Count the grass-roots Republican pastor from Mountain Iron as one of the delegates at the Republican National Convention who was livid Tuesday after new convention rules were adopted despite dissent from groups from Minnesota and other states.
"They absolutely had an unfair process," said Kevin Erickson during a break from the floor of the convention in Tampa, Fla. "I feel like I've been thrown by a horse and stomped on by a bull."
Supporters of Ron Paul made one final push to support the Texas congressman's bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination Tuesday, and in the process made their displeasure at the GOP establishment known as official proceedings at the convention began.
Paul's supporters shouted and booed when rules were adopted that would hinder the kind of grass-roots campaign that carried Paul to the national convention.
In short, Erickson said, those supporting minority candidates are no longer welcome.
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"Now the front runner has the right to unseat any delegate," he said. "It really hurts the party in ensuring that grass-roots policies are not wanted."
At one point, delegates from Maine walked off the convention floor in protest of a decision to replace 10 of the 20 delegates Paul had secured in the state. That move prevented Maine from submitting Paul's name for nomination.
"I wanted to see the chairman keep it fair," said Tom Bronza, a delegate and Ron Paul supporter from Pennsylvania. "I just wanted to see the yeas and nays on the rolls. I knew it would be close. I wanted to record the numbers and wanted the chair to announce it. He didn't. I am disappointed in that. But that's the way the cards fell."
Bronza said the treatment from national Republicans toward Paul supporters had him seriously weighing whether he would vote for Mitt Romney in November.
The Minnesota delegation of 40 people had 33 Paul voters and six Romney supporters.
Erickson said it was difficult to explain the frustration people were feeling, "and not just the Ron Paul people," he said.
The Romney supporters have moved on, Erickson said Tuesday before going back in for the rest of the night's speeches. The frustrated Paul supporters will stick through the convention, he said, but begrudgingly.
"It's an infomercial for TV," he said of the highly scripted convention activities. He said he is trying to connect with people at the convention with conversations beyond trite party sound bites.
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"I'm planting seeds," he said.
"There's the temptation to pull away from politics" after the events Tuesday, Erickson said. "But it only provides me with a double dose of resolve."
The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this report.
