The GOP State Convention

I always enjoy the State Convention. The State Convention is an opportunity to see many of my political friends and make new ones. We get to hear our candidates and elected officials and their vision for our party, our state and our nation. It is a great way to get fired up for the election season.

This year's convention should be an interesting one. First, there remains the possibility that the convention will select a candidate for US Senate. The vote canvass should be going on right now but an interesting wrinkle is that flooding may have an effect on the canvass. As one example, the Floyd County courthouse (Charles City) is underwater. I am not sure what the next steps are but this could be the big event at the convention.

Second, Phyllis Kelly is not seeking re-election as National Committeewoman. As of now there are at least three candidates seeking the position. This position is critical in maintaining Iowa's First in the Nation Caucuses. It should be interesting.

Third, Friday night, the congressional districts will each meet and select their 3 delegates and 3 alternates to the Republican National Convention. I am hearing that there may be more candidates than usual for these positions.

Fourth, on  Saturday, the convention will consider the State Platform. If the Second Congressional District is any indication, there could be more amendments than ever. In the years that I have served on county, district and state platform committees, I have rarely seen even twenty amendments to the platform. This year in the Second District we had closer to seventy. Expect a very spirited platform discussion.

Fifth, Krusty called it Sporer's Battle Kry. Polk County GOP Chairman and former State Central Committee member Ted Sporer has a post on his blog entitled Unity for real change in a time of real change. I am in Kansas this week but I saw at Battleground Iowa that Ted was on Steve Deace's radio show last night. I will not repeat all of the issues that Ted mentions but he starts the post by saying:

We have seven days until the 2008 Republican State Convention will come to order. The Convention is our biennial opportunity to come together and discuss the state of the Republican Party in Iowa.

I am not sure what form this discussion will take, but if it occurs, we all need to be there.

See you in Des Moines!