RMGO cleans gun grabbers clocks at GOP Convention;
elect pro-gun delegates
Though the media reported part of last Saturday's Republican State Convention, they hardly got the story.
It was clear from early in the morning that gun rights supporters had the overwhelming majority of delegates: RMGO volunteers applied hunter orange stickers to convention-goers that said "GOP does NOT mean Gun Ownership is Prohibited: Support the Second Amendment." More than 2/3 of the building would wear this lapel sticker before the end of the day.
Owens' reception by Colorado Republicans was chilly, and when he began his speech, more than half of the 3200 delegates/1000 alternates raised RMGO-printed signs that said "No More Gun Control. Period." 50-some members of RMGO and the Tyranny Response Team walked up to the stage, shouting "Liar" and "No More Gun Control."
Owens tried to ignore the demonstration, but couldn't: clearly, the Governor cut his speech short when the "No More Gun Control" chant drowned him out.
Was this demonstration proper? We can think of NO MORE APPROPRIATE PLACE to voice our displeasure with Gov. Owens' views and his betrayal of his oath of office.
Often Republicans tell RMGO that they are personally upset with Owens' flip-flop on gun issues, but say we should work our differences out with Owens in a more appropriate setting: where better than the State Republican Convention, where the GOP is supposed to have its political battles and take stances on controversial issues.
But this was only the outward, public display of the GOP distaste for Owens and overwhelming support of our gun rights.
Every 4 years, the GOP state convention elects delegates and alternates to the National Convention, where the party's platform isset.
Normally, the battle for delegates centers around "social issues." This year, the battle centered squarely around firearms rights, withRMGO going on the offensive.
Rocky Mountain Gun Owners has been working hard to "stack" the State Convention: in April we sent thousands of pieces of mail outto gun rights supporters, urging them to go to their precinct caucus(a requirement to be a delegate to the State Convention).
RMGO handed out an anti-gun slate of people thatwould undoubtedly make delegate (and usually do). This "anti-slate" listed elected officials (both former and current) as well asparty regulars who have compromised our rights, and couldn't becounted on to vote for a solid, no compromise gun rights platform.
Of those people, only Gov. Owens and the Party chairman even made it as delegate. Gov. Owens came in 4th in total votes -- a total embarassment -- to Rep. Joe Nunez, Sen. Marilyn Musgrave, and a hardcore conservative party activist. Former State Rep. Chris Paulson and current Rep. Joe Stengel (both on our anti-gun slate) didn't even make alternate.
Also notable is that 1998 2nd Congressional Candidate (NRA "A" rated and endorsed, of course) and darling of the establishment Bob Greenlee failed to even make alternate at the State Convention: Greenlee had publicly signed SAFE's Gun Control Initiative, and RMGO held him accountable for it.
RMGO also put out a pro-gun slate, consisting of delegate wanna-bes that will accept NO compromise of our 2nd Amendment rights, regardless of the wishes of Gov. George Bush or other party leadership.
ALL of our pro-gun slate made delegate except one person, who made it as first alternate. Very few on our pro-gun list (except for#1 and #2 vote-getters Nunez and Musgrave) were "big name" people within the party, while everyone we put on the anti-gun slate were THE big name politicos. In essence, we cleaned their clocks.
(If you'd like to see the results, go to http://www.cologop.org/WhatsHot/state_assembly.htm)
The state convention passed a resolution reaffirming our rights to keep and bear arms by 96%, though that resolution had absolutely no teeth.
Summary:
This all happened with RMGO doing the work it takes to organize the caucuses and the slates, with TRT assisting with the demonstration.
Though the NRA State lobbyist, the Firearms Coalition and the Shooting Association cheered us on, they could have actively worked to elect a pro-gun slate. Many delegates reported to us that the FCC and CSSA were defending at least one politician on the anti-gun slate, though that politician had signed a written pledge to support Vermont-style concealed carry but voted against it.
Imagine the results had there been a concerted effort by every gun group instead of RMGO and the activists with TRT.
A hearty well-done to the activists that helped pull off this enormous victory, and to the GOP State Convention delegates who put principle ahead of politics, didn't compromise and stood their ground on the gun issue.
