Our country is supposed to function on the basic principles of majority rule in open and fair elections. A fringe of the latest iteration of the GOP has made much of the (patently false) claim that voter fraud has cost GOP candidates offices.

On Saturday, March 6, we witnessed the rather primitive play of power in the Marion County GOP’s election of Joe Elsener as County chair. Mr Elsener was a last-minute candidate chosen for the party by a hierarchy immune from popular checks. (Look at the State GOP by-laws!)

The first “pick” of those in power was unable to run because of the State GOP’s inability, even with super majorities in both houses of the General Assembly (thanks gerrymandering!) and the office of Governor, to alter our State’s statutes.

If State leadership gave a damn, its members would have looked for a candidate who would at least have been in the State of Indiana on the day of the caucus. Leadership did not have to worry as rules have changed with time, especially in regard to precinct committee people (PCs).

Every precinct in Marion County has a PC who can appoint a vice (VPC). A lot of the precinct committee positions are vacant. People are apathetic. Vacancies, as needed, can be filled by the County chair. A former GOP State chair called such appointees “mummy dummies.”

The County chair can fire mummy dummies, but not elected PCs, at will. Mr Elsener faced challengers, but was elected County chair by a wide margin. Records of who is an appointed PC are not easily obtained as those records are not public and then inaccurate.

The State and County GOP practice trickle-down politics. Such a system, as its cousin in economic (drawn on a cocktail napkin at a party) theory, is unsound. People at the top complain about a lack of candidates, yet empty their bladders in the “new” faces that appear.

Indiana law lets “two major” political parties enjoy specific advantages. Racists, misogynists and advocates of theocracy control the GOP, one of the two major political parties. We can (1) fight the party itself, (2) fight from within the party or (3) change the law.

I am the elected Republican PC for Washington Township, 21-01. I favor (1) and (3). If we can “primary” right-wing GOP candidates as was done to others 10 years or so ago, that would be beautiful. I’m in Indiana. We have to fight this as we can.