GOP activists have lost sight of convention goal

For years the state Republican Party has struggled with how to manage the number and/or kind of constitutional amendments, bylaw changes and resolutions that yearly come before its convention delegates.

I recall former state party chairman — now U.S. representative — Rob Bishop tried to put together some kind of debating society, so state delegates who felt strongly about this or that issue could appear before it and kind of get it out of their systems; they wouldn't bog down (some would say bore to death) the conventions with such debates.

It didn't work out.

Instead, state party leaders continue to oversee conventions, which are really called to pick candidates or party officers, that take great expansions of time — and not a few harsh words — debating platform language, or changes to the party bylaws or Constitution, or resolutions that, in reality, have little or nothing to do with electing Republicans.

Since each of the 3,500 delegates may submit any kind of internal rule change or resolution to the convention — and those matters are read out, debated and voted on — the occasional nutty idea encroached, giving Democrats and newspaper editorial pages an open season of criticism.

A political party convention is supposed to be about winnowing the candidate field, and then getting grass-roots party supporters excited about working to elect those candidates, party leaders maintain.

But a small group of GOP activists has lost sight of that goal, and instead spends time and effort fighting over internal party rules, says party chairman Joe Cannon, who seeks a third term in office.

This leads to the current odd, Catch-22 situation the delegates will find at their upcoming convention Aug. 27 at Salt Lake Community College:

Delegates will not see the proposed three constitutional amendments and three bylaw changes, duly filed with the state party for consideration by delegates.

That's because the party's Constitution and Bylaw Committee met and refused to recommend that any of those items be heard.

But there is also a resolution, which will be heard by the delegates, that says that it is wrong that the C&B committee can withhold from the delegates any duly filed constitutional amendment or bylaw change.

So what happens if the resolution — sponsored by GOP national committeewoman Nancy Lord — passes?

That means a majority of the delegates want to hear constitutional amendments and bylaw changes. But they won't be hearing any because of the C&B committee's action.

If this confuses you, be glad you aren't a state GOP delegate.