Last week's first Republican State Presidential Convention was such a fiasco that we hope it will be the last. West Virginia's GOP leaders should give the presidential nomination process back to the people.
After hearing TV reports that Mountain State Republicans were choosing a presidential candidate as part of "Super Tuesday," several people called The Morgan Messenger office to ask where to vote and why they'd never heard about it.'
Truth is, only Republican activists really knew what was going on.
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So, it's no surprise that fewer than 20 Republicans showed up for the Morgan County caucus on January 5. They elected delegates who went to Charleston on February 5 and helped to select 18 of the state's 30 Republican presidential delegates. The Morgan County group of 14 included uncommitted folks as well as those who committed last month to John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson and Ron Paul.
On the first ballot in Charleston, there was no clearcut winner but it looked like Romney might swing the winner-take-all convention. Word went out from the back room that McCain people should vote for Huckabee to prevent a Romney victory. The vote of the Morgan County group then became 12 for Huckabee and two for Romney. Statewide, the total was Huckabee, 567 and Romney, 521. Twelve steadfast souls stuck with McCain.
The whole horsetrading show alienated many people. Rank-and-file Republicans never got to cast a ballot and yet 60% of the state's presidential delegates were given away before the primary election. Also ignored were the independent voters that the GOP needs to win elections in Morgan County and in Democrat-heavy West Virginia. Nor did playing a tiny role in Super Tuesday do much for the state's political clout or image.
Whoever came up with this convention nonsense shouldn't be crowing. They should be eating crow.
