War on the Grassroots
Rulesfare: The Establishment's Desperate Bid to Invalidate Trump's Grassroots Delegates
The two-faced god, Janus
“The MAGA base of support cannot trust this Republican corporate group and we must not be blind or unguarded about the Machiavellian schemes they construct. Donald Trump is not a problem for the Republican Party; Donald Trump is our response to the problem within the Republican Party.” – Sundance, The Conservative Treehouse
The Big Lie
In this moment of big and small lies, some words have lost meaning. One of the marks of the information war is shifting the meanings of words to effect a political outcome. In the Republican Party, this has meant a shift in what it means to be a Republican.
The definition is purposefully being shifted so that one can be a Republican while quietly supporting big government spending and big government control—except at election time, of course, when RINO politicians and their supporters move as far right as possible to fool the people.
RINOs in the party, both on the state and local levels, may genuinely believe their brand IS Republican. That is how far the party has strayed from its values.
The term Conservative has, at the same time, become synonymous with “right-wing extremism,” “Christian Nationalism,” and other similar epithets. Establishment Republicans, who are often in charge in Missouri on the state and local levels, are fond of keeping the seat of power. They prefer the grassroots to be largely ineffective but useful when needed to not upset the apple cart of the Republican and Democrat parties, often operating as one in Jefferson City.
Overturn of Grassroots Work
The 2024 Missouri GOP convention was the overturned apple cart the establishment feared. Background HERE, HERE, and HERE. Missourians from around the state came together and booted the establishment by electing grassroots candidates to chair the convention and electing a slate of delegates to the national convention.
However, the GOP 2024 platform was ultimately derailed when Rep. Dan Stacy called for a quorum count late in the convention.
The Republican Platform should reflect the values and goals of Missouri Republicans. As it now stands, the platform dates back to 2016. The 2020 GOP Convention was canceled due to the unpleasantness of COVID-19, and this year’s convention was derailed at the 11th hour before the platform could be voted upon. Much has occurred since 2016, and the platform amendments submitted by Missourians statewide are now defunct with little hope of reviving them.
ENTER THE CHALLENGERS
But wait, the GOP establishment is not through sabotaging the will of the convention. There have been two official challenges to the 2024 convention slate of delegates from Missouri. The challengers sent one of these to the RNC Committee on Contests, which was submitted by convention delegate Derrick Good (CD3), along with 25 other individuals (named below). At 71 pages, the complaint alleges,
“The Convention’s selection of delegates ignoring the rules set forth in the call to convention, and the amendment of the standing rules were in contravention of RNC Rule 16(f)(2) invalidating the entire slate of delegates and alternates that were elected.”
Further, the complaint states:
“The turning away of Convention Delegates and Alternates prior to the vote on National Delegates and Alternates invalidates the business of the convention including the election Delegates and Alternates to the National Convention.”
It is not contested that the 2024 convention had issues. On Saturday, May 4, Missouri GOP Chairman Nick Myers made an inexplicable decision, or series of decisions, that stalled the convention for over four hours. Regardless of reasons or excuses, the situation could have been resolved early on by doing what was decided upon hours later—a physical roll call.
It is politically explosive that the Missouri convention delegates’ election of a slate could be invalidated. There were three parliamentarians at the convention, including C.J. Cavin, who, according to the Good complaint, is a contracted parliamentarian to the upcoming national convention and was hired by Sophia Shore, the 2024 Missouri state convention chairwoman, to ensure the convention was conducted according to rules. An assistant parliamentarian, Eric Vought, was also appointed to the state convention for the day.
Chairman Nick Myers was unable(?) to credential delegates/alternates for hours, delaying the actual business of the convention until well into the afternoon. It is illustrative to know that there was preregistration for delegates and alternates the day and evening before the convention, as well as registration beginning at 7 a.m. the morning of the anticipated 9 a.m. start.
As one delegate said:
“A five-hour delay at the convention was absolutely inexcusable. If you want to speak of sabotage, you can think of a five-hour delay ruining the possibility of delegates wanting to stay for the all-important platform discussion. Who do you think it was that departed? Almost the entire Jefferson County delegation got up and left…”
In fact, according to the Derrick Good challenge, 314 delegates remained out of 848 when Rep. Dan Stacy called for a quorum count. The breakdown:
Congressional District 1: 9 delegates remaining of 36
Congressional District 2: 37 delegates remaining of 89 (118)
Congressional District 3: 75 delegates remaining of 118 (134)
Congressional District 4: 62 delegates remaining of 135 (138)
Congressional District 5: 24 delegates remaining of 63 (63)
Congressional District 6: 48 delegates remaining of 140 (152)
Congressional District 7: 79 delegates remaining of 129 (133)
Congressional District 8: 48 delegates remaining of 138 (150)
From the League of Women Voters
Those numbers can be correlated to the extended stalling that occurred earlier. Additionally, there is a dispute about the distribution of the amendments to the delegates. One side claims that the amendments were on the chairs of both delegates and alternates and handed out at the convention. Others claim they were not provided with the amendments.
Looked at in the light of the national picture, in which President Trump has been found guilty of something or another, the attempt to invalidate a slate of Trump grassroots delegates to the RNC convention is suspicious. I highly recommend reading this ARTICLE at The Conservative Treehouse, which outlines the Uniparty dynamics, but a quote here is appropriate:
“In the past several decades, the motive of a Republican or Democrat politician, advancing their influence by running for political office, has absolutely nothing to do with representing the interests of the American people. Nothing. Their interests are to engage within the business of politics, while presenting themselves as qualified actors to retain the premise of political service. This is why they will spend $10 million to win an office that only pays $400k/yr.
The business of buying, selling and controlling policy, is the core operation of people within the US political system. As an outcome, the business has two wings – the RNC and the DNC. Two private corporations inside the political industry who are in place to retain the overall business model. The RNC and DNC are both funded by the same interests, banks, corporations, Wall St interests, and even foreign interests who purchase outcomes.
The RNC and DNC are two operational wings inside the industry of politics. They are in the same business, but they have slightly different business models.
The Republicans (RNC) want money, the Democrats (DNC) want power. The Republicans use power to get money, the Democrats use money to get power. The donor activity of the Republicans drives their agenda. The agenda of the Democrats drives their donor activity. It is a subtle nuance, but once you really understand it, everything falls into place.”
The same dynamic that infiltrated and usurped the Tea Party movement is alive and well, working to derail the grassroots in Missouri. The tentacles reach down to local districts and individuals.
The donor class wants to retain the power and influence it has within the current system in Missouri. A grassroots slate is dangerous to the larger goal of destroying President Trump as a way to demoralize the vigorous citizen-led efforts in states and communities around the nation.
Again, a grassroots America First slate is dangerous to the goal of destroying President Trump as a way to demoralize citizen-led efforts in states and communities. The people are rising, and the donor class is having none of it.
DO THE CHALLENGES HAVE MERIT?
The credentialing process at the national convention is similar to the process at the state level. The credentialing committee will meet in Milwaukee beginning on July 11, and the convention kicks off on July 15.
While representatives Dan Stacy (CD ) and Ben Baker (CD7) were celebrating the defeat of the 2024 MOGOP platform on the evening of May 4, plans were most likely already being formed to challenge the grassroots-elected slate and attempt to overturn the will of Missourians around the state.
The challenges to the convention are determined by the RNC Committee on Contests, followed by the RNC, the RNC Credentials Committee, and then the national convention as a whole, according to the Call of the 2024 Republican National Convention, Rules 23 and 24. A response to these challenges is being written and will be submitted by the deadline of June 24. Since the Missouri grassroots is a thorn in the side of the larger GOP, it could be a gauntlet run for the grassroots slate. Also, there have been rumors that the MOGOP state committee (which is holding a regular meeting this Saturday, June 8, at 10 a.m. in Columbia) may attempt an end-run around the process before the challenges and rebuttals enter the formal adjudication phase.
By overturning the convention-elected slate of delegates to the RNC, the state committee would be able to appoint its own slate. This would be a direct hit on Missourians around the state who elected the slate of delegates. According to the second challenge:
“The entire convention and all business transacted was invalid because the seated body was not properly credentialed or properly seated. I challenge every at-large delegate and alternate supposedly approved by the convention.”
The challenge, submitted by Daniel F. O’Sullivan, Jr., a delegate from CD1, goes into minute detail about the credentialing process for the convention, citing numerous instances that threaten the entire convention.
Both challenges are highly detailed in the charges and complaints and seem endless. Indeed, nearly every move, decision, vote, and action has been called into question by the challenges. It’s a veritable flood of accusations that seeks to indict the convention from its stalled beginning to the bitter end. One might almost describe it as a type of “rulesfare” instead of lawfare.
I have spoken with several grassroots delegates who almost uniformly describe the convention events as stalling, obstructing, belittling, and chaotic. David Rice and I spoke with Jackie Peck, a first-time delegate from the second congressional district. You can listen to the conversation HERE.
She describes a general and pervasive lack of information from the MOGOP to delegates. She talks about trying to make contact to better understand the process and expectations and receiving very little feedback or guidance. Like many other grassroots first-time delegates, Jackie had the courage to step up to represent her district. She deserved better. Missouri deserves better.
One thing is for sure—whether the convention debacle was caused by incompetency or a plan of some type (to include the “rulesfare” now in play), the establishment characters running the show should be replaced.
A bunch of five-year-olds with crayons could not have done worse. It was a minor miracle that Chairwoman Shore could salvage the latter part of the convention and get a slate elected. By almost all accounts, she handled her duties conscientiously.
See below for the names of those who have joined the Derrick Good challenge:
Renee Artman (CD2), Anthony Artman (2CD), Steve Bubanovich, Jennifer Bukowsky (CD3), Matthew Chellis (CD2), AnnaCorman, Lana Crain (CD4), Tammy Gibson, Aliana Good (CD3), Leann Green (CD8), Bob Green (CD8), Jack Karnes (CD7), Susan Krepps (CD8), Maryann Manion (CD1), Tom Mendenhall (CD3), Phil Menendiz (CD1), Sara Moe, Danette Proctor (CD7), Pamela Smedile (CD8), Sharon Thornton (CD2), Georjene Tilton (CD4), Rod Walsh (CD5), Pat Walsh, Sarah Walsh (CD3), Jim Willis (CD6).
The Art of the Mask
Taking off the Masks
The convention's peculiarities and the "rulesfare" over credentials can't obscure the bigger battle -- the citizens' fight to wrest the Republican Party from the clutches of the globalist donor class. The convention debacle in Missouri encapsulates the struggle between Trump's America First conservatives and the entrenched establishment GOP.
The grassroots has taken hold. Hard and deep.
Gretchen Garrity is a former journalist who has written boldly for years. She is a brave Christian conservative, but she’s most proud of being a grandmother.
Good job putting this together!