Some Thoughts On Last Night's Central Committee FUBAR
Posted by: Jubal | 01/22/2008 2:55 PM
I was at last night's OC GOP Central Committee meeting for the chaotic vote on whether the give Supervisor Janet Nguyen an early endorsement, and posted about the twists and turns of the vote drama as it unfolded (here, here and here).
A few thoughts:
On Kermit Marsh: Everyone needs to give Kermit a break. He made a mistake. He's admitted as much. I don't believe for a second there was anything underhanded or malicious in Kermit's decision-making. All the stone-throwers out there -- except for those who have never committed one themselves -- ought to chill out.
On the upcoming re-vote: OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh made the right decision in asking the Central Committee to approve re-voting Janet's early endorsement at the next Central Committee meeting in February. It is the fair and just thing to do for reasons that should be obvious to all but those reduced to obtuseness by partisanship for one candidate or another.
Central Committee members were instructed at least twice that an abstention would count against the endorsement. In other words, "abstaining" would be a de facto "no" vote.
Kermit Marsh's decision to change his earlier ruling and rule that abstentions just didn't count -- thus changing the vote from 36-22 to 36-10, and the outcome from the early endorsement failing to it passing -- came at nearly the end of the meeting.
A number of Central Committee had already left at that point. Any number of them might have voted "no" instead of abstaining if they had been correctly instructed. Furthermore, Central Committee members had no way of knowing the outcome of the early endorsement vote would change and a re-vote become necessary.
To say, as Art Pedroza did, that "I think Baugh blew it. He did not force anyone to leave. They did so of their own accord. The endorsement should stand" displays ignorance of the situation and a disregard for basic fairness.
The right and proper course was to do what Chairman Scott Baugh and the Central Committee wound up doing: scheduling a re-vote where every Central Committee who had voted before had the chance to do so again:
A few thoughts:
On Kermit Marsh: Everyone needs to give Kermit a break. He made a mistake. He's admitted as much. I don't believe for a second there was anything underhanded or malicious in Kermit's decision-making. All the stone-throwers out there -- except for those who have never committed one themselves -- ought to chill out.
On the upcoming re-vote: OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh made the right decision in asking the Central Committee to approve re-voting Janet's early endorsement at the next Central Committee meeting in February. It is the fair and just thing to do for reasons that should be obvious to all but those reduced to obtuseness by partisanship for one candidate or another.
Central Committee members were instructed at least twice that an abstention would count against the endorsement. In other words, "abstaining" would be a de facto "no" vote.
Kermit Marsh's decision to change his earlier ruling and rule that abstentions just didn't count -- thus changing the vote from 36-22 to 36-10, and the outcome from the early endorsement failing to it passing -- came at nearly the end of the meeting.
A number of Central Committee had already left at that point. Any number of them might have voted "no" instead of abstaining if they had been correctly instructed. Furthermore, Central Committee members had no way of knowing the outcome of the early endorsement vote would change and a re-vote become necessary.
To say, as Art Pedroza did, that "I think Baugh blew it. He did not force anyone to leave. They did so of their own accord. The endorsement should stand" displays ignorance of the situation and a disregard for basic fairness.
The right and proper course was to do what Chairman Scott Baugh and the Central Committee wound up doing: scheduling a re-vote where every Central Committee who had voted before had the chance to do so again:
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1st Supe District Watch, The 5th Floor
Mr. Ayer registered as a Republican to be electable in an interim election with no incumbents. He did...
I’m not sure that you can have a F… Up Beyond All Recognition without someone %$#@ing up.
Hero: Chuck DeVore for standing up for the process and basic fairness.
Wise one: Scott Baugh for recognizing the unfair ruling of his parliamentarian. His quick action probably saved his party from another lawsuit.
Goat: Kermit Marsh. The job of the parliamentary is to follow the rules and not just make this stuff up as you go along and that is what Kermit did all night. Remember he didn’t vote the first time for Janet, announced that it failed 32-17 and then remember that he and the chairman need to vote so she won 34-17. He was way off on his count and had to be corrected. He announced the new outcome 36-22 and it failed. Then he met with Janet’s political consultant (who made no objections or motions on the floor btw) and two hours later announce a new outcome.
Kermit Marsh give bad parliamentary instructions, couldn’t count, reversing himself and the past practices of every endorsement made by the Central Committee and demanded that the new outcome was final (until DeVore called him on it). In the end, his failings were so much the Chairman took the extraordinary step of expunging the record and reversed his parliamentarian’s rulings.
Yeah, that is F.U.B.A.R all right.
Jubal, I think your friendship with Kermit Marsh influenced your judgment on the debacle that took place Monday night.
Had it not been for Chuck DeVore and Diep who objected to the parliamentarian's second ruling before Scott Baugh adjourned the meeting, we would have had a different and unfair outcome.
With that being said, I understand your point of view but will have to respectfully disagree. I hope Mr. Marsh will make a better judge than he is parliamentarian.
Diep wasn't the one to make an objection. It was Van Tran's district director Dave Everett. Everett isn't even a member or alternate of the central committee.
Diep just stood there while his boss did the talking - only to start mumbling after his boss started pulling the strings from his back - all the sabotage was coming from Van Tran's office staff.
That was the real FUBAR.
And then Assemblyman Chuck DeVore stood up and asked the committee to act more like the legislature in Sacramento? I'm sorry, but the local party is a local volunteer organization - not the byzantine house that Fabian Nunez built.
Scott should have avoided this train wreck before it spilled into the public like this, but he deserves a lot of credit for making the right call in the end.
As the video shows, being Chairman of a Republican Central Committee is never an easy job.
Jubal is right, let's give break to turn-coat Kermit Marsh and few self confident yet surprised leadership members i.e. Dick Ackerman and Scott Baugh for being on a wrong side of the territory. My question is... will they start respecting our concerns in this part of town? In any case, Dick Ackerman needs to become more sensible leader because I am hearing more dissatisfactions of his past decisions now days and this can start corroding his support from many angles.
FUBAR to Janet and her ragtag team. I can't recognize any of them! Monday night football was rough on her team.
Im not from OC.I've had to deal with Marsh. He is among the most honest people I've ever dealt with.
Scott Baugh should have done more to ensure that the Republican Party in OC actually fights to win seats, not lost them because one Assemblyman in Sacramento wants his staff and supporters to have elected seats. There are so many available seats that Ron Nehring should be working on, instead of working on an election night party in February. Poor job- Baugh and Nearing.
I think this is the right time to re-construct the OC GOP landscape by electing respectable office holders who has broader support bases in his/her own community.
Only then we can all concentrate in registering more republicans in OC with REAL pride.
cra republican, i whole-heartedly agree. I want Tim Whitacre to gather a whole slate to run against Baugh and his ilk. Namely, I want Tim as chair! Tim is an upstanding individual and he would bring true reform and ethics to the OC GOP.