TIM CARNEY: Republican Leaders Trample The Grassroots In Tampa. “You might think a party whose power in Washington is due to bottom-up, decentralized grassroots passion would not resort to top-down, centralized control.”

They don’t call it the “stupid party” for nothing.

UPDATE: Pushback from reader Bruce Newman:

I consider myself part of the “grass roots” and a “tea-partier”, but I don’t have too many issues with the rules. The damn Paul-bots stole my vote as a GOP NV caucus-goer.

Heh. Good point.