Raucous Caucus: Largest Missouri Caucus Shut Down Before Delegates Chosen

Those awaiting complete returns from the Missouri caucus may be in for a long wait. The St. Charles County caucus was shut down before delegates were even chosen.

St. Louis Today reports Raucous GOP caucus in St. Peters is shut down

In St. Charles County, which was to have been the biggest single prize of the day, the caucus was shut down before delegates were chosen after a boisterous crowd objected to how the meeting was being run, including an attempted ban on videotaping. Two supporters of presidential hopeful Ron Paul were arrested.

At other caucuses, participants gathered outdoors as the appointed locations turned out to be too small to accommodate crowds or waited for hours as organizers worked through procedural questions.

Even before the day’s events took a rancorous turn, state Republican officials said the winner of the caucus would not be officially known until next month. But with the confusion surrounding St. Charles, and many more delegates available in a pair of caucuses next weekend, the primary picture for Missouri may have only become murkier Saturday.

In Ballwin, participants were shut out of an appearance by White House hopeful Rick Santorum because the City Council chambers had reached its 118-person capacity.

The caucus in St. Charles County, which was held at Francis Howell North High in St. Peters, was adjourned after police said they were going to “shut us down,” according to Matt Ehlen, the Republican activist who was named chairman of the meeting.

However, several individuals at the caucus said much of the consternation revolved around Ehlen himself. Ehlen became chairman after a voice vote, but the head of the county GOP organization failed to recognize any other candidate.

“All of sudden he’s the chairman and the place goes nuts,” said Tim Finch, a Paul supporter from Dardenne Prairie. “This is not how it’s supposed to work.”

Some of Paul’s supporters were also irked by an announced ban on video recording, with organizers asking police to help enforce it.

When the objections reached a fever pitch, the meeting was shut down without any delegates being awarded.

I received an email from a cameraman who was arrested at the caucus for videotaping the event. Here is the footage.



Link if video does not play: Missouri Caucus Rigged Fraud

Second video showing the fraudulent selection of caucus chairman.



Link if video does not play: St. Charles MO Hijacked Caucus

Real Clear Politics now shows Missouri Caucus results moved from March 17 to April 21.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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