Reader comments
State GOP readies for convention

Mike Ridgway | 12:24 a.m. June 10, 2009

There are actually only two candidates running for Vice Chair, former Representative Morgan Philpot, and incumbent vice chair, Todd Weiler. So that race will be decided in one round of voting.

And in the race for chair, there are currently four candidates still in the race: Former County Councilman, Steve Harmsen, Dave Hansen, Brian Jenkins and Jared Law. However, only two of the candidates have been actively campaigning up to this point, Harmsen and Hansen, so that race could easily be decided by a majority in the first round of voting as well.

Which means, that, depending on how the chair manages the flow of things, we could easily lose quorum before any of the resolutions are voted on.

Not mentioned in the article is the fact that much weightier submissions, proposed amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws, were spiked by James Evans' Constitution and Bylaws (C&B) Committee and will not be presented to the delegates at the convention.

Players like Evans and Dana Dickson have been at war with delegates over the last several years and have systematically whittled down their control over the goings on in the Utah Republican Party.

Expect no improvements this convention.

10th Amendment... | 1:10 a.m. June 10, 2009

Resulutions?

I think only the one or two dealing with support of the 10th amendment / bill of rights has a chance to pass.

I like Eagar's, as it actually says something and doesn't say the GOP will do something it can't control.

Mike Ridgway | 2:00 a.m. June 10, 2009

One other correction. The actual turnout for off-year conventions is usually between 1200 and 1500 out of a total of 3500 possible delegates. I say possible as opposed to actual because there are usually several hundred delegate seats that go vacant every two years due to delegates moving out of the precinct they were elected to represent.

Comments continue below

proposed..C & B | 7:05 a.m. June 10, 2009

There are proposed amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws..
are listed under Central committee meeting.

They are on the agenda for that, but not for the Convention. Why?

heaven help us | 7:28 a.m. June 10, 2009

sure to be some mention -- perhaps even a resolution -- of Beware Satan's Influence on the Good People of Zion ... or more likely just the same old reactionary claptrap of a rather unChrist-like Hate Your Neighbor (tent cities for immigrants), Socialism "Oh My" (but don't take my Medicare / Medicare / Soc Security), God Guns and Gays (hey, at least my tighting money was well spent). Yikes. When will a majority of Utahns wake up and inhale deeply their Postum, get beyond the pablum -- RepublICANism is anything but.

Obviously Undereducated | 8:02 a.m. June 10, 2009

"heaven help us" reminds us of the sneering arrogance of the Democrat and that we, as Republicans, must work hard to bring that arrogance into sharp, focused contrast to Republican values.

Just as the young starlet of the new "Transformers" movie, who recently joked [I hope she was joking] that giant alien robots killing off Republicans in Middle-America would be a good idea, the media and its darlings wish we'd just go away.

We're not going anywhere. Dave Hansen, who keeps pounding the drum of Republican values, is really the only one capable of getting the Grand Old Party back on message and on course.

Changes Needed | 9:29 a.m. June 10, 2009

Symptomatic of the current GOP leadership:

One of the candidates in the GOP just "received an e-mail from the Utah GOP citing a bylaw that requires rank and file members of the party to submit proposed changes to the rules at least 30 days prior to the convention. However, party leadership holds to the opinion that "the rule does not apply to the rules committee" (this is a direct quote from the Rules Chair). They can propose changes at any time, even the day of the convention."

Delegates need to come to this convention in high numbers and vote out the good ole boy incumbents and vote in those that are willing to abide by the rules/values of the Republican Party and who do not think they are above the rules.

Angry American | 9:42 a.m. June 10, 2009

As a state delegate please some tell me why I should attend this event. Trust me the first thing I am going to get when I walk in the door is a solicitation for a donation to the Republican Party (okay maybe the second thing). Then I am going to hear how the democrats are the spawn of satan. Rob, Orrin, and the others will stand up and declare their indignation at the President and we will all cheer. What you will not hear is anyone talking about the guilt that lies in our own party or the fact that washington is so corrupt as a system that there appears to be little to do but vote them all out. The republican were in power for nearly eight years and they did what? The democrats are in power and they are doing what? They both spent money they did not have for us Republicans we called it Trickle down economics the Dems call it socialism. The end result is the same. No I think I will stay home and work in the Garden. It appears to be the only thing growing that is going to get me anything good.

@Angry American | 10:22 a.m. June 10, 2009

You should attend because YOU chose to run for State Delegate and now you need to fulfill that responsibility to your Precinct who elected you.

I really hate going to Caucuses and running for an office and losing to someone who does not have the intention of going to all the meetings that they were elected to attend. I want my voice to be heard, if you and the other 2000 or so delegates do not attend, then what difference can we make? Think of what could happen if all those who felt like you attended, then there would be leadership elected who really cared instead of those elected who want to follow the National line.

Accountability | 11:02 a.m. June 10, 2009

A list of those delegates who don't show for convention should be made available to anyone who requests it.

Anonymous | 11:03 a.m. June 10, 2009

The Politburo is ready to convene again....

Libertarianmind | 2:39 p.m. June 10, 2009

If you want change for the better do not put Todd back in as vice chair, I think Morgan would make a much better vice chair, I think he has a much better grasp on where the party needs to be headed,
as far as chair goes I Don't think Hansen has any intention of supporting the grass roots if you look where all his support and money are coming from, just another political insider, Harmsen is the better choice.

Obviously Undereducated | 6:51 p.m. June 10, 2009

Libertarianmind, you, no doubt, heard that from Harmsen's people, who, without basis in fact, used to say exactly that at his speaking engagements, until he got called on it. He stopped saying it because it isn't true. Now, if Harmsen recognized it wasn't true and stopped saying it, why do you now say it is?

Not that I care, but did you hear it from Harmsen himself?

Derelict Delegates? | 6:53 p.m. June 10, 2009

Here is my two cents:
1. It's an honor and a fundamental duty of every citizen in a free republic to be involved at this level.

2. The party should amend its rules that any delegate who does not show up or who chooses to leave early should be recalled and replaced by an alternate who does value that role of citizenship. We can hardly complain about our electe leaders if we behave as poorly as they do sometimes.

3. I have spent several weeks with little sleep getting my campaign for U.S. Senate up and running so that I can have a presence at this convention because I care. I care about what has gone wrong. Yes, both parties are to blame.

Now is not the time to stay home. Now is the time to get more involved so that we can change what has been going wrong.

Cherilyn Eagar

Dysfunction & Incumbency | 7:00 p.m. June 10, 2009

And another thing. If party leaders cared about what the party stands for, they wouldn't deliberately place the resolutions or platform items at the very end of the convention. This is a party without an identity right now. If we take the platform lightly and don't hold our elected officials accountable to it, we can only blame ourselves for the dysfunction.

There are four candidates for U.S. Senate that have officially filed, and I'm one of them. I just learned today that only the incumbent candidates are allowed to speak to the delegates. And yet, I'm told the party will treat the challengers fairly.

No wonder we can't get rid of incumbents who have been in too long.

Our new party officer candidates are all pledging a fair playing field. We'll see.

Cherilyn Eagar

re: Morgan | 7:00 p.m. June 10, 2009

I agree that Morgan will do a great job.
Todd is the only incumbent running(except Tres).

Dave Hansen will also do a great job, as Harmsen hasn't shown he has a clue what to do. I trust Dave to make things a fair fight and support the winner.
Morgan is willing to work with Dave. I think he should.

My question is Secretary? Nick or Christy?

3 hours... | 10:49 p.m. June 10, 2009

Cherilyn Eagar,
Just think, you have 3 hours on Saturday between 7 and 10 to talk to the delegates that do come. You can be at the ice cream social the night before talking to everyone why the incumbents serve ice cream.

I agree that the current agenda should allow for anyone filed to speak. If Bennett can speak, and Shurtleff can speak, Williams and You should be able to speak. I haven't found Bridgewater to have filed anything as of today's FEC search. If he has filed, he should be able to talk as well.

I know Dave Hansen has seen your concerns.

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