Reality Check: RNC Rules Committee Can’t Follow Their Own Rules

Posted by clnews _Featured_, Politics, Videos Friday, August 17th, 2012

Ben Swann Reality Check takes a look at how the RNC rules committee won’t enforce rules for delegates headed to the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

On May 12, when the state of Oklahoma held its convention, there were all kinds of problems.  But, the biggest problem occurred at the end of the night -when state delegates were supposed to elect national delegates.  The Republican leadership didn’t like the way the votes were going.  So, they did NOT call for a roll call vote, which is required by the rules of the Oklahoma Republican Party.  Instead, they called for a voice vote and had people stand.

Because the decided to end the convention early, a separate convention was held outside in the parking lot.  As of today, 13 delegates have contested the outcome of that state convention.  They submitted a simple, 3-page complaint to the RNC rules committee.  Their argument was straightforward: The party rules were not followed and therefore the 25 delegates and 25 alternates should not be seated at the Republican National Convention.

This week, the RNC rules committee came to a decision on that complaint.  The RNC rules committee decided the following:

1. State party rules require a roll call vote is taken.
2. State party rules do not allow a voice vote and standing vote only.
3. State party rules trump the convention rules.

But, then they ruled that the voice vote and standing vote were good enough to elect delegates and that there is no reason to believe that if a roll call vote had been taken, the end result would have been different.

What you need to know: the Oklahoma State Republican Party did not follow its own rules.  The RNC isn’t going to require them to follow them to follow them.   In fact, the RNC rules committee isn’t following its own rules.

On May 12, when the state of Oklahoma held its convention, there were all kinds of problems.  But, the biggest problem occurred at the end of the night -when state delegates were supposed to elect national delegates.  The Republican leadership didn’t like the way the votes were going.  So, they did NOT call for a roll call vote, which is required by the rules of the Oklahoma Republican Party.  Instead, they called for a voice vote and had people stand.

Because the decided to end the convention early, a separate convention was held outside in the parking lot.  As of today, 13 delegates have contested the outcome of that state convention.  They submitted a simple, 3-page complaint to the RNC rules committee.  Their argument was straightforward: The party rules were not followed and therefore the 25 delegates and 25 alternates should not be seated at the Republican National Convention.

This week, the RNC rules committee came to a decision on that complaint.  The RNC rules committee decided the following:

1. State party rules require a roll call vote is taken.
2. State party rules do not allow a voice vote and standing vote only.
3. State party rules trump the convention rules.

But, then they ruled that the voice vote and standing vote were good enough to elect delegates and that there is no reason to believe that if a roll call vote had been taken, the end result would have been different.

What you need to know: the Oklahoma State Republican Party did not follow its own rules.  The RNC rules committee isn’t going to require them to follow them to follow them.   In fact, the RNC rules committee isn’t following its own rules.