Virginia Beach Republicans gathered Monday night to consider an appeal of the results of the unit’s decision at its March 10th meeting to slate its delegates to the Second District Convention.
It wasn’t much of a meeting — the various worthies charged with running the affair spent a lot of time conferring with one another out of earshot and eyesight of the rather sizable crowd. There were moments of bafflement — such as when Del. Chris Stolle, reprising his role as chairman of the mass meeting in March, attempted to defend the way the prior meeting was handled by referring to the nuanced differences between the “modern” Robert’s Rules of Order and the traditional (or maybe it was “classic”) Robert’s Rules. And, of course, Stolle’s brother, current Virginia Beach Sheriff and former Sen. Ken Stolle, was all too quick to back up his sibling and declare people out-of-order.
Suffice to say it was a discussion meant to obscure and frustrate, rather than to inform or decide.
The upshot of the whole, bizarre affair was that the Virginia Beach Republican Committee decided it did not have the ability to rule on the merits of the appeal filed by supporters of 2nd district chairman candidate Curtis Colgate. But this was only after the attorney representing the appellants was escorted out of the meeting. The reason? He was not member of the Virginia Beach City Committee.
Our own Jim Hoeft, who serves as spokesman for the Colgate campaign, released this statement:
“From the process I viewed last month and tonight, I think the party has to make a choice: we either want a party that is receptive to the voice of the people or a party that is controlled by the whims of a few,” said Jim Hoeft, spokesperson, Colgate for Chairman. “Curtis Colgate is committed to growing this party by building coalitions – not hiding behind parliamentary procedure.”
Technicalities and obfuscation can be very effective tools…for scoundrels.
It is possible the appeal will be heard by the 2nd District Committee. Until then, one does have to wonder why Sen. Frank Wagner and his allies are so intent on pushing a process that puts them in power at the expense of growing the general party membership?
For Wagner, who I am told has ideas of running for governor in 2017, this is not a path to victory. Or even consideration.
It is, however, the shortest route to becoming a local boss…though none of Wagner’s fellow pols will ever be mistaken for William Tweed. Yet.
