Chaos at the OK GOP Convention in Norman, Police Called to Assist

The black eye this gives Republicans in Oklahoma makes you wonder what is going to happen in November.  A Romney person hits a Ron Paul person because he doesn't like the way he votes?  This beyond disgusting and frankly one more reason to wonder why I am a Republican.  This is not the Republican Party I grew up with but what I have seen out of the last two State Conventions I attended.  Refuse to waste my time going to another one.

This Convention was scheduled for Norman, OK, for the same weekend as The University of Oklahoma graduation ceremony Friday night and then all the colleges graduating on Saturday.  Once again the GOP didn't care about the people who were attending the graduation.  Not the first time it has happened.

To read this makes me totally disgusted with the status of the Republican Party in this State.  Figured it was going to be bad when I got an email from the Santorum Chair warning there was going to be problems.  When you have to call the police in to assist, the whole Party structure should be ashamed at the way they handed the convention.  Changing the rules in mid-stream and keeping people from voting doesn't seem very Republican to me but it seems like it is anything for Mitt Romney here now.  

Wasn't there -- more important things to do then sit through a shouting match that has been happening at the Conventions.  

Chaos at the convention, police called to assist
Posted on: 12:06 am, May 13, 2012, by La'Tasha Givens, updated on: 09:55am, May 13, 2012

Norman, Okla.– Contention at the convention, that’s how many Republicans described the Oklahoma State Convention Saturday. 

Republicans from almost every county gathered in Norman to vote on party issues. However, parliamentary procedure took a back seat to physical altercations.

Dozens of attendees told NewsChannel 4 police had to get involved when a Mitt Romney supporter believed to be almost 80-years-old punched a Ron Paul supporter in the head after they disagreed on a vote.

Kyle Minor spoke to us about being hit. “At the end of the day we got everything done. I don’t want to focus on the negative but I do appreciate the police assistance,” says Minor. 

Conference goers showed us video of the police defusing the situation. 

Viewers later tweeted to a reporter Minor may have been aggressive with the elderly man. Witnesses also say a woman was hit in the back by another woman. 

They say a water bottle and paper were thrown. 

Norman police could not be reached for comment as it was after hours. 

Attendees say there was a lot of disagreement throughout the day but things came to a halt when the lights were turned off and the conference room walls closed one group out. 

Former Vice Chair Cheryl Williams says, “This just breaks my heart. I want justice and peace among the party.” 

When our cameras arrived, supporters for Romney, Santorum, Gingrich and others were gone. Only Ron Paul supporters were left to talk about their concerns. 

However, some of the party officials we spoke to off camera say they believe things got heated and out of control because supporters of different candidates are so passionate about the upcoming election. 

But they also say, at the end of the day, they’re all Republicans and want see one of their own in the White House instead of President Obama. 

Source:  Channel 4 News