Washington State GOP Debacle? You Don’t Know the Half
The Washington State GOP stopped counting caucus results after only 87% of the counties reported in, just as John McCain edged past Mike Huckabee. Bradblog reports that this decision was made unilaterally by Washington State GOP chairman Luke Esser, or as Brad of Bradblog.com calls him, “Esser the Suppressor”. Brad also claimed that Luke Esser has a history of devising measures to suppress votes. He cites a UW Daily article written by Esser in 1986:
Now your average leftist loudmouth is a committed individual and can almost never be persuaded to ignore his constitutional rights. The deadbeats, however, are a different matter entirely. Years of interminable welfare checks and free government services have made these modern-day sloths even more lazy. They will vote on election day, if it isn’t much of a bother. But even the slightest inconvenience can keep them from the polling place.
That’s nothing. When I signed up to be a Precinct Committee Officer for my precinct in Seattle, I received a barrage of strange calls. Two of them came from the GOP district chair. In the first call, he asked how committed I was to the Republican Party. I truthfully said that I grew up in a Reagan household, served in the military, supported Rossi for Governor in 2004, and have voted only for Republican presidential nominees.
This loosened him up enough to talk some smack about Ron Paul. He said the problem with Paul is that he makes great, impassioned speeches in Congress, but refuses to “get anyone to go along with his ideas”. Whatever. “By the way”, he asked, “are you supporting anyone?” I said that I liked the whole field but I want to keep my preferences to myself. He said that was no problem.
After his first call, I got a call from another district chair. She outright asked me if I was a Paul supporter. I said the same thing. She shilled for Huckabee’s morality for some minutes before I told her that I was more interested in economic issues. “Yeah, but you don’t support gay marriage and those things do you?” I explained that, really, I don’t care.
She talked a little about being a PCO. She told me that I would run the precinct’s caucus, but “if a bunch of Paul supporters show up, you could loose the vote” I couldn’t understand what that meant. Anything but Paul is a win? Fortunately, my district chair called back to explain.
He said that he was encouraged by all of the new PCO applications, but that he would have to deny any applications from people who weren’t forthright about being Ron Paul supporters. He said that he had found us on a Ron Paul meetup group and that our PCO applications were denied. He didn’t say whether he did this with other candidates’ supporters.
I reminded him that I never lied to him. He acted like that mattered, “Oh. I didn’t really think about that. Most people just lied to me, but I guess you didn’t”. He promised to think about it and get back to me the next day. He did not. Nor did he return the email that I sent the following week. Rather than take a dangerous chance on a homeowner/law student/father of two, like me, our precinct went without a PCO.
So what the heck is going on that the Washington GOP’s representatives distinguish between Paul and a Republican win? A couple of months ago a Washington GOP official was quoted in a fury stating that he did not want a big turnout of Paul supporters because Paul is not even a real Republican (I think it was the Everett Herald, but I couldn’t find the article again after a 2 hour search) Apparently, strict Constitutionalists are personae non gratae around these ‘real’ Republicans.
So there you have it. If the Party stopped the vote after only 87%, my instinct tells me it’s not Huckabee that they’re worried about. Paul came in right behind those two with 21% of the vote, plus the vote stopped in Everett. But I suppose that invoking wrongdoing against Paul makes it a conspiracy theory.
Those “uncommitted” delegates might go for Paul too, considering that a large chunk of Paul supporters ran as incognito delegates, for precisely these reasons. This isn’t much of a secret, so this may be someone’s attempt to mitigate that effect. After all, Esser denied trying to get over on Huckabee, “I would have done the same for Gov. Huckabee if he had the same margin and the same underlying dynamics as Sen. McCain.” I believe that. Would he do it for Paul?
Incidentally, that district chair is a delegate for McCain now. He ran the caucus, so I approached him to make nice afterward. I told him it was a good thing that so many young voters were interested in politics. I also told him I became a delegate for Paul. Flustered, he said that we have only one candidate who can beat the Democrats and that we should be united.
Of course, I disagree. First, predicting McCain’s viability before he runs a national campaign is like calling Giuliani a front-runner before he looses to Ron Paul in the primaries. More importantly, I think that we will have the most statist, authoritarian Republican nominee since Nixon. I think we should send him a message to remind him where he came from.
Credits to Talking Points Memo’s Josh Marshall and Paul Kiel, Bradblog.com, and Goldy at Horsesass.org.
February 12th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
What district are you in? I’m a RP delegate for the 37th.
Maybe us official Paul delegates should get together before the district caucuses and organize/strategize. The McCain camp feels very much like he’s a lock-in, so it’s very possible many of his delegates will no show the district caucuses, and the race is very close. With a good showing we might actually take Washington, especially with the shadow delegates out there like yourself.
What’s the rule for vacant delegate slots at the district caucus? Can they be filled on-site like the Michigan caucuses can? We could stack the sidelines with willing potential Paul delegates in that case and pick up many of the Romney and McCain no-shows.
February 12th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Hey Paul. I am not a shadow delegate. I ran as a Paul delegate. If anyone is a shadow delegate, I hope they come clean at the county caucus, otherwise I won’t know who to vote for.
I’m in the 43rd District.
February 12th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
man, this is brutal - at my Poulsbo Meetup last night i heard tell that some of the older county GOP folk were joining my meetup to tell who all these new PCO’s were that were showing up at the GOP meetings.
I’m PCO and delegate for Paul in Kitsap County….
February 12th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Is Washington’s GOP usually this shadey? How did that clown ever get to be chairman?
February 12th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
I know that smell - it’s the stench of Karl Rove. The Republican party has little credibility left when it comes to ethics, honesty, and respect for those who don’t march in lock step with The Big Boys. Good for you folks for daring to go up against the system. There’s always room for you in the Democratic party…
February 12th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Beautiful article, but a sad truth for our country. I wrote some commentary on the WA caucuses as well–though I am far removed from them. Here: http://fearistyranny.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/washington-state-caucus-scandal/
February 12th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
[…] State GOP’s slight of hand is simply the most clear example for dedicated party activists such as libertarian Greg Albert and the general public […]
February 13th, 2008 at 12:29 am
I can’t believe this story hasn’t got more play from the national media.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:58 am
The district chair who said we have only one candidate who can beat the Democrats was absolutely right — but he was betting on the wrong one. The one that fits that description (as many of us know!) is Dr. Ron Paul!
February 13th, 2008 at 2:05 am
Are you surprised that the party of Bush, Rove, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz…etc would act in this manner?
February 13th, 2008 at 2:28 am
I knew something fishy was going on when they didn’t report the results in a timely matter. I guess it took them a while to figure out the best way to
steal the vote.
February 13th, 2008 at 3:09 am
I just came by to say hello. I hope you all do win Washington State.
February 13th, 2008 at 4:36 am
I attended my caucus and we voted (send delegates two for Huckabee and two for Paul. On the sign up sheet (there were about 5 precinct in the room) and I did not see one McCain name. Esser doesn’t even answer query’s. I suggest if you are unhappy with the GOP as many of us are as well as John McCain as the only opponent against socialism and marxism, please go to the site: nowaymccain as well as http://www.gopteaparty.com. We have a terrible illegal immigration problem in this country as well as this state. Taxpayers are shelling out over 300 billion to support illegals. It has been proven that terrorists have crossed our southern borders - and John McCain wants amnesty?
February 13th, 2008 at 4:37 am
Democrats gere going to use 0% of the votes actually. Reps? Only 51% of the vote. Don’t ask, that’s what the document that came with my vote thing alleged!!
February 13th, 2008 at 5:23 am
I’m a delegate from a precinct that had a Ron Paul PCO. We had a massive turnout with lots of young people. This election cycle has made me realize who’s to blame for the current state of U.S politics. I am. Until now, all I’ve ever done is vote. It’s time to start being poltically active. I’m going to start participating in official Republican party business. I suggest you all do the same. It’s time to get one of the major parties to turn back to constitutional government.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:29 am
The pooled caucus meeting that I attended here in Chelan County had only 1 PCO for the approximately 10 precincts that met together, which was typical of other caucuses in the County. When inquiries were made last November about becoming a PCO, the county GOP chair totally stonewalled Ron Paul supporters. It appears that the GOP leadership doesn’t want a PCO in every precinct in order to maintain their control and influence. It seems to me that we should be getting PCO candidates for every precinct on the general election ballot.
February 13th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Ron Paul is the only Republican I’d vote for.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
[…] original post: The Washington State GOP stopped counting caucus results after only 87% of the counties reported […]
February 13th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
According to the state GOP website, they’ve counted up to 96%
http://wsrp.org/News/Read.aspx?ID=7042
Statewide Results 2008 Precinct Caucuses:
Precincts Reporting 96.0 %
Candidates Percentage
Huckabee 23.3 %
McCain 25.6 %
Paul 21.4 %
Romney 15.3 %
Other 1.1 %
Uncommitted 13.3%
February 13th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Wow, sad to see. I wonder how careful they are now with making fixing the vote to be more beleivable. pretty close.
johnnyutahforronpaul
keep yourselves on fire
I am being well received when canvassing now
and am doing it everyday on my way home from work
and on weekends.! pretty fun.!
again im in utah
February 13th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
I am a life long Republican, but I regret to say I believe the Republicans will lose in a landslide in the fall. And the party has no one to thank more than the leadership. What a pathetic party it has become. So sad.
February 14th, 2008 at 5:40 am
I was elected as a delegate for my precint. The other two delegates from my precint were fellow Ron Paul supporters I knew beforehanded having helped with the RP Campaign HQ in Seattle. Even our alternates were RP supporters. Ron Paul was incredibly popular in my caucus held at Silver Lake Community Church.
February 14th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Deb wrote “I am a life long Republican, but I regret to say I believe the Republicans will lose in a landslide in the fall.” Deb, isn’t it obvious yet, that the Bush’s and Clintons are colluding? It is the Clintons turn, and the objective in the GOP IS to lose! they WANT to lose! It is part of their “WWF” strategy, where they pretend to fight, but have actually decided well in advance who will win, and what they will do. And the what is “Unlimited power to the ruling class”. A thing both Democrat and Republican multi millionaires want more than anything else in the world. The only thing standing in their way, is the Constitution. (and it’s champions)
February 14th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
[…] Here’s a very interesting story on some of the behind the scenes shenanigans with the Washington State Caucus. If true, this makes arbitrarily stopping the vote count at 87% look like par for the course. […]
February 15th, 2008 at 7:10 am
The bastards fixed the vote; at 87% Ron had 2799 I wrote it down and double checked my numbers; he lost 100+ votes now that theyve counted more precints; this is an outrage
February 15th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
I am getting motivated to become more politically active, thanks to Ron Paul. This kind of crap is only making us more MAD!!!
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