I was at the Texas state Republican convention while this was all going on. This was during the Teaparty days. At this time, our group from south Austin and other areas around Austin took control of the county convention and then the congressional district convention by virtue of how many of us showed up and voted our conscience and not the party line.
When we showed up to the state convention, all the districts were seated in numerical order starting at the front by the stage and working left to right across the convention center, then towards the back. We were looking for our district seating but could not find it. It was the only district NOT in its numerical order space. It was in the back corner of the convention hall, nearest to all the vendor booths which always had a din of noise from all the people there while the convention was in order.
Trying to make nice in spite of of obvious seating malfeasance, we tried talking to those seated near us. They would not engage. We all noticed it but did not know anything more that that. Finally, about half way thru day one, one of the ladies near our group overheard us commenting on how icy everyone seemed to be. That is when she told us that everybody had been told by the party officials that we were "radical nazis from Austin" and they would be wasting time even talking to us. Upon learning this we huddled, and decided to go on a handshaking meet and greet to each congressional district and work into the conversation that we were just constitution and nation loving people who wanted a better tomorrow for our children.
As the convention wore on there was an issue developing that was pitting the old school Republicans against us new ones. In Nueces County (which is where Corpus Christi is) had done like us in Austin had done and had voted out most of the old school delegates. Just days before the convention, the party officials had announced unilaterally, they they had unseated all these new people and reinstated the old ones. We being the patriots we were and are, knew this was not right. A lot of the people who had been told we were nazis started agreeing with us. So when the convention leaders saw that a vote might possibly not go their way, they surprised everybody by getting a local judge to agree with them and issue a ruling. So they "announced" this from the stage to everybody. We were stunned. This was when Debra Medina was running for Governor, so her people said "None of us were present to present our side at the last judge, so let's appeal this to a higher court". A few minutes later they were literally passing a hat to pay the atty's. Soon, there was a new higher ruling that the new people should stay. This kept happening over and over during the convention. One side would appeal the last ruling to a higher court then announce it on stage. So, this hat passing had continued each time it was our turn to appeal. I had run out of cash and had to find an atm machine. At the same time, we heard a rumor than Ron Paul was stepping down. So on my way to find atm, I was alone in the lobby with a friend and we were looking for cash machine. Two guys were walking from the opposite direction, as they got closer we could see it was Ron Paul and I presume an aide. We were excited to meet him, we did not even know he was in Texas at the time. We asked him If the rumors were true about bowing out. He said he was told California would not be a win for him in the primary (we disagreed, but to no avail). So I asked him, "I am attempting to be slated to become a member of the electoral college, what do I do if you are not there ?" He said to go ahead and do it but vote my conscience. Also, to seek elected office and help become the change we were seeking.
Upon returning to our section in the convention, we shared what we had just heard and seen. I was asking around about electoral college duties, and found out that you are supposed to vote electorally as the district votes. There had been instances where electoral college person deviated from the norm and this usually wound up in the person being barred from party for life. I could not in good conscience vote for Romney the RINO, so I bowed out.
But the good news in all of this is that the old school Republicans had let their true colors fly during the Nueces county thing and thus had played out on stage at the convention. So by the time it was over, all the people who would not speak to us originally, were stopping by our section and shaking our hands for being there and thanking us for speaking out.
And as Walter Cronkite used to say...."That's the way it was" in 2012.
I was at the Texas state Republican convention while this was all going on. This was during the Teaparty days. At this time, our group from south Austin and other areas around Austin took control of the county convention and then the congressional district convention by virtue of how many of us showed up and voted our conscience and not the party line. When we showed up to the state convention, all the districts were seated in numerical order starting at the front by the stage and working left to right across the convention center, then towards the back. We were looking for our district seating but could not find it. It was the only district NOT in its numerical order space. It was in the back corner of the convention hall, nearest to all the vendor booths which always had a din of noise from all the people there while the convention was in order. Trying to make nice in spite of of obvious seating malfeasance, we tried talking to those seated near us. They would not engage. We all noticed it but did not know anything more that that. Finally, about half way thru day one, one of the ladies near our group overheard us commenting on how icy everyone seemed to be. That is when she told us that everybody had been told by the party officials that we were "radical nazis from Austin" and they would be wasting time even talking to us. Upon learning this we huddled, and decided to go on a handshaking meet and greet to each congressional district and work into the conversation that we were just constitution and nation loving people who wanted a better tomorrow for our children. As the convention wore on there was an issue developing that was pitting the old school Republicans against us new ones. In Nueces County (which is where Corpus Christi is) had done like us in Austin had done and had voted out most of the old school delegates. Just days before the convention, the party officials had announced unilaterally, they they had unseated all these new people and reinstated the old ones. We being the patriots we were and are, knew this was not right. A lot of the people who had been told we were nazis started agreeing with us. So when the convention leaders saw that a vote might possibly not go their way, they surprised everybody by getting a local judge to agree with them and issue a ruling. So they "announced" this from the stage to everybody. We were stunned. This was when Debra Medina was running for Governor, so her people said "None of us were present to present our side at the last judge, so let's appeal this to a higher court". A few minutes later they were literally passing a hat to pay the atty's. Soon, there was a new higher ruling that the new people should stay. This kept happening over and over during the convention. One side would appeal the last ruling to a higher court then announce it on stage. So, this hat passing had continued each time it was our turn to appeal. I had run out of cash and had to find an atm machine. At the same time, we heard a rumor than Ron Paul was stepping down. So on my way to find atm, I was alone in the lobby with a friend and we were looking for cash machine. Two guys were walking from the opposite direction, as they got closer we could see it was Ron Paul and I presume an aide. We were excited to meet him, we did not even know he was in Texas at the time. We asked him If the rumors were true about bowing out. He said he was told California would not be a win for him in the primary (we disagreed, but to no avail). So I asked him, "I am attempting to be slated to become a member of the electoral college, what do I do if you are not there ?" He said to go ahead and do it but vote my conscience. Also, to seek elected office and help become the change we were seeking. Upon returning to our section in the convention, we shared what we had just heard and seen. I was asking around about electoral college duties, and found out that you are supposed to vote electorally as the district votes. There had been instances where electoral college person deviated from the norm and this usually wound up in the person being barred from party for life. I could not in good conscience vote for Romney the RINO, so I bowed out. But the good news in all of this is that the old school Republicans had let their true colors fly during the Nueces county thing and thus had played out on stage at the convention. So by the time it was over, all the people who would not speak to us originally, were stopping by our section and shaking our hands for being there and thanking us for speaking out. And as Walter Cronkite used to say...."That's the way it was" in 2012.
Learning from experience in Texas