The Maine Republican Party is rebutting efforts calling for inclusion of the remaining caucus precincts that were not counted in the "official" caucus results released last Saturday, February 11. Maine GOP Chairman Charlie Webster says he will not release any other results to the public and claims that the results would still show Mitt Romney the winner regardless.
Report from The New American:
The Maine GOP declared the former Massachusetts Governor the narrow winner of the state's presidential caucus February 11, but Romney's 194-vote margin of victory over Texas Congressman Ron Paul is being whittled away as more results have been reported.
Moreover, the state's rural Washington County — along with a few other communities that postponed their caucuses February 11 — will hold the final caucuses Saturday, February 18 and may decide the victor of the non-binding straw poll.
But GOP Party Chairman Charlie Webster insists that he will not release updated results from the additional caucuses, even as he comes under increasing fire from his fellow Maine Republicans and national Ron Paul campaign officials. In results in the three counties that have been released to the public, Ron Paul won more votes than were reported in the official results. Webster claims that the missing votes — when all of them are counted — will favor Romney, and that he is not going to give the press access to updated results. “No one has access,” he told the Daily Caller February 15. “There will be no access. We will give it to the committee on March 10. We are not going to release them [the missing votes]. People can whine and complain and plead, but I’m not going to make them public.”
Webster admits there were clerical errors in the tally on February 11. “What I tell people is that I’m not going to fire my staff because they make clerical errors,” he told the Daily Caller. “My poor staffer is in tears, because people are harassing her.”
First and foremost, no one should be harassed over this issue or made to feel threatened due to clerical errors or the Party Chairman's decision. This isn't worth emotional or physical harm and I empathize with those feeling the wrath of overzealous, outraged Ron Paul supporters (ahem).
I think this is going to be a lingering issue for the Maine GOP moving forward. Clearly the Paul campaign, among others, will demand access to the remaining uncounted ballots to see how the caucus results actually turned out. On the other hand, this caucus is non-binding and doesn't count for anything more than bragging rights. However, it still doesn't sit well with me personally to see an "official" count include only 84% of the vote, especially given the margin of a mere 200 votes separating first and second place.
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I am for Romney, but this is not right. Every vote counts, and I would not like it if mine didn't, even if my candinate did not win.
"Maine GOP says it will not release updated caucus results!"
Best news I've heard this year!
Now this travesty will get even more exposure — true Americans will get galvanized by this OBVIOUS CHICANERY!
Thank you, Charlie Webster, for inadvertently helping Ron Paul!
Webster must be pretty close with that staffer. She miscounted votes. That is a reason to send her off to get a job she can handle… and take him with her. He has proven he doesn't have what it takes to fulfill the responsibilities of his job, or to comprehend what votes mean to the American citizens. Kick them out. Now.
Why does it sound like back room closed door deal. Maybe even slightly risking the results to be challenged and/or the election to be invalid. Or is that the intent of invalidating the elections of districts where the party's chosen one can not win?
Steve L — Excellent question raised!
Are they this dumb, or this sneaky….?
methinks the latter….
(hopefully their arrogance in expecting that their machinations work, will bite them in the end)
You can't invalidate non-binding votes. This issue is only free press for Ron Paul.
I think it's much ado about nothing. The results announced that night were explicitly declared unofficial and non-binding, and no delegates were involved. The delegate count will be announced when it is actually known. I realize Ron Paul was hoping for a morale victory in Maine, but his efforts in Maine are looking like he's very desperate. Not an image a candidate wants to have. I repeat, Webster stated in unambiguous, emphatic terms when he read the results that it was only a straw poll, not all caucuses wanted to be involved, and it was unofficial and non-binding. Get over it. You're a better man than that, Mr. Paul. You should have spent the same energy attending the CPAC, where you may well have won, and that would have been something to crow about.
Marlene, it is apparently not just about the straw poll votes that were long ago planned to be delayed past the 11th (this is being handled by Webster just exactly as it should be), or those that were zeroed out in caucuses where they were already cast (this is VERY concerning, and if true, really does constitute fraud albeit in a private election - even so, it only affects public opinion and not the actual convention).
The latest news reports say that some of the DELEGATE elections have been thrown out and that those causes will not have delegates going forward to the state convention. This is the worst of the bad outcomes.
Marlene —
Did the February 11th Headlines on TV stations across the US read: 'Mitt Romney wins Maine' (yes or no)?
Come on…you can say it, it's not that hard — we all know the answer.
Some may need remedial reading lessons, but you are in definite need of Logic 101 (if you are to rise in the political ranks of Mitt Romney's camp). Hope the below helps you:
That particular GOP rep announced FIRSTLY that Mitt WON (39% to Ron Paul's 36%)! As such his statement became TRUTH for that moment!
Then cameras flashed, people yelling "Go Mitt" were heard, applauding ensued for a time! Afterward, he QUALIFIED his statement that NOT ALL counts have been made as of the time of this ANNOUNCEMENT — a TRUTH cannot have ANY QUALIFIERS (since they negate its VALIDITY)!
As reprehensible as his MISSTATEMENT was — the main stream media's behavior was even more reprehensible! Instead of jumping on this — and exposing it as SPECULATION, not true result — the media proclaimed Mitt as winner, and within minutes blanketed America with this "result"!
@ Marlene — As a politician (you stated a while back you are one) you MUST be aware of FULL DISCLOSURE (and the ramifications for YOUR BOSS (and even yourself) if YOU FAIL TO DISCLOSE your affiliation when ASKED to do so).
Marlene — Answer this, before you post again your pro-Mitt propaganda — Are you, Marlene, a Mitt Romney employee in any capacity (on staff, volunteer in his campaign, etc.)? And specify your capacity — so people here know your exact involvement.
Well…?
Ron Paul is not the one making a fuss about this. Its his campaign and his supporters.
This won't just go away but GOP Party Chairman Charlie Webster will. It doesn't just affect Maine when an outcome is publicized and he knows it, it serves to swing public opinion. If this caucus is non-binding and doesn't count for anything more than bragging rights than it must be correct and all precincts counted or not announced at all.
Windisea — exactly as you state!
All Maine had to do is state the results were too close to call (and won't be announced until a final count has been completed).
Instead, the triple chinned GOPist took the podium and said: "…And the winner is…*dramatic pause*…Mitt Romney"! (And the media spread this news across the nation).
Now, that the dust is settling, if not perfidy, at least chicanery, should be leveled at those responsible for this outrage of misinformation!
Windisea — re: Delegates "count" tracker
Got a reply today (to the e-mail below): "We are working on revising the count to show both sets of numbers. Thank you for the suggestion."
Let's hope they'll do is soon. Let me know if you see a change.
Thanks,
Surfisher
Message:
*Attention: TO THE FOUNDER OF THIS SITE —
Will you please, stop posting the "2012 Delegate Tracker" in the top left corner as a real count!
The posting as of now;
Romney 123
Santorum 72
Gingrich 32
Paul 19
(Huntsman)2
Is not a TRUE count, but a SPECULATION. As such, it creates an
illusion that these are DEFINITE Delegates won — and undermines the people's belief that their trailing candidate has a chance, (thereby, possibly making them give up)!
If you need to post this "count" — please, preface it as:
"SPECULATIVE 2012 Delegate Tracker — Not FACTUAL, but perceived"
Thank you!*
Another double standard. Each day media pundits grill Paul about not winning any states and give political leverage by the accusation to his contenders. But when a chance of winning is possible and there are admitted miscounts, as in one caucus where Paul was reported losing but a confirmation tally shows a 30 vote lead over Romney, the response is that these caucus don't really count. Then there are the results that were submitted but showed zeroed out on the final tally. Clearly the results and any claim that a recount will not change the outcome are suspect. Is this the first sign that our election process is rigged?
Java McPhearson — good post!
LOL, it is NOT the first sign…..
This is another reason why we should return Maine to its rightful owner…..Canada.
NEVER forget the litmus test a Government has to pass: "A Government that does not trust its Citizens to own guns, is a Government not to be trusted!" Lack of such trust will turn the Citizens into SUBJECTS!
And that's what Bama is getting ready to do! Read below:
*** NRA official: Obama wants to outlaw guns in 2nd term ***
A top official with the National Rifle Association said Friday that President Obama will move to “destroy” gun rights and “erase” the Second Amendment if he is re-elected in November.
While delivering one of the liveliest and best-received speeches at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said the president’s low-key approach to gun rights during his first term was “a “conspiracy to ensure re-election by lulling gun owners to sleep.”
“All that first term, lip service to gun owners is just part of a massive Obama conspiracy to deceive voters and hide his true intentions to destroy the Second Amendment during his second term,” he said.
“We see the president’s strategy crystal clear: Get re-elected and, with no more elections to worry about, get busy dismantling and destroying our firearms’ freedom, erase the Second Amendment from the Bill of Rights and excise it from the U.S. Constitution.”
Mr. LaPierre said the president’s two Supreme Court appointees — Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan— are “two of the most rabid anti-gun justices in history.” He also accused Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of being a foe of gun rights.
And with the possibility of two or more Supreme Court justice positions opening during the next four years, the NRA official warned that gun ownership would be in jeopardy if Mr. Obama stays in office.
“If we get one more like those three, the Second Amendment is finished,” he said. “It’ll be the end of our freedom forever.”
Mr. LaPierre, who said “there is no greater freedom than to own a firearm,” predicted that gun owners will rally en masse to defeat Mr. Obama in November.
“All of what we know is good and right about America, all of it could be lost if Barrack Obama is re-elected,” he said. “It’s all or nothing.”
To the National GOP;
I would like to lodge a complaint about the conduct of several of the Republican parties at the state level and I hope that the national party will do what they can to fix these state issues. The Primary/Caucus races have been a disaster for our political system and I am not only referring to Maine where many voters voices have been ignored by their own state GOP but also in the discrepancies and problems that have occurred in other states as well - Iowa, Nevada, etc. There is a saying I once heard… "once we have an accident, twice we have a fault, three times is delinquent, and four times is the fall"
Either these state GOP parties are incompetent or corrupt. Either way it is bad and needs to be cleaned up. The national party needs to stand up for what is right and get all the votes counted and they need to support the republican citizens of these states to help them clean up or clean out their state party apparatus.
Signed,
dddienst
NJ Republican
This is how our democracy works? "your votes won't be counted no matter what you say".
Forget about Ron Paul - something is seriously wrong.
Why so defensive?
You know how you get the feeling some thing is wrong- it really is. The people of maine should be extremely pissed. The government is supposed to support the interests of the people. Maybe GOP doesn't agree with that principle.
Wow
Sounds like he's got something to hide. Chariman, your secret will come to light and we'll all be watching for it…
SANTORUM FOR GOP CANDIDATE, AND PRESIDENT.
Everyone can candy coat whats going on with the GOP party,Its so Obvious a caveman can figure it out,Everyone of the candidates except Ron Paul are stinking COMMUNIST'S. Otherwise they wouldn't be doing the shady voting that's been going on in every State. People voting who are Dead,no I.D. required to vote,but wait wasn't it Bush who started Homeland Security ? But you dont have to have ID to vote? That means 1 person could vote 10 times,The Media kept Ron Paul out of the Limelight in 2008, and are minimizing the current trends with Ron Paul. This is shown by the Polls taken that Place Paul at the Top , but comes in lower numbers at the caucuses and primaries. Alot of Dead people voting. How can you trust the Globalist candidates who are just like Dick Cheney who hid the fact he was the Chairman for the CFR before the 04 elections, which if you dont know it the CFR was started by David Rockefeller a NWO Communist. If you vote for anyone but Ron Paul you are furthering the Communist take over of the United States.If Ron Doesn't become our President this Country will Burn.
It's rigged!! Any place where votes are cast for caucuses or primaries in this country, that take the ballots or vote total to a secret room, with 1 or 2 people doing the counting, IMO they are more than likely cheating. Then when guys like Mr. Webster start acting the way he acts, further proves the state has some major cheating and lying going on. I mean it's easy to know some cheating went down in main. Ron Paul was cheated in Iowa, NH, SC, NV and now Main. You all know it. Ron Paul is smoking the rest of the candidates but we know what would happen if the true results in these states were reported? It's not like his support would spead to that many more new people, because he has a majority of the support in EVERY state.
I've said this for a while, now Im seeing more and more people say this, but I don't know a single person supporting anybody else but RP. I haven't met anybody else in the past YEAR who is supporting anybody else But RP. BTW, I interact with alot of people everyday because of my job. NOBODY even mentions Gingrich, Romney or Santorum<—-he won my state so that blew me away. We can't just sit by while these states keep cheating and they WILL keep cheating RP, nothing will change. Quit letting these votes be counted in secret.
Any state that even claims a clerical error, the chairman of that state should be pressured to step down. The presidential election…..KIND OF A BIG DEAL TO BE MAKING ERRORS….or refusing to count half the state when 1 and 2 are so close.
Trav —
Looks like the GOP wants to gift Bama a 2nd term — so he can destroy our Republic…?
There could not be another explanation for their chicanery in trying to get Mitt elected (since must be obvious by now that Mitt's rhetoric has no chance to defeat Bama's rhetoric).
Why would the GOP want to do this….?!
I'm perplexed — can someone make a case for this idiocy?
Maybe someone should show the chairman in Iowa this video, maybe he will quit supporting Romney, who is promising MORE WAR! This is what u make possible by voting for a candidate promising America and the world, more war.
http://youtu.be/fKgMQUDZIKA
Almost forgot this. If u think war is the way, watch this!
http://youtu.be/zXSkaDNL37w
I don't believe romney is a good choice for our president!! He IS NOT a consertive!!! His money is used to tell lies about his fellow canidates!!! And I guess now that his money is used for bribbing state officials!!!We already have a president that has used any means to get elected and has no idea how to lead America!!He has no base support only money, just like obama!!!We also don't need a CEO we need a consertive president that will lead our country back to freedom in America!!!romney is spueing out that with his act of selling out companys has created 11,000 jobs!!! Big deal Texas gov. has created 4,000,000 jobs and romneys state was about the lowest state in the union for creating jobs!!!Voting for a democrate in state election and donateing money to the democrate party!!! I don't see a republican here!!!
This is really beyond belief at this point. What valid reason could they possibly have for withholding the results? The purpose of the straw poll is to tell the rest of the nation which candidate Maine voters like. To achieve that goal you need to count the votes, all of the votes, the best you can. What's not to understand about that?
It's unfortunate that people are harassing a staffer who made clerical errors. That shouldn't happen. But Webster is making it far worse for this staffer by not releasing the updated, corrected results. If errors are made and corrected, then fine, OK. Everything's copacetic. But if you make errors and then hide them? And still hide them after you've admitted there are errors? That's unconscionable.
There shouldn't be any physical threats. But I believe we have a duty to put every kind of pressure possible on Webster to release the most accurate numbers he has.
If you have the time check out my episode on voting…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTWhLLoSw8k&feature=share
It now appears that Maine will update incorrect results. They're trying to get everything ready today (Friday 17th).
However, they haven't said anything about releasing totals from contests held tomorrow (Saturday 18th).
Ryan Belcher —
LOL — the reason they want to do it today, is so they can exclude tomorrow's results!
Very slick….
im not a ron paul fan but this is stupid on the part of webster id be shocked if he doesnt take alot of heat over this i personally would like him to be fired if i voted id be pissed that was my vote wasnt counted
antiromney —
Here are Maine's GOP actions simplified:
Feb.11th *happy face* states: "We are telling you now Romney won!"
Days later *sad face* asks: "And now you want us to prove it, too…?!"
Reported on RevolutionPAC
As you may have heard, under pressure from Ron Paul supporters, the GOP in Maine has reversed their decision not to count the Washington County votes in the final tally.
We will provide video documentation of this caucus to ensure that all is fair and transparent.
But that's not the only thing. Keep reading.
In addition, RevPAC has been contacted by a GOP chairman in Maine who is offering to give us exclusive access to his experiences of GOP corruption following the initial voting. Before he raised the alarm, several towns (known to be Ron Paul strongholds) were listed with "0" votes on the official state GOP website.
It does not matter. The only thing is important. Ron Paul is the best candidate, he will be really the best president and president, who cares about USA and it is really time to understand it and elect normal president at last.
Lee P: I do not agree with ur statement tht maine should be made part of canada. Let's let past wars b in the past and leave tht matter alone. This issue here is how corrupted the Maine elections r… And we need to focus on that.
Thank you to surfisher and the others who regularly comment and help me understand this whole thing. What I can't understand is why they don't just have one big vote on one day, and decide on a leader by what voters say. If party leaders have something against one of the candidates, let them inform the public. They shoukd not be able to change the delegates. Look at Canada for fair leadership elections. Although they don't get near as much media attention (look at the present NDP race), they still hold debates and let voters, but ONLY NDP members, vote for a leader in one night: the person with most votes wins; it's as easy as that! I understand that America is more patriotic than canada in general but Canada boasts multiculturalism and a sense of equality and fairness that I fear the US government lacks. Also, look at the amount of money that the NDP spends in comparison to the republican or democrats. Even if u figure cost per voter the Canadian government is saving BIG money!
This is just a little reminder from your frends across the border, just look how well Stephen Harper is leading canada! Look how well Canada's economy is striving! I hope for the US that they can find a leader like him!
Goodbye Mr. Webster you will not hold your office much longer. You must be a RINO yourself!