Things did not go well yesterday: lessons learned.

Wow.... what a convention, eh?

It will be my last.

Based on the outcomes (and it is an outcome-based business) the Hilton was, in fact, the wrong place to hold this event.

Besides being out of pocket $30 for the privilege between the admissions fee (too much) parking, gasoline to get there and food, it was a mess.

It was, in fact, the worst convention experience I have ever seen.

Jamming the better part of 1000 people into a space built to hold, maybe, 150 or so (Registration) means that we started almost a better part of an hour late.  The Hilton, always eager to help, was charging $50 per person, or $150 for a group of 10 people, to access their "open" wifi.  My Verizon cell signal was spotty at best.

The impact of a tiny space for registration, a huge number of people to register, a very short time to register them (Register as many as 1700 people in an hour in a tiny space using two tables and maybe 6 people each?  Really?) a tense atmosphere as word leaked out that Santorum had abandoned any pretense of principles to scam a few extra delegates... that will avail him nothing.

I went in uncommitted.  But when I heard that garbage, I switched to Romney for delegate purposes.

We knew in advance what the Paulistinians had been up to around the state.  Utilizing the pattern set by the Pat Robertson usurpation in 1998, Paul and Santorum dominated the caucuses and took most of the delegates.

That's baseball, however, or should I say, "democracy," so I really have no complaint over that.

The world continues to be run by those who show up.  To that, I can add, to those who stay.

The "establishment," that is, the Romney supporters, essentially ran this show... and it did not go well.

Candidates were scheduled to speak at 9:15 to 10:30.  Because the schedule was jammed, the amount of time each was given, the early speakers were allotted a minute.  McKenna, being as Republican as my Cavalier Spaniel isn't even really thought of by the rank and file as a Republican; in another brilliant master stroke of planning where we have our convention scheduled with other large gatherings, McKenna and Baumgartner couldn't find the time to speak to us.

When the credentials report failed to materialize, because even though we were deep into the agenda, registration wasn't even close to being completed.

No completed registration?

No credentials report.

The Paulbots were all there.  Because of the previously mentioned lack of integrity on the part of the Sanctoms, deals had been cut and the sell out was complete: they actually DID show up.

When we finally broke into districts to elect delegates, it was just before noon.  We were given ballots, but the ballots were two pages: we only received the first page... it took maybe 45 minutes to get the second page.  Then, nominations were taken from the floor.

We finally got around to break for lunch... at 1:15.  Instead of 90 minutes, lunch was 30.  Hilton's rule against bringing food in jammed already overflowing facilities far beyond capacity.

It was also only after the ballots were passed out that we discovered that 173 people were going to run for 32 delegate seats and alternates.

That meant that each of the 173 delegate candidates could speak for 30 seconds.... so, there was roughly 90 minutes of the people saying the same things, over and over and over.

What that meant was that in the 18th, we began to vote roughly around 4:00.

As a result, there was no discussion, modification or adoption of a party platform. 

And, at around candidate 80 in speeches, Reagan Dunn came wandering in; Brandon Vick made an effort to interrupt the process so he could speak.  I had no interest in allowing an interruption and said so.  Dunn was not allowed to speak, and we went on with our business.

Meanwhile, we had to wait for the credentials report at the district level.  That report came in at around 213 if memory served.

Then we voted... and the vote came back at around 284... 71 more votes then we had delegates (And that count came in at 5:15.)

So, though we had a credentials report verifying 213, we had votes from 284.

We then had to take a head count... and then argue out if the vote was legit... and then we discover that out of all of that, we had elected 12 delegates out of the 32 we needed.  That election was all Santorum delegates.

It was around 5:40.  I'd been there since 7:30 or so.  And that was enough for me.

I left.

Marc Boldt was there... even Jon Russell, who can't seem to find the time to show up for city council meetings was there, at least for awhile.

And, of course, while the fawning Boldt-fan, Stephanie Race indicated that Boldt was "greeted by well-wishers," the fact is he was mostly ignored.

Which is as it should be.

All in all, it was a disaster: politically and logistically.

We learned a great deal, but mostly, we learned what NOT to do.

And for those wearing the deny 1144 stickers?

This is not likely to do that.

And to Santorum?

You campaign's lack of integrity and principle is despicable.

To the Paul campaign, mad props.  Showing the zealotry that wouldn't have been out of place during the Munich Beer Hall Putsch, they out thought, out organized and accomplished what they set out to do.

Of course, it was meaningless, and I expect the GOP will change the system so this kind of thing doesn't happen again; a state-wide, GOP identified ballot would do the trick.

It was a waste of time, effort and energy.  And it's my last presidential convention.

Oh yeah... by the way.... those who think to the contrary notwithstanding: I am still not working for Madore and have no intention of ever doing so.  And if you doubt me, then feel free to contact me so I can explain it to you.