"Get 'Er Done!"

Why the credentialing delay for GOP State Convention delegates?

Why are we less than two weeks away from the very important biennial Republican State Convention -- and still no elected delegates have been "blessed" by the RPA's Credentials Committee?

We see no real reason except what sure feels like simple obstruction, when taken together with other issues that have bubbled up as the Republican Party of Arkansas prepares for the party's every-two-years State Convention. Yes, that Convention - where the grassroots base gathers to demonstrate its will via majority votes on proposed Resolutions and Rules/platform changes. (See the successful pushback on changing that majority approval threshold to 2/3rds — a proposed Rules change the grassroots defeated at the May 18 State Committee Summer Meeting.)

It’s not like there’s been a rush to prepare for the State Convention. The RPA issued the official call for this Convention 107 days before the June 8 event ... and County Committees that elected their delegates in March/early April followed the RPA Rules; delegate/alternate lists must go to the RPA within 10 days of those respective County Conventions, in plenty of time for handling these routine credentialing tasks.

Video: Conduit News | YouTube

The RPA has a history of using credentialing to obstruct the grassroots. For example, many will recall the last State Convention in 2022 when the Credentials Committee flexed against the Pulaski County Committee, in part resulting in the rejection of the entire delegation in a spiteful, obstructive (303-295 close-call) reaction to a County leadership change driven by Pulaski Committee members themselves.

Now -- as of today, no one who was elected by their County Committee as a delegate can make real plans for the June 8 State Convention because the Credentials Committee has yet to notify anyone of their approved status. No credentials, no votes! (You can, however, get your ticket at this link; the State Convention is “open to Delegates, Alternates, and guests.”)

State Convention Holds Authority

In case you wonder, the Republican Party of Arkansas Rules say the State Convention holds “the final authority in all party matters” and lends that authority to the Executive Committee/State Committee to accomplish certain tasks. In this credentialing task, the Executive Committee is driving; why can’t the Credentials Committee (whose members are exclusively named by RPA Chairman Joseph Wood) get ‘er done?

Credentialing = Delays

We know that handling credentials at the door presents a major delay -- something Second District delegates readily remember from the Second District meeting in Morrilton in March, 2022. At that meeting, front-door delays in credentialing slowed down the agenda so much that certain proposals had to be skipped due to the length of the entire meeting:

Video: keeparkansaslegal | YouTube

Common Delay Tactic

This credentials delay tactic has been successfully employed in other states, as well, where old guard Republicans are trying to obstruct the growth and energy brought to the party by American First conservative voters. In Missouri, after old guard GOPers criticized platform proposals as “not well-crafted," the credentials process at their 2024 State Convention took over 4 hours. As a result, their Convention ran so long that many delegates left; a quorum call then stopped all remaining Convention business and grassroots-driven platform changes placed at the end of the agenda did not get addressed.

Winning Focus

With so much that needs to be done to ensure a Republican WIN in November up and down the ballot, it sure looks like the RPA is following Missouri’s credentialing delay tactic and just wasting effort trying to obstruct grassroots voting delegates from participating at the June 8 State Convention.

We remain laser-focused with the Party’s grassroots energy that’s upholding the Republican principles, just like we are laser-focused on winning in November, no matter what. There's more of us "regular folks" than those that have held power for so long, and it’s time our voices are heard. We have work to do!

So we ask again,

Why are we less than two weeks away from the biennial Republican State Convention -- and still no elected delegates have been "blessed" by the RPA's Credentials Committee?

We'll see you at the State Convention. We'll be watching. We won't stop; it's going to happen.

We need to see the RPA step up and get 'er done!