to be. It is time for the voters (be they republican, democrat, liberaterian or whatever) to fight back and re-establish the democratic process. Remember, we are talking about the process here, not the party.
One last trip to the soap box. This republican party of ours no longer bears any resemblance to the republican party established by the founders. With the exception of wanting to nationalize the banking system, these guys would be more accuarately defined as federalists. Do your homework. They are republicans in name, NOT in ideology.
But your only alternative is four more years of Obama and his failure as a president. Do you really want that?
Not so. The original electoral college was used only once. If we were using the Constitution and Electoral College as the Founders originally set it up, we would still have a Republic and we would NOT have political parties of any kind. It is only because of people who lust for power instead of supporting Freedom that the Republic deteriorated.
The US was intended to be a Republic, not a democracy. It wasn't until the late 1800's/early 1900's that political parties got a firm foothold in American politics. The founders had no nice words for political parties and we would be better off if forming one was considered an act of treason.
Wally...Obama Presidency a failure? Bin Laden dead,GM alive,Depression avoided,Don't Ask Don't Tell repealed,Out of Iraq,30 Million more Americans will have insurance.......Given the complete lack of cooperation from Republi CONS,I would say Obama has accomplished more than anyone could have reasonably expected...Oh,I'm sorry...Why would I want to confuse you with FACTS...
Stuart H
John Adams was a member of the federalist party and was elected in 1796. Jefferson and Madison established the Democratic Republican party in 1791 and took the election in 1800. So with the exception of Washington, we have had a 2+ party system all along.
BTW, we still decide the election by the electoral college vote. In 2000, the popular vote was won by the democrats with 1%. The republicans were declared the winners by a 1% electoral college vote.
earsport,the country is kept afloat with printing and debt.Its broke. Congress dosent do anything.Its all run by the rich(both partys) If you think Obama or Romney are good your kidding your self.
Ron...I have traveled to 74 countries...and...not only is America the best...but we have the best leadership...That's the problem with you "the sky is falling" righties....you lack both information and experience
Spiteful cheating lying bitches. Oh I mean republicans. Follow your leaders and get in lock step with your masters.
The whole thing is obviously one sided.Its not the best or most qualified person for the people,its the best person for those already in control and those who have had taken advantage while others suffer.Truth is Ron Paul is too smart, too honest and too good of a person to be president. SAD!
% of MSN Readers too Retarded to read and understand the article, and are holding this delegate rule up as some lost bastion of democracy: 90.
Hey idiots, Ron Paul lost every single state in the nomination process. If there's rules that give him the majority of delegates in states where someone else got more votes...they should be changed.
Ron Paul is a nasty and senile old man, almost 80 years old.
geez Wally, you sound like a nasty old man. Ron paul talked about freedom and is anti war.
"The ayes have it!" In a pig's eye!
Evil in action. If the rule changes were honest, there would have been no need to orchestrate the vote.
The Second Hurricane at a G.O.P. Convention should tell these Republicans something. It's a bad omen for the Christian Mormon Bishop who routinely bears false witness and worships the Golden Calf of Wall Street.
I'll bet a Buffalo Nickle that Romney takes the Oath of Office on the Book of Mormon and not the King James Bible like Obama did...
The commentators at the GOP convention described it accurately, "they are acting like fifth graders" and "petty" by refusing to acknowledge and read out loud Ron Paul votes. The Republicans continue to change the rules and if you aren't paying attention you oughta be. Despite their freedom chant, there is not another political party out there who is working harder to take away your constitutional rights than the GOP. Unbelievable that people are not understanding this. They continue to prove that their main concern is power and not the American Citizen.
I was watching and they were reading the votes for Ron Paul.
So Republicans finally get a taste of what it's like to be treated by Republicans!
Yawn
Lordie what a joke ... soooo wrong ... change the rules .... i doubt any woman in their right mind would vote for this candidate .... insulting members of their own parties ... disowning others ... total disgrace .... soooo wrong and pathetic ... i hope all who voted for him see how romney treated Paul ... downright nasty ...
.... rushnimrod is the biggest joke ....
.... OBAMA/BIDEN 2012 .....
I know, why not just appoint our next dick tater and be done with all this messy democracy!!!!
I don't know the ins and outs of the RNC rules, but it seems like Ron Paul's supporters merely lost their opportunity for a symbolic showing. Was Romney's nomination in any doubt? I would love for someone to tell me how this action somehow changed the course of the 2012 election.
Just for the record, I believe a Romney presidency would be a complete disaster and I believe Ron Paul and his supporters are completely out of touch with reality. I would just like to know why previous posters seem to think that this story is important.
It is important because if they don't like your vote, they can just change the rules. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, it is YOUR vote and it should be acknowledged. They will now go forward and declare Romeny the unanimous choice. That just isn't true.
If you choose to ignore that "symbolic" gesture, you devalue your freedom and your vote.
Because it shows your vote or opinion dosent matter.Like when over 70% of americans were polled as being against Obamas health care plan and yet it got rammed down our throats. You think many americans support the current wars? Just wait,mabe syria then Iran.Do you think thats a good idea?Does anyone?Just wait,it well happen.
Lies of the GOP & Paul Ryan TeaWackers, Mitt R. Bain, Citizens United and all the Alec corps : that pay off the Politician. Its all about the Wealthy getting richer and the middle class getting poorer.....They don't want to help the poor...Who are the one's that leach off the taxpayer. The Wealthy: they get welfare both for themselves an for the Corps. ...But it seems that the Wealthy get away with it ..They steal billions and the few poor steals a few thousands. So what does the GOP want, is Screw the MIddle Class to get even with the few. As I say its the me me me and F everyone else.... The failures of the Republicans party trying to take away SS & Medicare & Health care for Woman so they can give their wealthy Blackmailers more money...To hell with the Poor and Needy. Let them freeze in the winter and stave the Old and Babies,let them die from bad water, do away with the EPA and thats what you'll have, just like all you Tea baggers want...You make me sick with your Me Me Me altitude. Greedy and you all call yourself a REAL Christians, Mormans. What a laugh: Wake up...Sounds like Mitt!!!!!!Fuss up your tax Return
We need a third party to bring back sanity. Let the Dems, and/or the Repubs, go the way of the Whig party.
The GOP...the Party of Personal Freedom....as long as you go along with what THE POWERS TO BE decide....What a frakkin' joke....
Ron Paul supporters.....you're riding an ELEPHANT...when you should be riding a DONKEY.....
It should be clearer than ever now, to you trusting ones, of our unaccountable, corrupt, rule changing government, that the Democrats and the Republicans are just two sides of the same damn unconstitutional coin! They are making sure that the populace of commoners have no say in governing by making it next to impossible for a third party to ever get in to the election.
I can only hope that they get caught cheating on the vote count again after Ron Paul gets so many write in votes that he wins the election...not that it will make a difference since most of you don't even seem to understand what has happened within our government, you are the same ones who did nothing when GW cheated during his selection. If it had even been a high school election, that one would have been recast!
I don't even care anymore...You will get what you deserve..A fascist, corporate ran government, taxing you to death, for foreign controlled interests (RULERS), intent on destroying the constitution, and warmongering around the globe for total control! Wave your damn flags for that!
Wait...I'm sorry,...because you already seem to be doing just that!
The Koch Brothers Millions were well spent when they conjured up the Tea Baggers and Voters were cowed out of staying the course with the Democrats in the Election of 2010, only problem is they were just Steam Rolled by the Republican establishment of the Pasty Old Guys. Now they are going to try and make nice with Women and Hispanics, just like they made nice with Ron Paul and the Tea Baggers.