DP Eyewitness: Several Hundred People Turned Away-Benton County WA-PHOTOS ADDED!
Submitted by westcoastgrl on Sat, 03/03/2012 - 18:02I am not exaggerating when I say SEVERAL HUNDRED. Our entire county caucus was consolidated to a single location, our local Three Rivers Convention Center. The GOP website said they would close registration at 9:45 am SHARP. I showed up at 9:20, and the lobby was packed, the entire side hallway was packed, and the line streamed out the door into the parking lot.
At 10:00 am, someone got on the loudspeaker and told the crowd that they wanted to get everyone in and not disenfranchise anyway, and to make things easier for them, we should queue into two lines: One line for people who had their voter's registration cards, and one line for people who showed up only with I.D.
Mayhem ensued as the massive crowd attempted to shift into two lines without being rude and cutting in front of anyone. It was a confused mess.
At 10:30, someone got on the loudspeaker and told us that:
1) If you have not yet been "accredited" you will not be allowed to vote, and that voting had already begun.
2) They did not have room to accommodate everyone anyway.
They asked us to go home, and people began booing, hissing, and shouting. Then the chanting began, "We have a right to vote! We have a right to vote!"
I pressed to the front of the line, and told the volunteers up front I had a right to be there, and to at least witness the proceedings. I found my precinct number online, and found my precinct.
The voting was held in two separate chambers of the convention center- one room was filled to capacity (the smaller room). The main chamber had an entire empty section, with 6-8 or more empty tables. I took a few photos and don't know how to upload them here.
The representatives for each candidate were just beginning to come to the podium to speak, several minutes after I entered the chamber.
So they lied! 1) Voting had NOT begun. 2) There were entire precincts, some with 6-7 delegates, that were EMPTY. They didn't let the voters in!!!
There was no order: No one called point of order, no process was followed. The reps spoke their piece, we were told to vote, we voted, they collected the envelopes, and that was it!
No results were given- they told the crowd that results would be released in a couple of hours, and no one made any noise.
When I left the chamber, I noticed that the crowd in the lobby had mostly dispersed, probably because they called the police when the crowd got angry. There was a line of police out in the lobby when I came out.
Please call the Benton County GOP, the Washington State Republican Party, and the media. I called the campaign and gave them my report. I hope that the spotlight is shined on Benton County for cutting off hundreds of people who have the right to vote. Unbelievable! It should be national news!
On the positive side, I found my precinct, and was the tiebreaker! Our precinct only has one delegate, but I am proud to say that our delegate is a fellow RP supporter and that I made the difference for our precinct by not listening to the B.S. that I had to be "accredited" in order to vote. I am an American and a registered voter. That's all the accreditation I need!
Edit* I originally reported "Toyota Center" as the location- which is right next to the Three Rivers Convention Center-the actual location. I always mix them up.
Also- My timing is slightly off. I reported that they asked us to disperse at 10:30. When I talked to Michelle Dupler (local reporter who wrote the Tri City Herald article, she reported showing up at 10:23 with the crowd already leaving. It may have been closer to 10:15-10:20 when they got on the loudspeaker a second time.
Is it possible to upload photos? I have photos of the crowd in the lobby, AND of empty precinct tables!! Help!
Picture of the unbelievable crowd in the lobby:
http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z335/Kate_Boisoneau/1293...
Here's the wrap-around line down the side hall (tons of people outside, too)
http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z335/Kate_Boisoneau/1296...
Photo of empty precinct table:
http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z335/Kate_Boisoneau/1305...
I wish I had taken pictures of EVERY empty precinct table-but I didn't. I was just snapping quick photos while looking for my precinct. :(
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Don't let em' get you own..
You did good work. And keep at it. I doubt I would have even gone to the lengths you did. You were courageous - thanks
I'm getting hammered here with criticism
and I don't really appreciate it- I showed up (not early enough, according to some DPers), I took photos (I should have taken more, I should have videotaped) and I broke through the line with my 12 year old as the cops were showing up(!), looked up my precinct on my phone and found my precinct so I could vote. But I guess I should have galvanized the crowd not to leave?????
I refuse to apologize to all of you further. I actually feel pretty angry right now, and not really interested in becoming more involved here. I've put a lot of time and heart into RP's campaign, put my money where my mouth is by donating as much as I possibly could over the last 5 years, done everything I can to educate myself and the people around me. I am proud to say that I was the first person in my community to wave a "Google Ron Paul" sign back in 2007. I was overwhelmed to see 1000+ people show up at the local rally here a few weeks ago. It was amazing.
I've been reading DP since 2007, also, but have hesitated to really post much, until now, and I get slammed. What gives?
No - You were awesome.
If every single Ron Paul supporter persevered like you & didn't just take no for an answer, Ron Paul would probably have 90% of the delegates to date. You Rock!
Obama = O.ne B.ig A.ss M.istake A.merica
You did very well! It's easy
You did very well!
It's easy to sit back and say, "Well if I was there I would have done.." .. but they didn't. With all the Ron Paul people out of the Caucus it was YOU not them that pushed through and got this story to the light of day.
Don't worry about them, they don't matter
Only morons criticize those who are there and doing while they are sitting and typing to criticize you...Anonymously.
Don't let the morons get to you!
You are one of the reasons the rest of us are getting news out of WA.
Starting Saturday I (along with many others) began contacting the media with stories about what has happened up there, with the vote rigging.
I passed along your story to the media with which I had contact.
You are helping!
Producing, distributing and archiving the BEST Ron Paul Speech films.
Thank you for your efforts!
I am forever grateful for your efforts! You are one of the biggest reasons that the Ron Paul Revolution is "alive and well"!
And thanks for posting - please don't judge DP on a few negative people - look at your post, +100 feedback means that we all truly appreciate what you are doing! Thanks again!
Ron Paul 2012!
www.ingotnews.com
Look at your vote-ups
Apparently a lot of people here like what you've posted. Kudos to you! Keep up the good fight, even when you get criticized by those who should've been your allies.
"Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." -- Thomas Paine
Vote For Pedro
Ya gotta love the humor in that...
(empty precinct table pic)
The law cannot make a wicked person virtuous…God’s grace alone can accomplish such a thing.
Ron Paul - The Revolution
Setting a good example is a far better way to spread ideals than through force of arms. Ron Paul
I thought it was funny too :)
I thought it was funny too :)
*shaking my head*
.
it's hard to be awake; it's easier to dream--
In the 11th district caucus at the Home Run restaurant...
...the room they had set up was quickly over-crowded.
The fire code was being violated so we were dispersed to all other areas of the restaurant INCLUDING THE BAR!
It was so disorganized it was UN-BELIEVABLE.
I almost felt sorry for the district chairman as he profusely apologized for underestimating the turnout.
But there is NO EXCUSE for what happened.
The good thing is that there were a lot of Ron Paul supporters there.
As a PCO however, I was disappointed to have only ONE other person in my precinct!
But we proceeded with business and since he didn't want to be a delegate and supported Santorum anyway, I was the sole Paul delegate left.
We were NOT able to witness the vote count as they took all the manilla envelopes to a different location of a GOP
But I think this caucus should be declared NULL and VOID because so many people were turned away.
THEY PAY TAXES AND THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO VOTE!
WE MUST DEMAND A RE-VOTE!!!
"We have allowed our nation to be over-taxed, over-regulated, and overrun by bureaucrats. The founders would be ashamed of us for what we are putting up with."
-Ron Paul
Listen!! Why Didn't You Guys Do Something? Booing and Hissing?
What a load of sh*t! You guys should have all demanded to go in and vote...stay there until they let you in to vote. Call the State GOP and claim you were not allowed to vote..Take charge! This is your right to vote in these caucuses!
Booing and Hissing means nothing..What a load of crap!
Like I said, I went ahead and
Like I said, I went ahead and went in anyway, found my precinct and voted, as did a couple dozen other people. I can't control an entire crowd of people, to the tune of 1,500. Sheesh.
ROBERT'S RULES!!!!
All you had to do was:
Motion to have the votes counted immediately and verbally
-or-
Motion to have a standing/counted vote
Have the other Ron Paul person second the motion.
You are allowed to support your motion with a speech up to 3 minutes - convince the assembly it is the only fair thing to do no matter who they support (hopefully some Santorum people there).
Win the vote - votes are counted. You record video of the vote. None of this carting envelopes off to be shredded while they make up numbers for Romney.
"In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot."--Mark Twain
Great idea in theory
But when the corrupt chair rules you out of order, or they won't even let you in the building it's kind of hard to have a vote on your motion.
http://WhatIsADollar.blogspot.com
you got that right!
and while our "chair" was getting a laugh by displaying a copy of RROO his buddy was telling me that rule 10 didn't apply as it was not the "official election". The Paul volunteers are better trained than these people "overseeing" the proceedings!
you are so RIGHT!
Re:videos of Washington State
Here are a few videos I found....
http://youtu.be/kTr9kVpKjtc
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/Too-many-people-no-space-to...
http://youtu.be/H7WRtbD8NIU
http://youtu.be/HaVd4Xg_URg
http://youtu.be/4z57MPdu8iw
A Ron Paul PCO in Thurston County, Washington, explains what happened at his pooled caucus on March 3, 2012
http://youtu.be/1iyV52h9lYw
More Thurston County Ron Paul Domination
http://youtu.be/2R6k8cMoejk
A great article regarding voter fraud.
http://www.toolsforjustice.com/elections/election-fraud-what...
Cowlitz County Caucus, Ron Paul supporters were everywhere. We rode up on a bus from Woodland bringing all that we could find.
http://youtu.be/shb16j9dVdE
Voter supression in Oklahoma....
http://youtu.be/VEM3f4x4yzM
Glad people taking photos
'cuz it's shady like a state troopers car at a nudy bar.
"you're a funny dude, but who gives a fuck about that? I don't care about someone's wit, I care about the courage of their heart and the honesty of their mind."
Looks like they want the
Looks like they want the general perception to be that Dr Paul has a 25% ceiling. A few thousand votes can make a big difference in public perception. 26, 27% or 28% is psychologically different than 25% and below. The higher numbers would mean Dr Paul's "ceiling" is still growing. Both the DNC and RNC need to contain the perception that they are losing popularity.
The rise of Constitutionalism is a direct threat to the two-party system we have today. It has also shined much needed light on the whole dirty process of elections.
I think they might try to turn this into a Ross Perot situation. Even though it was enough to cause a loss by the GOP, it still allows them to point to the low numbers of Liberty minded/ Independent voters.
The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. - Heinlein
Coin toss??
Could someone familiar with the process enlighten me?
Tony Benegas, a member of the Benton County Republican Committee who ran the Kennewick caucuses, told everyone that in the case of a tie, to flip a coin to choose the winner and COMBINE THE VOTES!
Example: Precinct 5608 Hawthorne had 13 people at the table. 5 voted Paul, 4 for Romulan and 4 for Frothy. Yay, Paul won, right? Not when you do as Tony instructed. Because of the "tie" between Mittens and Sanitarium, a coin was flipped, Slick Rick won the toss, and the end result was 8 votes for Santorum and 5 for Paul!
I haven't seen anyone else mention this, but this sounds highly unethical to me.
That Is Not The Rule
The rule is to flip a coin to eliminate the delegate nominees that are tied with the lowest vote counts. Then re-vote with one fewer delegate nominee. Combining the votes is against the WSRP rules.
If any delegate was actually seated by the flawed method, then take note of the case and report it to the campaign. That delegate can be thrown-out at the county convention on the basis of rules violations.
That is a complete lie
Were you there? There is no such rule please call the campaign and report this. Complain to the GOP as well.
http://WhatIsADollar.blogspot.com
Nope, not right
We caucused in Kitsap County Washington yesterday. Our table went all 3 for Ron Paul delegates, but it took fortitude.....
THE RULE IS SUPPOSED TO BE:
2 ruonds of 'majority wins' voting, followed by two rounds of "person with the least amount of votes is withdrawn". I'll give an example:
You had 13 at the table. A majority is defined as 'more than half'. This is an important subtlty, as it ISN'T 'one more than half'. So, half of 13 is 6.5, more than 6.5 is --> 7 <--. So, if no-one got 7 the first two rounds, than NO DELEGATES. Then you go to round 3. Everyone votes, and the person with the least amount of votes is removed. Anyone with a majority (7) is a delegate, and their name is taken out of the 'hat'. Round 4, vote with the 2 people removed (delegate from round 3, and the dropoff). A NEW MAJORITY is now more than 5.5 = 6. So, anyone with 6 is a delegate. After round four, THEN you get to the 'coin tossing' stage, but never is more than 1 delegate voted in for any round.
These are simple, ha, concepts of majority and plurality (alternates are voted by plurality). I went to 2 of my county's meetings about this, and 2 Ron Paul specific meetings, and the information I learned was invaluable. Totally invaluable. At the table, I found that I was the most learned of the process. More than the PCO (nice guy). There was a Newt critter at our table that was super super shady. Everytime our PCO got up to go to the bathroom, or anytime there was a tie, he tried to be like 'hey, lets' just blah', and we had to keep saying no, no, that's not the right way.
So, in the end, our table's straw vote was 6 Paul, 6 Mitt, and 1 Gingrich, but we got all 3 delegates because we were learned!
EVERYTHING IS A BATTLE IN THIS, AND THE LITTLE THINGS MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!!
We BOLDLY said we were for Ron Paul, were very polite, considerate, engaged in civil bantering with the Romney's at our table, and in the end, half of the Romneys came across at total nutters, and no-one voted for them. All the Paulers were well spoken with SHORT speeches 'I believe in MUCH smaller government, and MUCH lower taxes' will get them everytime. It came down to the others at the table wanting dignified representation, and the Paulers gave that to them.
So, people in states to come: GET INFORMED. Get advice from the CAMPAIGN!!!!!
I have to say, that our meeting, and I believe the republican establishment, use Robert's Rules to 'their' advantage only. I studied them (ALOT), and made a motion correctly, but as others in this website have stated, they just disregarded my motion.
The people running our meeting were a bunch of school marms, and I must say, they were completely inept at their job.
Winning the delegates is the most important, all the rest is a distraction. And, when you are in a poorly run loud meeting, being prepared will seriouly help you see the forest for the trees.
On Benton County WASH
They should have had caucuses with people already in. Then they should have had those outside come in to caucus on a 2nd turn. It seems like they purposely wanted to leave out those who needed to register to Republican. Those would have been probably for Ron Paul and Santorum since, Santorum robocalled Democrats to vote for him. But who cares. They all should have gotten to vote. We are all in this country together.
They didn't need to register
They didn't need to register anyone- all they were doing was CONFIRMING you are a registered voter!!
VIDEO: About 800 people turned away in Kennewick, Washington
KIRO7 NEWS: @2:24
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVh-C80lMWo&t=2m24s
No video?!?
Guys, this is basic Paul supporter equipment to have on you.
Does no one at these events carry a smart phone, iphone, video camera?
This needs to be documented. You are going to a gun fight unprepared.
www.yaliberty.org - Young Americans for Liberty
www.ivaw.org/operation-recovery - Stop Deploying Traumatized Troops
People...Figure out how to use your phones!!
Almost all phones have a video feature....even non-smart phones!
Charge them up and USE them...PLEASE!!!!
I posted photos at the
I posted photos at the bottom! And I have more if they are needed. No video; I didn't take any.
I just tweeted this thread
I just tweeted this thread link to Ben Swann.
RON PAUL 2012 * Restore America * Bring The Troops Home
http://www.texasuncensored.blogspot.com