Will The Jones Street Mob maintain its iron grip on state GOP?

We shall see.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     The state Republican Party is in the midst of updating and revising its primary governing document — The Plan of Organization (PoO). 

We’ve talked with quite a few activists frustrated with the current arrangement regarding internal votes dealing with party operations.  A policy change can come up for consideration before the party’s Executive Committee.  If the powers-that-be in the now-very-vetoable majority in the General Assembly don’t like that proposed change, they can marshal the troops from their respective caucuses to march over to the party meeting and vote as-instructed.  Any sort of grassroots-inspired rebellion can be crushed by sending over as many as 100 legislators.

Party sources tell me that, right now, county organizations can send up to one-delegate-per-8000-registered Republicans-in-the-county to a NCGOP Executive Committee meeting.  Revisions now being considered (page 25) change the ratio from 1 per 8000 to 1 per 16,000.  Obviously, a smaller number of folks from outside the Raleigh beltline.  Proponents of the change say it would make for a more manageable committee meeting.  (I’ll bet.)

As far as the legislators go, they will be limited to votes equal to 15 percent of the overall number of out-of-town attendees (page 17).   Let’s say an Executive Committee meeting is attended by 165 delegates.  Legislators would then have a total of 25 votes to use on any issues that come for a vote before the committee.

 You can be sure that the electeds from Jones Street will vote as-instructed by Berger & co.  (Just look at how obedient they are each day the legislature is in session.  It’s safe to say most of them are more scared of Phil Berger and his crew than they are of their own constituents.) 

Raleigh is scared to death of the thought of the NCGOP actually being taken over by the little people outside the beltline.  The elected don’t need — and don’t deserve — all of this autocratic power within the party apparatus.

Right now, it’s Phil and Destin and Timmy’s will being carried out. The will of real, everyday, working people needs to be recognized and carried out.

If we have some electeds who really want a spot on the party’s Executive Committee, let them go back home and work for it like anyone else would have to.

Keep an eye on this PoO rewrite.  The latest drafts are on the party’s website.  A final vote should happen at the state convention this June. If you’ve had enough of your hard work and your personal beliefs being spat upon by Raleigh elites,  this is your opportunity to stake your claim to the party you love.

Will the NCGOP move away from shakedowns and conservative purges and toward championing an actual conservative agenda?  It’s all up to you.