Standing Strong in the Southwest
by Don Rasmussen on 11/18/08



Apparently having learned nothing from Nevada, Arizona's 4th legislative district GOP meeting was abruptly halted Monday night when Chairman Bob Burges realized he didn't have the votes to elect his delegates to the county convention or re-elect his friends to leadership positions.

The reason? A large group of Constitutional Republican Reformers including many Ron Paul supporters showed up and established a clear majority. The flustered chair, upon realizing his predicament, gaveled the meeting to a close without electing delegates at all, ordered the sheriff's department to clear the hall, and had the lights shut off.

The reformers quickly gathered in the parking lot determined to finish the meeting. When Chairman Burges had the exterior lights cut as well, the group found a janitor and had them turned back on. They established a quorum, elected a slate of delegates, and new leadership.

I understand that Chairman Burges is a genuinely decent man, but these tactics reflect the deep dysfunction that now haunts the GOP at every level. For my part, I hope that former Chairman Burges and the old guard in LD-4, as well as around the country, come to realize that our ideas ARE Republican ideas and begin to smooth the way for a new generation of leaders rather than causing further erosion of the party by standing in the way.