I spoke with Kermit Marsh, chairman of the OC GOP’s Endorsement Committee. He confirmed that events unfolded pretty much as detailed in my previous blog entry on the subject of Supervisor Janet Nguyen not winning the early endorsement at last night’s meeting.
“The fact is that I made a mistake,” Marsh said.
– Martin Wisckol
Marsh had originally announced to the Central Committee that members abstaining from the endorsement vote would be counted against the total — basically as “no” votes. So some people simply abstained instead of voting directly against Janet.
Mark Bucher and Adam Probolsky — who happen to support Janet — subsequently went over the rules with Marsh, and they agreed that abstentions should not be tallied. That would have given Janet the endorsement.
But it was pointed out that some of those abstaining would have voted “no” had they understood the rules. And many members had left by the time the correct rules were announced, so a re-vote was postponed by OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh until next month’s meeting.
“Scott made the right decision,” said Marsh, who like Baugh also voted to give Janet the early endorsement.
– Martin Wisckol
Kermit didn’t “make a mistake,” he simply once again was doing the bidding of the majority of our wayward Executive Committee, who determined in their meeting last Friday, to manipultate the outcome anyway they could in favor of Janet Nguyen. Both Baugh and Marsh voted “Aye” on the losing motion. Then, as usual, they allow Adam Probolsky, a paid political consultant for Janet Nguyen and merely an Alternate Member for Todd Spitzer, to have standing and convince them to modify the result of a bonafide vote.
This is noting more than the tail wagging the dog with plan ‘B’ being calling for a re-vote “in light of the dissention.” Now Janet Nguyen and her team know who to work-over, cajol, and otherwise convince to obtain the desired result next month.
I will opine a LOT more later on, but regarding abstention votes - which Mr. Marsh made clear on at least three occasions (correctly I might add), would have the same effect as “No” votes, the following is submitted straight from Robert’s Rules website:
Do abstention votes count?
Answer: “… IF THE VOTE REQUIRED IS A MAJORITY OR TWO THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS PRESENT, OR A MAJORITY OR TWO THIRDS OF THE ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP, AN ABSTENTION WILL HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS A “NO” VOTE… ” [RONR (10th ed.), p. 387, l. 7-13; p. 388, l. 3-6; p. 390, l. 13-24; see also p.66 of RONR In Brief.]
The bottom line is this:
1. The vote was valid; the results stand. Janet Nguyen WAS REFUSED early endorsement by the Republican Party of Orange County.
2. Scott Baugh does NOT have the authority to “expunge” the vote and call for a re-vote.
3. No one person (in this case, Janet Nguyen) is ever more valuable than the ethical governance of the Republican Party of Orange County Central Committee by it’s Chairman, Parliamentarian and others elected to the Executive Committe by the whole body. Failure of our officers to uphold our bylaws and protect the sanctity the voting process are grounds for removal from that position by the Elected Members of the Committee.
Tim Whitacre
Central Committee Member
69th Assembly District
Mr. Whitacre,
You hit it on the nail on all counts. The dirty conspiracy failed and Janet Nguye lost.