Count the Votes at the Convention in April
A lot of grumbling is going on around the state as outgoing GOP Chairman David McLain scurries around to the small conventions wasting delegate's time with long, self aggrandizing speeches, mostly about how wonderful of a leader he has been. Nary a word about the state of the GOP or the country, his speeches are entirely braggadocio and self promotion, the completely self centered arrogant ravings of a fool that has long since worn out his welcome among conservatives.
I suppose narcissism is a handy tool for a politician along with more than a hint of sociopathic tendencies, which comes with an ability to imagine a different reality than the one where the delegates are well aware of the initial headlong drive into insolvency of the Party, followed by selling out to the Congressional delegation, followed by an utter and complete lack of transparency on the Party budget and bank account balances. Imagine making a speech to a crowd of Republicans knowing the majority know of your sordid past, financial difficulties, bankruptcy, the systematic looting of nine, N I N E, paint stores before declaring bankruptcy, ruining small business after small business in the process. Indeed the vast majority of the debtors in David McLain's bankruptcy were already out of business, no doubt being helped in part by the losses incurred from trusting David McLain.
Only a true sociopath would be able to stand in front of a crowd, look them in the eye, as they are told what a wonderful fellow you are and how lucky the GOP was to have such a leader the past two years. But this only works where you can control things; a controlled speech at a small convention works, not so much an open Zoom meeting or live feed on Facebook where people can comment and ask difficult questions.
Which is why McLain decided to do a candidate forum on the 25th of March for the GOP candidates for Vice Chair and Chairman. On a Zoom meeting call, where questions can be ignored as only the sender and McLain are able to see anything submitted that might embarrass.
The other point of contention is the fact that McLain is hosting the debate which includes his own Vice Chair, AKA Shame Jemison.
The lack of the public input and questions to the candidate is the largest problem. McLain gets to avoid the hard questions for Jemison, about his career with the Indian Tribe, his close associations with a former employer doing campaign consulting. And the ability to hammer the conservatives. Plus the allegation that McLain recruited the clueless abolitionist woman candidate running for Chairman.
I would be surprised if McLain's Thursday night soiree draws many participants or viewers. Few people trust the man, fewer want to waste their time listening to him brag about his leadership or watching him trash the conservatives and support the abolitionist candidate.
Then there is the upcoming State Convention, $45.00 to register. Talk about tone deaf, after a year of pandemic lock-downs. Small businesses and employees alike struggling to get by, and McLain rents the OKC Convention Center downtown? Add another $10.00 for parking, a couple is going to spend over $100 plus travel expenses.
And McLain must have learned from the Democrats in the last election and must be salivating at the ability to jack with the voting. Believe it or not, in person voting is being abolished in favor of electronic voting via a smart phone, tablet, or laptop. With hundreds of elderly delegates that might not have an email address much less a device to download the app or visit the website to cast a vote. Nor will they be familiar with such technology.
No paper trail of ballots, no ballot counting witnesses, even the Party Rules are being violated as the Rules mandate how voting is done and this isn't remotely in the rules.
But, it gives McLain a wonderful chance to count the votes, hidden behind an electronic screen, with plenty of chances to get the outcome McLain wanted. As Joseph Stalin said, it doesn't matter who votes, it matters who counts the votes.
