Healing Will not be Instant, Since Many of Those Present Experienced Rude Treatment of Greenville Delegation at State Convention of Which the Current Chairman Matt Moore Was a Part
South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Matt Moore attended the Greenville County Executive Committee meeting Monday night carrying a symbolic olive branch in an attempt to mend fences and heal wounds inflicted on delegates from Greenville by state party officials during last year’s State Convention.
County Chairman Chad Groover introduced Moore as someone who “will be a good friend to Greenville, an we will be able to work together in the future for Republican candidates and Republican causes.”
Unfortunately, in recent years, Greenville County Republicans have received more opposition than support from the state party organization. Moore and Groover pledge to change that. Only time will tell whether the State will support Greenville County or will Greenville County yield to pressure from the State.
The Greenville County GOP has expended thousands of dollars of personal donations and party funds and hundreds of thousands of dollars in pro bono legal fees by party members in an effort to force the Republican controlled Legislature to allow Republicans to select their own candidates in closed primaries. The State party pledged support in the court case. The state party withdrew their support just days before the case went to court. The liberal federal judge threw the case out stating her reason as lack of support by the state party. Greenville County is appealing the case without state support.
Greenville County passed a resolution urging the Legislature to stop Obamacare and the State Party refused to support the resolution.
“There is a great spirit of willingness by me and my team to work with Greenville. I want to work with you. I came to your Christmas party … You all are really important. Don’t forget how important you are and how important your voices are. I will not silence your voice.... You have my word on that.”
Moore noted that South Carolina will have the first in the South presidential primary again in 2016.
He is trying to find 100,000 new Republicans in South Carolina this year.
In response to a question Moore promised that Greenville County delegates would not be relegated to the back of the room in the next state convention.
Moore is the first paid state party chairman and the party has refused to make public the amount of his salary. He was asked about transparency, but was not responsive.
Greenville is the most conservative and the most Republican county in South Carolina. If a large number of conservatives stay home because they are angry with the party leadership, Democrats will win. Three Greenville County Republican party leaders resigned in recent weeks due to internal bickering. Their experience, contacts and grass roots influence is lost for the foreseeable future.
Dean Allen, a member of the executive committee, informed Chairman Moore that it will take more than a few speeches to solve the problems between Greenville County conservatives and the State Republican party.
The chairman was treated with respect and generally speaking the meeting may have a positive effect if the promised good will materializes and persists.