There is an old saying, “Justice delayed is Justice Denied!” In the case of the Rogue Republicans years-long unfounded and malicious attacks on Danny Blanton and then Ronnie Grigg during the 2022 School Board Elections, Justice was finally delivered to the Rogue Republicans-in Spades. But you had to be paying close attention and then do some serious contemplation to fully figure out and appreciate what had just happened at the March 4th, 2023 CCGOP Convention. Even when you were sitting very close to the front of the room. So much for old sayings.
Robert A has not counted, but figures he has written well over 100 articles related to the shenanigans and dastardly deeds the Rogue Republican “Snub-licans” tried to pull off on Danny Blanton, Ronnie Grigg and others over the past two years on behalf of CCS School Board Chairman Robert Queen and his cohorts in crime. When the “Snubs” couldn’t beat Blanton in the 2022 School Board Primary Elections, they resorted to supporting Democrat candidates in the 2022 General Elections-in total disregard to the North Carolina GOP By-lays, when many complained to the State Snub-lican Chairman, Michael Whatley. Whatley refused to do anything to enforce the rules that were clearly broken, So much for Michael Whatley and the State Snubs.
The Cleveland County Republican voters took measures in their own hands at the ballot box in 2022. They voted in droves and droves, despite the Rogues and Snub-licans, to re-elect Danny Blanton and elect Ronnie Grigg by wide, wide margins. Totally defeating the Rogues and the elitist Snubs. But the Cleveland County Rogues and Snubs completely ignored the will of the people, Ignored the voters and ignored all their fellow Republicans and held their heads up high in defiance. These elitist Snubs pretended their total defeat ever happened and thought they would live forever unscathed and unpunished by their blatant treachery. Until the March 4th CCGOP Convention held at the LeGrand Center.
In the very last few days, hours, minutes and seconds leading up to this March 4th CCGOP Conventions the majority of the Rogues and Snubs, already named personally many times in Robert A’s previous articles, really and truly believed they were still in control of the CCGOP. However, Sherry Yocum, head of the Republican Women (WeRCC) had already published her intentions to run for the CCGOP Chairwomanship and there were rumblings that the 2022 slate would rather NOT be nominated than be nominated and then defeated.
When the actual meeting started, it was led by the 2022 Vice-Chairman Kevin Whisnant. Whisnant stated that the 2022 Chairman, David Allen, who normally would open the Meeting had a prior engagement as a City of Kings Mountain Councilman/ Of course nobody at the meeting believed that. City Official never have Saturday meetings except maybe on the Golf Course. David Allen, who totally allowed the Rogues and the Snubs to break every rule in the book, was too ashamed to show his face at this Convention.
Then the Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance and various reports were made. Kevin Whisnant recited some Election Board statistics that showed Republican registrations were up and Democrat registrations were down. And gave improper credit to the hard work by the CCGOP. Everybody knows the COVID mishandling, high gas prices, inflation, the surrendering to Afghanistan, School Closings and such by Joe Biden, Roy Cooper and the foolish and crazy Democrats had everything to do with that and the CCGOP had absolutely NOTHING to do with it. A bit later Tim Moore repeated what Robert A has been saying for over a year now. That no Democrats had a chance of winning any election for local offices in Cleveland County for a very long time.
Another thing that Tim Moore announced was that Senior Superior Court Judge Don Bridges had retired and Assistant District Attorney Sally Kirby-Turner had been appointed by Governor Roy Cooper (a Democrat) as the new Superior Court Judge. Robert A remembers writing an article about Sally Kirby when she was first hired, straight out of Law School, into the District Attorney’s Office to go directly into Superior Court to try Superior Court (Felony) Cases. Robert A remembers court-watching an early felony case tried by Sally Kirby that she won. She immediately came up to Robert A and proudly stated that she had won the case. ADA Sally Kirby was rendered temporarily speechless when Robert A requested an interview.
The next order of business at the Convention was a determination of the majority of the delegates present-which was 43. A Super majority was 56. Robert A’s quick math indicated 85 voting delegates were present. Which was strange as the voting that was about to happen was not counted. It was only a show of hands.
Another strange happening was the Adoption of the Convention Agenda which happened about 35 minutes after the meeting had begun. Jason Falls was selected somehow prior to the meeting as the Convention Chairman and led the rest of the meeting. This was the important part. When the new 2023 CCGOP officials ere to be elected. This was where the rubber was about to meet the road. Supposedly!!
The next ten minutes were spent adopting the Convention Rules, adopting the 2022 Convention Minutes. Adopting the Treasurer’s Report ($8,204 cash balance) and adopting the CCGOP Plan of Organization Report. All this was approved overwhelmingly by a show of hands. Only thing though, the 2023 Convention Rules just adopted included a section on voting (Rule 16) that was completely different than the voting that had just taken place. And that would continue to take place. Robert A was beginning to smell a rat. The very next thing on the Agenda was the election of the new slate of CCGOP Officers. This was exactly where the rubber was to meet the road. This was where the alleged “bloodletting” was supposed to happen.
The Nomination of officers was to be entirely from the floor. Robert A expected that each of the officers: Chairman. Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer would be elected separately. And voted on one-at-a-time. Instead, Valorie McCoy rose to her feat and read off a nomination for the entire slate of officers. Sherry Yocum for Chairwoman, Noah Saldo as Vice Chairman. Tanzy Wallace as Secretary and Pam Keller as Treasurer. There were no other nominations and Jason Falls called for a vote by a show of hands. Completely different than what the just passed rules for voting called for. In an instant what appeared to be a 100% of the hands (including Robert A’s) present were raised and the deed was done. The Rogues and Snubs were gone in three offices. Snub-lican Pam Keller was elected Treasurer. Robert A puzzled over that a bit but concluded that the CCGOP Treasurer probably had fiduciary credential requirements and Pam Keller might have been the only person who was willing to take the job. So, Robert A decided he was OK with it. That WeRCC had taken over the CCGOP and all was well that ends well.
But things were not over yet. Wes Westmorland rose to inform the Convention that the delegates for the State Convention, by the rules of the State Convention, had to be selected at the County Conventions and that if they were not chosen now, Cleveland County would not have any delegates allowed at the State Convention in 2024.
Voting for delegates to the State Convention was NOT on the CCGOP Convention agenda, so Westmoreland entered a motion to amend the agenda to include electing delegates for the State Convention in 2024. Robert A immediately smelled another rat.
The Number One Rogue Republican, Dennis Bailey, rose and nominated the “same delegates as last year.” Somebody seconded the nomination. Others yelled out “Name them”. Bailey foolishly proceeded to name himself, Kevin Whisnant and two others and then said there was a fifth delegate but he had forgotten their name. Immediately a nomination for Kathy Allen for that fifth delegate was made, seconded, voted upon and approved. Then a cluster of motions, seconds, withdrawal of motions, etc. transpired. Total chaos and confusion. Commissioner Johnny Hutchins got up to correctly say that he was confused and thought that many others were also confused. To, slow down and get things back under control.
In the end, Dennis Bailey, Kevin Whisnant and several others including Kathy Allen were approved with Rogue Republican Democrat supporter Guy Smith approved as an alternate. Then the meeting was adjourned.
Robert A was thrilled that the CCGOP had been so quickly and quietly been disposed of in a successful coup d’état. Robert A had major concerns and questions about why Dennis Bailey, Kevin Whisnant, Guy Smith and others had managed to get themselves appointed as State Convention Delegates instead of being booted out the door as they deserved.
A bit later that afternoon Robert A attended the Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser for the Parents Against Bullying NC held at the Biker Church on South Lafayette Street. Still pondering over the slate of State Delegates and how they had managed to pull off their own coup d’état. The Spaghetti was good and as Robert A was looking around at the fundraiser supporters, he noticed that NO other Republicans who were at the Convention were in attendance. Robert A also noticed how well the Biker family children behaved.
Then, as Robert A was driving home to Fallston, the answer to the CC Rogue Republican State Delegates hit him like a ton of bricks. The Rogues had pulled-off nothing. The Women Republicans (WeRCC) had allowed the Rogues to fall into their own trap. The State GOP who did nothing (NOTHING) to enforce the NCGOP Plan of Organization Rules are NOW set to receive the CCGOP REJECTS!!! The back biting, back-stabbing, Rogue, snub-lican CCGOP Democrat supporting rejects are now problems for the State (NCGOP), Tim Moore, Kelly Hastings and Ted Alexander to handle. Robert A had to laugh out loud (lol) at himself for taking so long in figuring out this puzzle. It also reminded Robert A of another old saying: “He who laughs Last, laughs loudest”