Saturday, May 10, 2008
Most of the McCain “unity slate” delegates won positions for the upcoming national convention—scheduled for September 1 – 4 in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
McCain was nowhere to be seen today as his minions worked the crowd on his behalf and uniformed security officers, (expecting an insurrection perhaps?) were ubiquitous. A sight to behold.
The Arizona Republican Party web pages give a glimpse into the whirlwind activities.
The resolutions all passed by acclimation, to the chagrin of Paul Hickman, AZ Chief of Staff for Sen. John McCain, who shouted a loud, “No!” Several of the resolutions were strong anti-illegal immigration measures.
It was a long day. Any state delegates in attendance who would care to comment, this is your chance.
May 10, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Long day is an understatement. Jon Kyl carried McCain’s water as only a good foot soldier and senatorial seatmate could.
Rep. Trent Franks, who showed real gumption early on in supporting CA Congressman, Duncan Hunter for the Republican presidential nomination, did his mea culpas in rallying the delegates to the McCain camp. Lots about Obama’s negatives, if you get my drift. John Shadegg gave a good “get thee behind McCain” speech. Best of the day? State Treasurer Dean Martin was the runaway winner, in my opinion. He talked about the budget, Napolitano and mainly stuck to state issues, as did SOS Jan Brewer.
May 10, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I attended my first state convention today. Why is crooked electioneering suddenly acceptable when it comes to State political parties?
Imagine Secretary of State Jan Brewer choosing Len Munsil as her favorite gubernatorial candidate. And then say she puts paid staff (taxpayer expense) to work, on the clock, cranking out the big vote for Len Munsil effort. All the while withholding public record voting information from the Napolitano campaign. Refusing repeated requests for public record information from the taxpayers. Further imagine our highest election official standing at the polling place on election day, microphone in hand endorsing Munsil, Munsil, Munsil. More speakers come to the podium and every one of them, by virtue of being allowed to address the audience MUST endorse and publicize the Secretary of State’s choice for Governor. This is what today’s Arizona Republican Convention was like.
I just don’t get why crooked elections are unabashedly put on by a state political party. Voting is the one thing you would think 1200 Republicans would get right. No slime ball campaign tactic was too low to employ in the effort of assuring not one peep of dissention would enter the hallowed hall of the mccain Arizona baptism. Of course, mccain knew not to attend his own home state Republican convention. The boos would have been deafening. mccain’s minions had him stay away. “Just shut up Mr. Nominee and we’ll take care of this one for ya.”
Our state chairman campaign victory for the conservatives has been sold out to the mccain illegal alien profiteers.
May 10, 2008 at 5:30 pm
The crowd of approximately 1000 delegates was orderly, but we were reminded several times by GOP state chairman Randy Pullen that a security force was present in the auditorium. He didn’t have to say it. The air was thick with law enforcement, which I though very odd. After all, we were all Republicans meeting to elect Republicans. I drove two and a half hours to attend this badly planned event, which easily could have been streamlined, and was made to feel like a child scolded for the bad acts of disobedient sibling. Obviously the McCain supporters were worried, but about what? I’d be less than honest if I didn’t say this threatening atmosphere more than annoyed me.
May 10, 2008 at 5:41 pm
All true. And what about the overpriced sandwiches? 15 bucks was just a bit steep. Was that all the hotel or did the party get a piece of the action? I hope John McCain didn’t get a slice of my tab. For a chicken sandwich in a cardboard container, that was a bit over the top. No wonder people think all Republicans are rich!
May 10, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Ditto! Treasurer Martin’s talk was the most independent of the mccain doctrine. Martin talked real sense and real independent thought. Here’s your textbook example of a true Republican. Nice job Dean!
May 10, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Sideliner, Greg, Chicaboom, Thomas – Thanks for the reports.
May 10, 2008 at 6:26 pm
The name “Unity Slate” was a figment of the McCain crowd’s imagination. There was no unity involved as they attempted to totally freeze conservatives out. That’s why security was in full force. They expected cries of “foul!” Instead the mostly UNinformed state delegates, many who appeared to be sheep ready for a rest home, went along with the program. Baa-a-a.
May 10, 2008 at 6:39 pm
There are those who would portray the election of this delegate slate as a total loss to the McCain forces. However, significant retrenchment was had in the selection of the candidates for the CD 3 slate. Many of the initial McCain choices were replaced with conservatives out of legislative district 11.
Chairman Rob Haney had an impact!
May 10, 2008 at 6:42 pm
I attended the convention as well. I do realize that putting on a large event like this isn’t easy. Obviously, there was a pre-determined outcome in mind. There are two things that really jumped out at me today..
1) Many very prominent and deserving Republicans were left off the slate.
2) Several people all of a sudden at the last moment withdrew their intentions to run as a National delegate. When I say several, I don’t mean three or four, more like a bakers dozen. That of course made the day longer as we had to scratch name after name off the ballot prior to voting.
I do support McCain for President and am not sorry about the result; the process however has left me a bit confused about the true state of democracy in this great nation. This was ratification rather than an election.
May 10, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Many of those who asked that their names be removed from consideration did so because of the fierce internal discord and actual viciousness that was aimed in their direction by the McCain loyalists. I’m aware of friendships that have been severed. This internal bloodletting is ruinous to the party. The name “Unity” for the McCain slate was a joke. There is more animus than unity surrounding the tactics they have employed.
May 10, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Glad this is over. I won’t be doing this again! I tore up my nominating petition for precinct committeeman when I got home today. Who needs this? If I want to be plowed under, I’ll stand in a harvested corn field.
And the state party can take their security forces and….well, you figure it out!
May 10, 2008 at 8:22 pm
I certainly don’t want Barack Obama, and would never vote for him. By the same token, I’m not a McCain fan. My hope was that the senator would have shown up and thrown his home state conservatives a bone. It would have gone a long way with me. By dismissing us en masse at today‘s convention, he said a great deal. If he was unable to be there, he could have sent Cindy. I think he was fearful of a negative reaction and the bad press his appearance would have generated.
I also attended the Victory dinner on Friday night. Michael Reagan was great and gave wonderful insights about his growing up years with President Reagan. However, John McCain has yet to be the featured speaker at any state event. He simply doesn’t care about the grassroots backbone of the AZ Republican party—yet he expects loyalty from us.
This is a two way street, Mr. McCain.
May 10, 2008 at 10:52 pm
I attended the convention today. It was a colossal disappointment. Surely Sen. McCain could have scheduled around this long set date and greeted the very people who will put him over the top from his own state. If he can manage to attend ball games and have cookouts at his cabin, shouldn’t the Arizona state convention have rated a blip on his radar screen?
I seriously don’t get this.
May 10, 2008 at 10:57 pm
PS I’m impressed that so many state committeemen who attended today’s meeting have posted here. It gives me a good overview and perspective. But I’m still puzzled over Sen. McCain’s lack of interest in his own AZ delgates,
May 10, 2008 at 11:31 pm
As a new state committeeman I assume there are many subtle nuances about the sytem to learn. I arrived this morning full of excitment anticipating things to be much different than they were.
By the end of the day, my views mirrored Bill’s (above). And where was Sen. McCain?
I was really looking forward to seeing and hearing him today. What a missed opportunity to connect with his supporters.
May 10, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Dumb,Dumb, and Dumber,
We do not need the conservatives! Our boy will win with liberal RINOs (just look at our slate for God’s sake….Deb Gullett, Ann Lynch, Mike Hellon, Horst Kraus; McCain staffers……Jim Waring, Steve Tully, Tom Liddy, Stan Barnes: political beholders…….Tom Horne, Max Wilson, Jan Brewer, Barbara Leff, Kirk Adams, Jonathon Paton and various other sundry hypocrites and surrogates. We have got all the bases covered. We put another one over on you with our spin machine “Unity Slate” and you bit hook, line, and sinker.
The funniest thing is it was all out in the open. We chased the conservatives out of the Party. We now own it! Don’t you see, we can’t lose now. Isn’t this a great country? The “Great Divider” has triumphed. Can’t say you couldn’t see it coming can you? Rush’s “Operation Chos” is no match for us. Wait till you hear John speak to La Raza. Conservatives will be jumping out the windows.
May 10, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Well Rudy, I hate to admit it, but I guess you are right. I certainly will not be crawling through any barb wire to help get McCain elected as Trent Franks advised us. “Dimes worth of difference,” comes to mind. There are good leaders and there are bad leaders, McCain leads the latter.
May 11, 2008 at 12:06 am
Did anyone else get sick and tired of Chairman Pullen repeating over and over again to
vote for the so called “Unity Slate”? I was ready to ask Dean Martin to sing, “It seems I’ve heard that song before.”
May 11, 2008 at 1:34 am
I JUST ARRIVED HOME. HOW CAN THE STATE PARTY ENCOURAGE FELLOW REPUBLICANS TO DRIVE ACROSS THE STATE FOR THE POOREST EXCUSE OF AN “ELECTION” THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. Election means “it’s not decided yet. And you don’t REPEATEDLY AND REPEATEDLY describe who to vote for with a microphone to your CAPTIVE voters. WHAT A JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is not the kind of talent that wins Presidetntial Campaigns!
Helen Purcell was in the house. Too bad. She’s a decent woman. I felt sorry for her. I bet she was awake a few extra mintues this evening.
May 11, 2008 at 6:01 am
Charlie:
I agree that Chairman Pullen spent the majority of his time Pullin’ the McUnity wagon.
It wasn’t an election, it was “You Vill vote this slate!” right out of another era. Free and open elections? There was actually one ballot and one way to vote. We were told that from the podium by Pullen and McKyl so often there was no mistaking the message.
I overheard the guy in front of me call it the “DISunity slate.” He got that right!
I also agree that the majority of people probably had no clue what was going on. The republican party needs to replace some of those ancient and brain-numbed robotic PCs with a few who can think.
May 11, 2008 at 8:31 am
Well you know, it is our current leadership that has put us in this position. By their treachery, they drive true Republicans from the party leaving only liberals to carry the banner. Any wonder why the banner has little meaning now. No one knows what it represents. Kinda like the abortionists killing off the future generations of Christians leaving the world to the advancing Islamic terrorists who believe in large families and oppose abortion. It is just a matter of time. We all can see it coming but refuse to do anything about it. Rudy has a point.
May 11, 2008 at 9:02 am
Excellent points, Carrie.
The very fact that John McCain is representing the Republican party signals its death knell. We should think about scraping the whole thing and starting a Conservative Party. Our current state leadership is no leadership at all. The DC contingent are all open borders advocates and the others are panderers. It’s disgraceful that ANY preidential candidate would accept an invitation to speak to La Raza, a blatantly racist (in this case, anti-White) and anti-American organization. For McCain to do that turns my stomach,.
May 11, 2008 at 1:24 pm
How did we get to this point where the Republicans we elected don’t give a damn about us? They all talk about Reagan ad nauseum, but wouldn’t recognize his principles if they stared them in the face.
May 11, 2008 at 2:39 pm
It’s not that I don’t intend to vote for John McCain. Of course I will. Obama is inexperienced and a bone fide liberal who has said he intends to raise taxes.
I simply think we could have done much better than McCain to lead our party. The only one of our representatives who I trust is Trent Franks. The rest of them are not lying to us. They are very upfront about the fact that they intend to bring back the citizen opposed “Immigration Reform,’ which is amnesty no matter how you slice it.
As far as McCain, what choice do we have? I would jump at the chance to support someone else, but he is, unfortunately, all we have.
May 11, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Yep, I know. We have already won. I can tell by all the enthusiasm you all exhibit for John McCain. Liberalism is back and rules. The conservative blip is over and gone forever.
May 11, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Those who got their hopes up that they would see Sen. McCain yesterday, expected too much. He has a perfect “No Show” record for State and MC annual meetings since I’ve been attending (1998). Mixture of arrogance and fear of being booed?
Thank God he didn’t show up; I for one don’t have the stomach to listen to anymore of his triangulations. He’s getting almost as good as Bill Clinton…..
May 11, 2008 at 9:16 pm
I think Obama would have a big smile on his face and be very happy reading these comments.
May 11, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Republicans are not happy being disenfranchised. It would be great to have someone we could rally behind, We are not dissidents or Obama supporters. We merely want a GOP president who is not a liberal. John McCain has enjoyed support from Democrats and registered independents for a reason.
May 12, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Hey, Conservatives, show some backbone…..fight for the down ticket, especially the Congress. We don’t have a Senate race here, but Colorado does. Send your bucks to Shaefer and any other good conservative (obviously NOT the RNC or RSC) Senate candidate. It’s slim, but we might be able to prevent the loss of the Senate. At least in the end, we have the satisfaction to face our children and grandchildren and report that we never left the front lines of this battle for America.
June 5, 2008 at 4:27 pm
[...] is keen to avoid dust-ups, even steering clear of Arizona’s recent state Republican convention where his own delegates we…. The McCain troops were so concerned that there would be an insurrection by disgruntled [...]