Mike McHugh of VGOC and the Warren County Republican Party just left the following excellent commentary and analysis of this weekend’s Republican Party of Virginia Convention. It’s extremely valuable insight both because of his parliamentary expertise and the fact he was there throughout Friday’s apparent fiasco – thanks, Mike!

You can ask the unit chairs for the vote totals but don’t waste the time. Mark Tate did it for the 10th to make sure that the Berry votes did not affect the outcome. The Barry votes if properly counted, because they were primarily (though not totally) from Roanoake and Salem where Gilmore won would have helped Gilmore.

In Warren since I did the counting it was 22-3 for Marshall

If Marshall had put together a whip floor organization to fight the rules on Friday at 2:00 when I moved to strike rule h under voting and replace it with each campaign having an appointed teller there would have be no question of cheating at this point.

Because of the public pressure from the floor fight Friday, if there was going to be any purposeful cheating, I do not believe it happened. Yes there could have been mistakes in the counting but Marshall was not prepared to fight for the ability to oversee that. Hopefully he will next time.

Gilmore won fair and square.

The thugocracy of the early Friday 2:00 pm meeting, that very few people understand the importance of, did help Frederick because even the Gilmore people were disgusted with the trashing and ignoring of the rules.

Below is part of an analysis I sent to a friend that points out what constitutionally minded Republicans should learn.

1. The Marshall campaign had no professionals who knew how to set up a floor organization to bring the meeting to a stop until they
a. acknowledged the 2nd nomination for temp chair.
b. acknowledged my motion to have tellers from each campaign and then vote on it according to the weighted vote rule. If they had done so, we would have won because even the Gilmore people saw the fairness in that and even if the Gilmore people had not joined us we still had the votes to make it close but no floor organiztion to make it happen. Our people were confused and did not know what to do.

2. Hagar lost every district overwhelmingly except the 7th, where it was close.

3. The movement to restore the integrity of Republican Party is growing. No one learns to play high level chess in one or two fights and just as Rome was not built in a day our liberties were not lost overnight. But with patriots like you there will be better fights to come.

If Webb is the Obama VP and Obama wins (which is questioable even though the Dems will pick up House and Senate seats) Marshall will run again and could win IF AND ONLY IF he learns the right lessons as to why he lost. Additionally he won’t be running against the formidable opponent Mark Warner.

I sat down with key people in the Marshall campaign before I left to make sure they knew why they lost. They understand and I believe Bob does too.

Yes, ultimately it was the providence of God that determined that Gilmore would win but we will never win blaming our opponenets for doing what we are supposed to expect them to do and be prepared and organized to counter.

Bob made some decisions months ago that would have killed anybody else’s chance of winning but Bob’s. And that is because Bob is an awesome and incredible warrior for life and liberty. He almost pulled it off anyway.

15 or so more delegates in the heavily weighted units would have overcome the 65 weighted vote loss.

Gilmore bused his delegates in from the 9th and 7th, he had paid professionals to oversee credentials where they challenged several delegates and did not seat them. Bob had no professionals that knew how to organize a convention.

Marshall had NONE of what Gilmore had and he almost won anyway. He had no plan for the 9th and 7th, which is where he lost it. He had no paid professionals who understand how to oversee credentionals and then organize a whip action floor fight if he lost in the credentials committee.

His campaign staff was incredible. They are wonderful, dedicated, hard working people who will be better prepared next time. Many of them were humble enough to admit they were learning on the run. That is why I am so encouraged.

Thank you Bob Marshall for running. Your courage is what has given your people the opportunity to learn and grow.

Marshall is a hero for simply fighting. He has learned a lot. Guys like Bob who win in small districts generally have to learn the hard way that state-wide politics is a different game.

Bob is a brilliant man and I hope and pray he not only has learned the right lessons of political warfare but will apply them in his next run which could be a special election in December or January.

The recovery of liberty will not be won or lost in one fight. The recovery of liberty will be a long process of many protracted fights with patriots like you will who have the stamina to understand that Win or Lose we gain new people and resources with better training and willingness to be trained for the next fight every time we fight.

Sic Semper Tyrannus

Mike McHugh
Vice-Chairman Warren County Republican Party