I think we need to consider the possibility that the Texas GOP is populated by morons. https://t.co/RMsFGTn4uS
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) July 3, 2020
Texas Republicans to host in-person convention despite a surge in coronavirus cases in Houston, where it will take place https://t.co/YO4reChjwP by @bradleybrooks pic.twitter.com/kOgOGaD3k5
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 3, 2020
Because The ‘Rona Is Not The Boss of Us, they just doubled down, per the local ABC affiliate:
The Texas GOP’s executive committee voted Thursday night to proceed with plans to hold the party’s in-person convention in Houston later this month.
The convention, scheduled for July 16-18, will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, where roughly 6,000 people are expected to attend…
Thursday’s vote came hours after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered most counties in Texas to require masks in public – a notable turnaround for a governor who spent months resisting calls for such a requirement. Under Abbott’s latest action, Dickey said during Thursday’s meeting, convention attendees would now be required to wear masks for most of an in-person event.
Over the past week, demands have mounted for the party to cancel plans for an in-person convention, with some Republicans stating they would not attend such an event due to safety concerns. Others have also cited concerns about the optics of attending a large gathering while small businesses in their districts remain shuttered under the governor’s orders.
Meanwhile, a faction of activists has argued that canceling an event focused on selecting delegates for the national convention and voting on the party’s platform, among other things, would not reflect well on a party that dubs itself the party of personal responsibility. Some have also suggested that a virtual convention could disenfranchise certain delegates…
Legal liability notice, tucked into the middle of the story…
The SREC is scheduled to meet again Sunday to consider changing the party’s rules. Those rules will include a tweak that allows the party to act on an “emergency fallback contingency plan,” if necessary, to hold a virtual convention, party Chair James Dickey told members as he kicked off Thursday’s virtual meeting…
Earlier note, from the Texas Tribune:
… On Tuesday, Abbott granted local officials the power to restrict outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people, but made no mention of indoor gatherings. The Texas GOP convention is expected to draw about 6,000 attendees, roughly half of what it would expect for such a convention in normal times, according to Whatley. The party’s website brands its biannual convention as the “largest political gathering in the free world.”
Whatley said registrations are “increasing exponentially” as the convention nears.
David Lakey, the former commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, said he believes large indoor gatherings of more than 100 people are not advisable at this time.
“I think, right now, I wouldn’t hold a group larger than 100 individuals,” he said. “I think people need to be very cautious about making — especially in the month of July — any plans for a big conference.”
The party does not plan to require masks at the convention, though chairman James Dickey acknowledged Tuesday that Harris County is currently under an order mandating that businesses require customers to wear masks.
“The Republican Party isn’t considered a commercial entity so they themselves are not required to comply with the mask order,” said Melissa Arredondo, a spokesperson for the office of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who issued the mask order….
I’m beginning to think we need a new category tag for the next few months: GOP Death Cult.
Repub Stupidity Open Thread: Putting the ‘Ass’ in TexASSPost + Comments (121)
