By Harvey Bluedorn -
Well, here we are again sitting in the dark. The Illinois Republican State Convention is rapidly approaching, and nobody knows what’s going on.
Has anybody heard anything about the three things which make it a convention in the first place: 1) the credentials – how to become a voting delegate; 2) the standing rules – how to get things done; and 3) the agenda – what’s on the menu to be decided?
How exactly does this work? Those of us who have figured out on our own the first step in the process – how to get selected as a delegate – is it our function to simply be present to rubber stamp what others have decided for us with neither our knowledge nor our input? The correct term for that would be a show – a performance put on for appearances – not a convention of delegates.
I have a dream that someday the Republican Party (big R) in Illinois will again become a republican party (small r) in Illinois. What’s it going to take to do that? I don’t know for sure, but I do know that we’ll never get there by sitting in the dark.
Harvey Bluedorn writes from Mercer County
I don’t know much but I’m going
See you there
Mark
Harvey, let’s not gripe simply for the sake of griping. It’s your own fault if you don’t know what’s going on — all you have to do is visit the state party website or ask your county chairman or state central committeeman for details. You’ll be waiting a long time for your engraved invitation.
What’s on the menu?
Probably the same as the last 20 years or so worth of Illinois Republican conventions:
A big heaping plate of Loser Stew.
Be sure to say hi to Carly for me though!
Sage is pretty stupid if he thinks all of us will fall for that propaganda line. My county chairman and state central committeeman is up to his eyeballs trying to save the state by electing Republicans to back up Rauner’s veto. I bothered him to ask to be a delegate but why should I bother him on every detail? I see nothing on the party website about any of Harvey’s questions. http://www.weareillinois.org/convention-2016
Care to find us a link on all the details, “Sage”? I am going to contact Demetra Demonte who I know because I want to vote for her to continue to represent this state at the RNC.
Minus Judy Baar Topinka
On 4-29-16, Deputy Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party Andrew Weissert sent an email to all 18 members of the Rules Committee for the 2016 Illinois Republican Convention that the committee in an open and transparent process will be making an in person meeting to vote on a set of rules on May 15, 2016 at 12:30 p.m. at Bolingbrook Golf Club (George Bush Room), 2001 Rodeo Dr., Bolingbrook, Illinois. I sat on the last Rules Committee meeting when we voted in the convention rules for 2012 and asked the audience if anyone had any comments and no one raised their hand. I would join Andrew Weissert in urging an open and transparent process that would take public comment.
To become a Delegate to the Convention, you must get on a list sent in by your Republican County Chairman by May 11, 2016.