GOP steals the electioin process...

Video: Ron Paul supporters say GOP cheated them out of delegates

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Supporters of presidential candidate Ron Paul are complaining that other Clarke County Republicans shut out their slate of delegates at the county convention Saturday.



The libertarian-leaning Texas congressman’s supporters are trying to win election as delegates to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., in August, libertarian activist Carter Kessler said.

They claim the Clarke County GOP broke its own rules by electing a slate of delegates that excluded Paul supporters over their objections.

The tactic of contesting delegate nominations is part of Paul’s longshot strategy to win the Republican nomination despite not winning a single state so far, according to ABC News. His campaign is also “accused of muddying county conventions in Colorado and Iowa last weekend,” the network reported Thursday.

The dispute highlights tension between Paul supporters, many of whom are young and newcomers to politics, and veteran Republican activists. State party Chairwoman Sue Everhart referenced similar conflicts in an email to party members Wednesday. Many longtime Republicans didn’t show up to county conventions, while many new activists did, she said.

Paul supporters gathered a quorum Sunday and elected a competing slate of delegates, Kessler said.

“We tried to do this the right way,” he said. “Like the little tyrants they are, they said ‘That’s it,’ and ran out the door.”

The slate of delegates elected was the same one chosen by the county party’s nominating committee, Brewster said. He declined to comment further because he said he expects an appeal to the state party.

“The only thing I can say is, I followed the rules as best I could for the Georgia GOP and the convention process,” he said.

The state party hasn’t received any formal complaints about any county conventions, spokesman Chris Kelleher said.

It’s unclear from the video whether Paul supporters outnumbered other attendees. Twenty-five of the 37 people at the county convention supported Paul, Kessler said.

RNC delegates are selected first at the precinct level, then narrowed down at county and congressional district conventions and finally at the state convention May 18-19 in Columbus.

Georgia has 76 delegates who are pledged to Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum based on the results of the March 6 primary. Paul won no delegates in Georgia, but his backers are trying to win seats at the convention even though they’ll have to vote for candidates, Kessler said. They’re only pledged for two ballots, so if none of the four presidential candidate wins enough delegates to secure the nomination, they could be freed up to back Paul, he said.

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