Proposed “Winner Take All/Proportional” Amendments to the Proposed 2012 Emergency RPT Rules

UPDATE: I have added a couple more amendments below that are more proportional and give delegates to candidates based on each congressional district that they win.

Below are three different amendments to THE PROPOSED TEMPORARY AND EMERGENCY CHANGES TO RPT RULES. These three amendments pertain to RPT Rule 38/Delegate Selection and are submitted by SREC SD3 member David Bellow.

I will present these three amendments to the SREC and it is my hope that ONE of these amendments will be approved by the SREC at the February 29^th, 2012 Emergency SREC meeting.

Each one of these proposals is different, but they all will give more delegates (in some form or fashion) to the candidate who wins the Texas Presidential Primary Election. These proposals will allow the state of Texas to have a stronger voice in the National Presidential Race vs. the straight Proportional plan that Texas currently has.

Should TX GOP go Winner Take All? Is RNC Changing Stupid Presidential Primary Rules?

Should the Republican Party of Texas go back to winner take all?

The State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) will vote on Feb 29th, 2012 to change the rules and approve a Temporary Convention/Delegate Selection Plan. Should the SREC vote to also change the RPT Presidential Delegate Selection Rule 38 from proportional back to winner take all? Also, should the RPT change the rules to allow the presidential delegates to be uncommitted after the first committed vote at the National Convention? In other words, if no presidential Candidate has a majority of the votes to win the nomination, the Texas Delegation would be able to be a player in a brokered convention by having the ability to team up with other delegates from other states and select the next Republican Presidential Nominee? Proportional might sound good vs winner take all because under proportional the candidates get a proportion of Texas delegates based on the percentage of the votes they get in the state Primary Election. The problem is that proportional weakens states rights. With proportional we might as well just have a big nation-wide popular vote. With winner take all, the State of Texas (as well as all states with winner take all) has a much bigger impact on the Presidential race because the candidate who wins Texas really does win Texas and gets all of the delegate votes from the State.  Same thing with the Electoral College. The President does not win by a national popular vote. The President wins by the electoral college and he wins by winning the most states, not the most people. It is all about states rights and not about a national popular vote. With Texas having such a late election, we need all the power we can to have an impact on the Presidential race!
Let me know what you think!

RNC Considering Changing their Stupid Presidential Primary National Rules

What was the Republican National Committee thinking when they decided to let 4 states go ahead of everyone else without a penalty? What were they thinking when they FORCED the Republican Party of Texas to have a diluted voice in the Presidential Primary by making Texas change from winner take all to proportional?

Texans Have a Voice in 2012 Presidential Primary at State-Wide “Saddle Up” Straw Poll in Houston Jan 12 – 14

Update: Andrew Breitbart just announced that he will be at this Straw Poll (see full list of speakers below)

I feel that the Republican National Committee (RNC) has really gone wrong in allowing 4 states to go ahead of the rest of the states in the Republican Presidential Primary race. Who says those 4 states represent America? Why do their decisions get to propel a candidate into the front of the race? Why should Texas, which has the 2nd most presidential delegates, have no say in the Presidential Primary? State Republican Parties cannot even control what date the State Legislature sets for the Primary Election.

Now that the activist federal judges in San Antonio have pushed back our Presidential Primary election even more, Texas might not have much of a say about who the Republican Presidential Candidate will be. One of the judges is even the brother in law of a liberal Democrat Texas State Senator.

Thankfully, there is some hope. A group has organized a state-wide Presidential Straw Poll. It is called the “Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll” and it will be at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX on January 12^th – 14^th, 2012

There will be on-site polling taking place Saturday, January 14, for President, U.S. House and Senate and Texas House and Senate seats. There will also be the opportunity to vote in the poll remotely via phone.

There is an excellent line up of speakers and the will also be hosting some excellent grassroots training during the event. 

This is not a fundraiser for any group. In fact, they are donating a large portion of any profits to three Texas Veteran’s organizations - Texas Wounded Warrior, Lone Survivor Foundation and a VFW museum in Katy, Texas.

Giving conservatives in Texas a voice in the Presidential Primary is the sole focus of this event.

This event might not be anything close to the Iowa Caucus, but it should garner some decent media attention this year and it is a great start. It will surely get bigger and better and become a greater opportunity for Texans to have their voice heard via a large, legitimate poll. As it is now, the Republican Presidential Candidate is usually already chosen by the time it gets time for Texas to vote.

Go here for more info: www.Saddleuptexaspoll.com

Below is the latest Press Release about the Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll:

Historic State-Wide Texas Straw Poll Draws Conservative Elite

to Saddle Up in Houston January 12 – 14 at Minute Maid Park©

Conservative everyday Texans join together to empower citizens of the state with a three-day grassroots celebration.

Keynote speaker Herman Cain headlines an expanding cast of conservative luminaries, media personalities and congressional candidates participating in the inaugural Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll event.

Houston: The original mission for the devoted group of everyday volunteer Texans planning the Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll was to offer the voters of our state a more profound voice in the presidential primary process. Texas voters have been historically ignored despite the fact that Texas sends the second largest delegation to the Electoral College and possesses the second largest population in the United States.

The ambitious gathering will offer attendees the opportunity to listen to and speak directly with Federal and State candidates prior to the actual straw poll balloting scheduled from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm on Saturday January 14. Those results will be tabulated and publically announced that evening prior to the close of the event. The first of its kind state-wide poll will also allow Texas voters to cast their vote(s) remotely via phone and via paper ballot at the event.

Polling isn’t the only activity on tap during this groundbreaking affair. The event will kick off with a social mixer Thursday evening at the Club Level at Minute Maid Park. Friday morning, you will hear from conservative speakers and U.S. Senate candidates, in the early afternoon you will be inspired by a very special Veteran’s Tribute led by Ted Poe. In the evening, there will be a concert featuring entertainment from Houston native Kevin Black along with Karl Brunig, the singer/songwriter who crafted the official “Saddle Up Texas” theme song. The concert will be interspersed with conservative speakers such as Dick Armey of FreedomWorks. And throughout the three-day event, a selection of educational breakout sessions, social and networking activities is also being planned.

Attendees will have the chance to hear David Dewhurst, Ted Cruz, Glenn Addision, Tom Leppert, Lela Mae Pittenger, and Doc Joe Agris, candidates running for the United States Senate. A number of current members of the US Congress and the Texas Senate and House have also confirmed their participation. Local conservative radio talk show hosts Michael Berry, Sam Malone, Dan Patrick, Chris Baker and Matt Patrick have all signed on to emcee the event. KSEV’s Sam Malone and Jon-David Wells, host of the Wells Report on Dallas station KSKY 660, will be broadcasting live from the event on Friday.

The three-day celebration is being choreographed to offer something for everyone who attends. The planners hope their guests will be motivated and inspired by the lineup of speakers, educational opportunities and especially by participating in the state-wide straw poll itself. The organizers of the Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll want this gathering to serve as a forum where fellow Texans can become invested and engaged in their country’s election process.

The Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll organization is a registered 527 non-profit corporation. It consists of an extensive coalition of motivated volunteer organizers. Our volunteers devote their time, effort and resources in order to bring this event to fruition. The organization wants to champion Texas’ family oriented culture and hospitality and demonstrate Texas’ influence to a national audience. Texas has the second largest population in the United State and sends the second largest number of votes to the Electoral College. Our mission is to effect positive influence on the Presidential Primary through the collective voices of the concerned citizens of Texas who participate in the organization’s upcoming state wide straw poll event.

Below is the full list of Speakers that will be at the event. More are added daily.

Herman Cain
Dick Armey, FreedomWorks
Matt Kibbe, FreedomWorks
David Dewhurst, Candidate for U.S. Senate
Ted Cruz, Candidate for U.S. Senate
Lela Mae Pittenger, Candidate for U.S. Senate
Tom Leppert, Candidate for U.S. Senate
Glenn Addison, Candidate for U.S. Senate
Doc Joe Agris, Candidate for U.S. Senate
Kevin Brady, US House Rep
Ted Poe, US House Rep
Louie Gohmert, US House Rep
Dan Patrick, Texas State Senator
David Simpson, Texas State House
Tito Munoz, Founder of the Conservative Hispanic Coalition PAC and Columbian immigrant
Karen DeSimone, Founder of Truth for American Teens and guest on Glenn Beck and Sam Malone
KrisAnne Hall, Disabled Veteran and Conservative Speaker

Several radio personalities will be emceeing segments of the presentations as well as airing live from Minute Maid Park:
Michael Berry, Chris Baker, Matt Patrick, Sam Malone, Jon-David Wells out of Dallas and Natalie Arceneaux of The Civil Right.

Freedom Works and Texas Puentes will be among groups presenting training and breakout sessions, and Houston Tea Party Society will be bringing back Convention 101 to get everyone ready for the 2012 Convention Season

Media Contacts:

Felicia Cravens

832-370-7930

Nancy Dunham

832-725-7303