Posted on 05/05/2016 11:41:16 AM PDT by Peter ODonnell
This sudden and orchestrated list of events -- Cruz drops out, Kasich drops out, Romney not to attend GOP Convention, Bush family not to attend -- and others beyond -- suggests to this observer that the other shoe is about to drop.
We must be careful at Free Republic to realize that a prevailing mood here is not necessarily an indication of a strong prevailing mood elsewhere in American political culture. It might be at best what one third of one half are thinking, in other words, what one-sixth of the voters accept to be orthodox self-evident truth.
The fact that you and I believe something does not make it true or even feasible that many of the other five-sixths of the political spectrum accept or believe it.
So it would not surprise me, and it should not surprise you, if the following scenario or something like it unfolds.
First, the Republican Party will announce that the Cleveland convention is no longer happening. They will say that they accept the nomination of Donald Trump to run as president is inevitable but that he cannot have the endorsement of the Republican Party. That would no doubt lead to numerous large legal battles fought mainly at the state level. But as a political fait accompli, if the party mechanism does not move into the convention centre, then it is basically de facto a Donald Trump Independent for President convention with whatever supporters of his decide to show up. What they do and decide will then determine how the Trump campaign proceeds although if any wind of this reaches the Trump forces before mid- to late May, clearly there are legal problems they need to investigate on a number of levels.
One of those will be, how does Donald Trump get his name on ballots? How is he to be styled on the ballots?
Meanwhile, I would expect the Republican Party to announce a new and different convention location, wherein delegates appointed by a process that they fully control would choose a nominee. That person would then go onto the ballot as the Republican depending on the outcome of any legal challenges brought by Donald Trump.
One really has to wonder if, confronted with this situation, Donald Trump would want to go before the voters as a Republican anyway.
This process would create more or less the same dynamics as the 1992 election. There would be a maverick iconoclast (like Perot), a relatively unpopular Republican establishment candidate, and a Clinton. But of course, not the charismatic and seductive one, but the old one with baggage and huge question marks (in the 20-20 hindsight that we all have, of course, the first one had those same attributes, except not so many people knew).
So would that be a cakewalk for Hillary Clinton? Probably not. Both of her opponents would easily be able to rebut her assertions that the Republican process was anti-democratic. Bernie Sanders proves that point, more people are actually voting for him than for Hillary in most states so far. But he has no path to the nomination either.
Do you folks think this could happen? I think the tells are pretty obvious. Or will the party go through the motions of lukewarm support but spring a third option after the convention on the grounds that Trump is trailing badly in the polls? (if that happens)
Of course, one thing would forestall all of this -- Ted Cruz as running mate. There's no way the GOP would roll the dice against 70% of the primary voters, they might try it against 45%.
This is just my opinion. I have no insider knowledge.
(cue the History Channel bad hair pictures)
I wouldn’t give the idiots any ideas. They’re certainly not smart enough to come up with your scenario on their own.
If they do try this, I don’t think Trump would need Cruz on the ticket to get the Cruz voters. They’d be just as pissed as the rest of us.
I am braced for anything. This, I believe, must play out for a couple of weeks yet.
No one should quite assume the sale, just yet. It looks very good on its face, but no money has yet changed hands to prove the deal is sealed by any means.
Let’s observe how the TEXAS Republican Convention plays out.
Cruz will expose what is up and what is not, or will he show up at all. It is a crazy year.
After Joe Biden, isn't the VP slot supposed to be open to whoever is willing to play the role of Court Fool, like Crazy Uncle Joe? Somebody who is put in the role solely to deflect criticism when the Boss needs him to do that? Somebody who guarantees the CIA won't assassinate the Prez, because then the Village Idiot who took over would be so much worse it would be too terrible to contemplate?
Kasich is not that guy. He may not be a very inspiring speaker, but he is a competent administrator. If he became VP and HAD to take over, he wouldn't be a disaster.
People in politics usually do not want their potential replacements to be people with a lot of political ambition, for obvious reasons.
Maybe since he quit the race, Kasich has had all his political ambition kicked out of him for good, and would pose no threat. I think he'd make a decent, respectable VP.
Do people actually make money coming up with these absurd ideas? 90% or better repubs are going to rally around Trump, Many independents and Reagan Democrats are going to cross over. States like Ohio and Wisc. are going Trump and we will win in a relatively tight election. Trump will turn out to be a very competent President and we’ll all wonder why we didn’t support him sooner. The polls now consist of a bunch of libtards polling eachother and trying to frighten you. If a guy can manage a 10 billion dollar empire he can certainly do aq better job of managing America!
Bush, Romney — they are the ghosts of GOP past their attendance is neither required or desired — particularly for Romney since I still have a fondness for W.
Hand the reigns of this convention over to Donald Trump and I’m sure it will be a favorably memorable one as Trump will play for History.
8 years from Today. Millions of young adults will be hitting their 30’s and 40’s. What will they be like because Trump was president for 8 years? What would they have been like if it was Hillary?
I wouldn’t put anything past this corrupt criminal oligarchy.. I fear for his and his families life.. Praying God keeps them safe.
Much of the discussion begs the question, at what point is the event in Cleveland not really the Republican convention? What’s in a name, if it’s only Donald Trump and his supporters there?
And if the other elements of the party then meet at some other time and place, and don’t call it a convention, but nominate a candidate? How does that make my theory wrong except on technicalities?
But I think I would revise some of my details after getting this feedback. As I said, I have no (insider) knowledge.
Hahahahahahaha....
Love it.
Correctamundo! If this scenario actually did take place,it would still be a two party race...the Dhimmicratic Party and the Trump Party. The Repug party would no longer exist.
Ted Cruz is one of them...
Yeah, well it's not so secret anymore, the owner of Area 57 is converting the old storage units into condos to be rented out to illegals...
Can you send me what you are on?
I think your beeber needs stuned.
“Bad idea. That would start the revolution.”
Beat me to it.
I have always said that if Hitlery is elected, the revolution will commence before the end of her term. If the scenario outlined in this post occurs, CWII will start before the election. I believe there are several states that will not stand for anything like this.
We need to somehow get Burney to accept the Green Party nomination. That worked well for W. Bush with Ralph Nader in 2000, and may have tipped FL to Republican.
Note to self, stop reading here.
I sure do wish people would stop trying to attach every GOPE loser under the sun to Trump’s ticket.
There is a reason no one voted for these fools.
We do not want them anymore, and they serve no purpose.
My theory is that by the time of the convention Trump will have made nice with both Romney and the Bushes and Mitt and at least one of the Georges will be there to help carry on the tradition of the Grand Old Party.....
I'd like to see 'em try it though and GTF out of any party I am a part of.
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