"Not Good Enough" for Saline County Young Republicans?

"Credentials Committee" rejected 27 members in Saline County

What kind of ridiculousness is this? A power play in Saline County last fall kicked 27 conservative grassroots voters out of the Young Republicans there and, so far, no one has offered a solid explanation for what happened.

But the stunt reeks of the same old guard tactics being used across Arkansas in both the Republican Party itself and the Republican Women’s groups by establishment Republicans who are threatened by the rising interest of grassroots conservatives who seek to focus the Party on its platform values.

Last fall, Drew Martin (2nd District Vice Chair) strong-armed a Young Republicans meeting and, citing a “Credentials Committee” decision, suddenly threw out 27 individuals, some of whom were already members and some who wanted to become members.

Problem is, the Saline Co. YRs have never had a Credentials Committee, nor did any members know anything about a credentials process for membership. Oh yeah, the folks who got thrown out still have not received any refunds of their filing fees paid last fall. But one thing is glaringly obvious: many of those rejected 27 grassroots conservatives would not have voted Drew Martin to be their Chairman, although he now serves in that position, presiding over a group of about six people.

Among the would-be Young Republicans denied membership in Saline County are a Marine who served three tours in Iraq and a Navy vet who served in Afghanistan. Ty Johnston and Kevan Bradshaw were on the Dave Elswick Show on February 21 with Jimmie Cavin, who observed, “They both are good enough to die in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan for Drew, but not good enough to be in his little club?”

Watch what Johnston and Bradshaw have to say. Then we ask, does this ridiculous stunt in Saline County help the Republican Party? Or does it just sow division and unrest (“working against the interests of the Party”)?