The Kansas City Star reports:
Organizers shut down one of the largest GOP caucuses, in St. Charles County, because of bitter disputes between supporters of Rep. Ron Paul and attendees supporting other presidential hopefuls. Confusion and contention also marred several other crowded Republican gatherings, the Associated Press reported.
In Clay County, arguments between Paul supporters and others became so intense that the caucus chairman threatened to have voters removed by force.
Backers of the Texas congressman said they were upset their views weren’t being heard. “We’re just a little frustrated because caucuses are supposed to be run by a very strict set of rules,” said Paul supporter John Findlay, who lost his bid to become caucus chairman. “We raised a number of points of order, points of information, points of parliamentary inquiry, many of which have been ignored.”
But county caucus chairman Ben Wierzbicki said all caucus-goers had been treated fairly.
“Certain people have made it very difficult on most of the people who are involved in this caucus,” he said. “It might be a little crazy, but that’s part of it.”
This seems to be the M.O. – become belligerent, push the envelope and then claim victim status. I’m tried of the drama that Paul is causing when he has zero chance of winning anything. He came in dead last during the Missouri Primary, I know it’s non-binding, but almost 241,000 people came out on February 7th and of the three candidates who were still in the race who were on the ballot Paul came in last.
He should be trying to win contests and run an actual campaign instead of whatever it is he thinks he’s going to do with the delegate process in Caucus states.
Update: Some evidence that the Missouri Caucus process is screwed up.
- St. Patrick’s Day Massacre
- Greene County Hostile Takeover
- Read some of the comments at Gateway Pundit from Missourians about their caucus experience with Paul supporters.
- Bad behavior wasn’t just on the Paul side.