More back and forth over the convention vs. primary debate between former 1st District GOP Chair Russ Moulton and RPV Vice-Chairman Mike Thomas. This one (and probably the final salvo) from Moulton:
Dear Mike,
Back in mid-October, you called to ask me to chair a SCC Working Group on Party Canvasses. I was honored that you would ask me to do so.
After I accepted about a week later, you and I again spoke and you laid out a time-table under which you wanted the Working Group to report which was to be prior to SCC taking up the 2012 method of nomination at the March meeting. You indicated it would be good for the SCC to hear our report on how State-wide and District-wide Canvasses could work prior to deciding on the method of nomination, which you again confirmed would happen at the March meeting. (You did indicate to me that you didn’t think SCC would adopt a statewide canvass for 2012 as it we’d never done it before). You never expressed at that time any concern that March 2011 would be too late to decide on a method of nomination.
You and I further discussed your strong support for one of the two Party Plan Amendments concerning fees for a Convention (the one for up to $50 mandatory delegate fees). We discussed how both Amendments on fees being considered at the Nov 20th meeting, if adopted, would give us standing to get pre-clearance from DOJ within 60 days of adoption, and that such pre-clearance could help the Party with an even stronger funding source for future Conventions. You and I discussed how such a decision on pre-clearance would be important for SCC to take into consideration prior to deliberating on a decision on the method of nomination.
That is why I was so disappointed to learn later that you had so abruptly changed course. I do understand and appreciate your long, loyal association with George. I will always be grateful for the good things George and Susan have done for our Party.
But I think your original suggestion back in mid-October of when SCC should take up the method of nomination – March – was most appropriate.
I respectfully ask your support in delaying the decision on the 2012 method of nomination so a number of important issues can be adequately studied. Here are just some very important things that should be very carefully considered in the months ahead:
1) 2012 being a Presidential Year. As Kathy Terry points out, a Presidential year will bring good turnout of folks wanting to participate in the National Delegate, State Chairman and RNC elections and related things for the National Convention. We can charge mandatory fees to participate in those Party-office Convention votes, and should make great revenue from those delegates, even if some delegates only voting in the US Senate nomination chose not to pay. I understand the 11th District uses this approach and they have a very high success rate at delegate fee collection.
2) Pending General Assembly Legislation on Primaries. I have heard that legislation is being introduced in the General Assembly, pushed by localities, making political parties responsible for the costs of primaries. If it passes, I understand a state-wide primary could cost RPV $2-3 million. In addition, I have heard there is other legislation impacting the presidential primary and other primaries. We should wait to see the outcome of these pieces of legislation before we act on a Primary for 2012 (March would give us time to see the impact of this legislation).
3) Recently-released 2009 Convention Income/Expense Data. Shows that income was over $200,000 and that over 40% of the delegates paid the voluntary fee – with little inducement — raising over $140,000. Could better inducements, presentation, and wording on Delegate pre-file forms, ie fine-print, get a better than 40% hit-ratio on voluntary delegate fees? Also, what is the best negotiation would could get for the Coliseum? Could we look at lower-cost Convention budgets that would better fit our expected revenue? Could we look at a 1-day Convention?
4) SCC Working Group on Party Canvasses. Party Canvasses have an advantage that we can discourage Democrats and non-Republicans from voting by having them sign a qualification statement as per the Party Plan. We should allow this working group to present in March on the option for a State-wide party-run canvass before making the 2012 nomination decision.
Now that the SCC Agenda has so many items on it, we cannot possibly give all of these issues due consideration at the Nov 20th meeting.
I understand we have great pressure from some candidates to decide now in favor of a Primary for 2012 – with some even pushing now for adoption of a Primary for 2013. But as Kathy Terry points out, there is plenty of time to decide this in March, and our past precedence has not favored such rushed decisions.
Thank you for your consideration of the request we delay the vote on method of nomination to March.
Looking forward to see you at the Advance!
Russ Moulton
This should make tomorrow’s State Central Committee meeting interesting to say the least.
See everyone at the Advance!