The public, state officials, editorials, political leaders and letters to the editor are calling out for an election to name a replacement for the late Senator Byrd. They want to vote.
Remember when Republican Party leaders under the chairmanship of Rob Capehart decided to hold a state convention in 2008 which disenfranchised registered Republicans. They had no vote or say in who should be the presidential nominee that year.
This experiment may have been well intended but was conceived without much study or public research. Convention organizers would tell you every Republican had an opportunity to participate/vote.
Well the system devised was so complicated and kept changing even those involved could not understand it. The real problem is registered Republicans did not get to vote on who would represent them at the national convention.
This should never happen again.
There is a campaign underway to select a Republican State Chairman. Members of the State Executive Committee should seek a pledge from the current candidates for Chairman or any candidate to emerge that they will not support a similar effort in 2012.
Republicans across the state should be able to vote in a primary on delegates to represent them at a national convention.