Texas Tenth Amendment Center
First, I would like to thank my fellow National delegates: Col. Robert Casias, Ben Stringer, Joe Manak, Nunzio Previtera, Beth Cathey, Shawn McAnelly and Jennifer Streeter
Honorable mention: Shawn Mendoza and Jonathan Streeter
Our Texas delegation was housed at a golf resort twenty miles north of the city and we were bused in each day to the Convention. The Louisiana delegation was at the same resort as well.
I was blessed with meeting several new people of our Texas delegation along with delegates from many other states.
The start of the convention activities on Tuesday, there were several “votes” scheduled for the delegates to vote upon (rules, platform, credentials, etc.). I put “votes” in quotes here, because upon the very first “vote”, it was made clear to all the delegates who were paying attention (maybe 70%) on the floor that their voting was being done for appearances only, and that the actual vote count would be completely ignored by those running the “show.” For example: despite a clear and resounding majority of Nay votes on the first question, the chairmen, declared “the Ayes have it” and then also completely ignored the calls from the floor for a standing count. In fact, as the Texas delegation was seated way to the side of the stage, we could see the huge tela-prompter screen, which when the vote was called for, already had the next line up which stated in clear English: “the Ayes have it.” So clearly, the decision of what the result would be, had already been determined by those running the show…despite what the truth of the matter was: that being that the Ayes were outvoted. It was that action by the chairmen, and how outrageous a slap in the face his actions were to truth, justice, and to all those who were present, which put a significantly large contingent of otherwise go-along Republicans there, onto the liberty and tea-party side of the camp that day. Many of them are still hopping mad and left Tampa at the end of the week with plans on going back to their respective hometowns and getting more aligned with those calling for a true change in the party from the ground up. By the way, the microphones set up at each state’s marker, were not even on…they were just there for appearances. When asked about how the “leadership” could get away with such shenanigans, our own state chairmen (Steve Munisteri) stated, that “for the past twenty years, these things have been scripted” for the show of it, and the delegates really have no voice whatsoever, but are here so that the RNC can put on a national show for the media. To his credit, he did admit that he “would not run things this way.” Over all though, in the end, we delegates actually voted for nothing…our presence there was for the cameras only.
With that lesson under my belt, I decided my time would be best spent by getting to know as many delegates from all over as I could and speaking with them to get their thoughts on what needs to happen if we plan on having any sort of individual God-given rights left being respected in the America much longer. I was pleasantly surprised to see that so many of the otherwise low-key Republicans were now actually fired-up to fight for a change in D.C. and state that they see now, that it will also take a change in the RNC to get this done. I spent most of the rest of my time on the floor, mingling with several delegates from Texas and other states, about how we might keep in contact over the next two years and try to continue to move the cause of small government and protection of our individual rights back into the mainstream of our party, and this nation. When Gov. Romney spoke, he made mention about several truths – two of those being that we need more jobs in America, and less national debt. What he did not mention though, was anything about actually getting rid of government departments, or rescinding the mountains of regulations and ridding ourselves of the hoards of D.C. regulators so that the American people can once again actually create jobs here in the states. Several reporters asked questions of us about how the GOP ticket was shaping up now that Rep. Ryan was on board, and if this brought more excitement to what seemed to be for many delegates there a rather lackluster support for Romney coming into the convention. The media folks all had this same position or assumption as if all of them were getting their instructions from the same person. My typical response was that Obama has been so terrible to such a wide swath of the American landscape, that my dog should be able to beat him. Adding Rep. Ryan to the ticket may be exciting the Republicans who were already going to vote Republican, but from what I have witnessed from the other delegates there, Rep. Ryan would probably not bring many of the swing voters (the voters we need to get) in as he is still seen by most swing voters as just another D.C. insider, and frankly the people in the hinterlands are simply done with D.C. insiders.
We clearly have a lot of work to do, and I would hope that given what has transpired at our own convention, everyone is a bit more interested in getting involved in the political system both locally and nationally today, then before. There are a lot of scalawags in the upper echelons of government, and our national party leadership is obviously not immune to the disease either. The RNC needs to have a lot of new blood put into positions. Hopefully, with the likes of people such as our own Texas state chairman, that change can take place over the next two years, and we can get some real people, who have had real jobs, and lead real lives, into positions of leadership.
I would like to remind everyone that there are several races where candidates need YOUR help – help with block-walking, phone banking, and many other things. If we want a better political situation to exist next year, we each need to play a part in making that happen. I am personally very exciting about staying involved with the several campaigns around south Texas, including Dr. Donna Campbell, Mike Berlanga, Col. Casias, and of course Rep. Canseco, to name just a few.
Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of our Texas delegation.
Uniting our Party for Liberty,
Dr. Robert Lowry, Fair Oaks Ranch (San Antonio), Texas
September 11, 2012
Steve Baysinger is the State Chapter Coordinator for the Texas Tenth Amendment Center.
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I was honored to serve in the CD 23 delegation with Dr. Lowry. Dr. Lowry’s claim that the vote outcomes on the convention floor were predetermined is a documented fact. The troubling conclusion one must draw from this is that our national leadership is not working the for the best interests of the party. For a conscientious Republican, this leaves two courses of action available: leave the party, or work to rectify the disturbing trend of corruption in the national leadership. To remain and do nothing is to sanction the fraud.
LMBO – Satire is a great tool to get a point across and Angry Republican has mastered the art. How can I possibly follow ?
I, too attended, and agree that Lowry’s take on the convention is in alignment with mine, but then I’m not a collectivist thinker, so I’m sure I have a different perspective than the Zombie Party Loyalists who are incapable of seeing the forest for the trees (the farce that the RNC has become).
Good luck in November, GOP, for the disenfranchised will remember…. your demise as a party is imminent if you don’t change your ways.
LMAO – I can’t possibly follow Angry Republ
I can’t believe that Dr. Lowry would speak out against the Republican Party in this way.
As a long time Republican I surgically had both my brain and my spine removed years ago to prevent any independent thought from interfering with my commitment to attend pointless meetings and self congratulatory circle-jerks. In addition I carefully extracted and concealed my conscience to prevent just the sort of moral conflict that he seems to be exposing in this shameful narrative.
Sure, our political party is like a big good-ol-boys club – but that is how we like it. If we start letting any informed and principled person have an opinion about the big things that our funders have pre-determined, then what will the good-ol-boys have left to do?
It would be a comical farce if we were to conduct our own process of delegation and deliberation in a manner that is different from how the actual political process works. We have made sure that the façade of legitimacy adequately covers up the actual predetermined nature of all of our political appointees, policies and motivations. That is the beauty of the big balloon drop – it quickly distracts anyone from realizing that the game they just participated in was a big farce.
This secret has been well concealed up until this year when pesky people like Dr. Lowry started showing up with real principles and intact back-bones. And Cameras. In the future we will likely have to prevent any cell phone use or actively block electronic devices through a sophisticated system of electromagnetic pulse devices in order to maintain the same degree of duplicity.
Fortunately by passing a series of party rules which will allow potential nominees to hand pick their own delegation we will be able to prevent any independent thinkers from participating in the delegation process in the future. I am so grateful that this institutional railroading will prevent me from having to find and bring out my dusty old conscience and consult it in the future.
Frankly I am surprised that Dr. Lowry even made it as a delegate to the national convention in the first place. Don’t we usually reserve the status of delegate to those party players who have already demonstrated a strong history of being so devoted to the cause of Republicanism that they never give any thought for themselves at all? It is these people, who never think for themselves at all, that are the true Republicans who deserve to be our delegates at all future national conventions.
Shame on you Dr Lowry for jeopardizing our Grand Ol Party by speaking out about something that you consider to be unjust and exposing your selfishly held ‘principles’ of honesty, justice, democracy and openness. I want to make sure that the rest of us Republicans are not associated with your insightful and principled comments.
When my Republican overlords tell me what opinion I should have about the next candidate or policy – I will certainly be for or against what ever you have to say depending on what I am told to think!!
Disgruntled and aghast
Joe Republican
I agree wholeheartedly with Dr. Lowry’s statements and witnessed the goings on first hand in Tampa. It is important that “we the people” are what matters and that we mobilize from the ground up and not the other way around. When our party has debt issues it bothers me that we are spending millions of dollars to put on a production, a facade where actual delegates and important business go ignored for the sake of a show. We can do better! We can operate within our means and conduct business with integrity. We need to show the independent and undecided voters that we take this seriously and want to make a difference by following the rules and respecting the process. Though, that is not what I witnessed in Tampa by the RNC officials. Thank you Dr. Lowry for representing CD 23. You are appreciated!
I don’t know Dr. Lowry that well but I did attend a meet and greet at his house for Dr . Donna Campbell before the runoff election. I am also not in his district but I attended the RNC convention as a delegate from CD-20. After reading his letter I will say that I am
In total agreement with him.
Maybe I am naïve but I also thought that delegates to a convention were a necessary part of the process. Tampa showed me that I was wrong about that and that the results were preordained. After seeing the obvious fraud that was perpetrated during the approval of the rules committee report I have also decided that I want to be involved in reforming the party that I have been part of for almost 40 years.
We need a smaller goverenment that isn’t involved in every facet of our life. It also needs to be fiscal responsible, not controlled by politicians who have been purchase by corporations and the control needs to come from the bottom up.
My name also apparently is only listed at the top of this story because I was an Alternate Delegate to the convention from the same Congressional district as Dr. Lowry.
I too had no part in the authorship of this story. And I too agree with Nunzio Previtera that I do not share all the same perspectives Dr. Lowry has outlined in his article.
And I too do not want people reading this article to assume that I in any way contributed to it. I also object to Dr. Lowry’s insinuation that I agree with his views by the fact that he chose to list my name as part of his article without my knowledge or permission.
M. Elizabeth “Beth” Cathey
My name is listed at the top of this story because I was an alternate delegate to the convention in the same Congressional district as Dr. Lowry.
Please be advised that I had no part in the authorship of this story.
While I wish Dr. Lowry the best, I do not share all the same perspectives he has outlined in this article. I do not want folks reading the article to conclude that I contributed to it.
Nunzio Previtera