All Odds Aside, G.O.P. Girding for Floor Fight

New York Times ^

[Sub-Driver]

All Odds Aside, G.O.P. Girding for Floor Fight By JEFF ZELENY and JIM RUTENBERG

CHICAGO — For the first time in a generation, Republicans are preparing for the possibility that their presidential nomination could be decided at their national convention rather than on the campaign trail, a prospect that would upend one of the rituals of modern politics.

The race remains Mitt Romney’s to lose, and if he continues to accumulate delegates at a steady clip starting with contests in Puerto Rico on Sunday and Illinois on Tuesday, he can still amass the 1,144 necessary to secure the nomination before the last primary, in Utah on June 26.

But as he struggles to win the hearts of conservative voters and hold off a challenge from Rick Santorum, party leaders, activists and the campaigns are for the first time taking seriously the possibility that neither he nor anyone else will get to that total.

In that case, the nomination would be decided by the more than 2,200 delegates — from obscure local officials and activists to national figures — who will attend the party’s convention in Tampa, Fla., in late August.

They would embark on an unscripted, contentious and televised drama that has not played out in 36 years, a period in which both major party conventions have become slickly produced and highly choreographed pep rallies kicking off the general election campaign.

With that in mind, campaign and party lawyers are dusting off their party rule books, running through decades-old procedural arcana and studying the most recent convention-floor fight, between Ronald Reagan and President Gerald R. Ford in 1976. Republican officials also are bracing for the possibility of a prenomination clash between the party’s establishment and members of the Tea Party movement...

[Jacquerie]

Good. So far, the Rino has a plurality.

Conservatives have the majority.

[VictoryGal]

Fine. The GOP-E has been goading us into a full-on brawl for years, with their capitulation, two-faced talk, aiding and abetting the enemies of America from within. They have absolutely refused to see where the majority of their party, and the majority of this country, has their values. They thought they could dupe us. Well, it didn’t work.

THERE ARE MORE OF US THAN THERE ARE OF THEM. Bring. It. ON!!!!

[traditional1]

Romney-the-RINO WILL the Nominee, by hook or by crook, as the Establishment Elite will not be outspent OR out-voted.

We are very likely to have 4 more years on the Usurper and destruction of the remnants of a once-great Country (now under control of the Unions, aka, the People's Worker's Party) and a Socialist-non-Native-Born Messiah-in-Chief.

[traditional1]

WILL should be WILL BE

[biggredd1]

gird your loins.

[org.whodat]

If it goes to the convention willard will win, period, the man with the most votes wins. That is what we all believe, algore does not.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Worst that can happen is that they shove a RINO down our throats. Again.

Or maybe the Tea Party ain't as dead as state-controlled media claims.

Maybe the Tea Party only shows up when it counts, because they actually work for a living and pay their bills and don't have the time to "occupy" anything.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

If it goes to the convention willard will win, period, the man with the most votes wins.

At least we'd have gone down swinging.

But I suspect that there are a lot of stealth Tea Partiers among the delegates.

[SoFloFreeper]

Sigh. We fight each other, while ignoring the real enemy—Obama.

[kalee]

Make sure you have a voice in who represents your state at the national convention. Go to precinct, county, district and state conventions. Vote for conservative delegates ppor maybe offer yourself as a delegate. National Convention will be expensive. It’s estimated 4,000$ per person to attend, that estimate by our county chairman here in NC. If you can’t go at least have a say in selecting who will.

[org.whodat]

It has been my understand that delegates are your standard old party hacks that are looking for horse trading and favors. If that has changed I missed it. I have only know a couple personally, wrong I have known a couple of democrats and republicans, and they were that way on both sides. I know the LT governor of Tennessee also, he is probably a delegate.

[kalee]

Don’t sit at home, organize at the precinct, county, and district levels. Have a voice in determining who those delegates who go to National are.

[Christie at the beach]

Well, we know the primary and the fall election have been rigged for Romney as it's.. THIS GUY'S TURN. Between him and Obama, it will be hard to motivate the base. The Fox people and Rush types will scare us into voting but will they be able to scare enough? That is the question. Some people would rather see something real bad happen forcing the country to make changes..I don't think Obama is going to leave (period)due to his untrustworthy behavior and on-going unconstitutional actions) Anyone with common sense knows we have a problem, when a Sheriff in Arizona says that he has proof of forgery being committed involving Obama’s certificate; in which Obama listed on the government's official website. Can you say Bush (if this were him). I recall Chris Matthews saying there were so many cover ups in this current White House when he was going off on one of his tirades. Few nights later, of course Chris revised his assertions.

[babygene]

“Romney-the-RINO WILL the Nominee, by hook or by crook, as the Establishment Elite will not be outspent OR out-voted.”

Well, he won’t be my candidate if there is someone more conservative running as a third or fourth party candidate...

[smoothsailing]

"The idea that the Republicans have to be organized before Labor Day or they will be out of the race I think is a fundamental misunderstanding of television, the internet, you know YouTube, all the things we now communicate with. A very exciting Republican Party that actually talked about ideas and actually had a fight over the platform based on real ideas, I think might be a more interesting party than one which nominates somebody who's boring..."

Newt Gingrich - Source: Gingrich Advocated Brokered Convention in 2008 GOP Presidential Race

[katiedidit1]

HANG TOUGH NEWT!

[Mariner]

What beautiful, grand theater it would be.

[Christie at the beach]

I pray to the Lord above that there is a fight at the convention in Tampa. I will be there. I don’t think Newt should give up. This thing could turn. The more people realize that Romney is not even a republican; maybe they will not accept him. There needs to be a fight. The best man is Newt Gingrich to lead America back to a shining city on the hill.

[trappedincanuckistan]

There needs to be a fight. Are Republicans the party of less government/more freedom or the party of less government than them (Democrats). I’m tired of marching in the wrong direction more slowly than the other guys.

[Aglooka]

I hope the convention doesn't degrade into the crowd chanting “Jerry...Jerry...Jerry.”

[Aglooka]

Romney will need to win close to 50% of the remaining delegates to get the nomination. A brokered convention is a real possibility.

[duffee]

Right you are, We need Republicans to vote and perform like the Conservatives they say they are. The real problem is not with the avowed RINOS, there aren’t that many of them. The problem are those who run as Conservatives. Of course when a RINO decides to run for President he becomes “Severly” Conservative. I believe Newt is the only one who can beat obama and repair our nation, if one of the others does happen to get the nomination I don’t believe they will have the capacity to get done what needs to be done to save our nation and we’ll probably have the socialist back in for or eight years.

[Timber Rattler]

Republican officials also are bracing for the possibility of a prenomination clash between the party’s establishment and members of the Tea Party movement...

There's going to be blood on the floor...

[Christie at the beach]

That's right. They have to get back to limited government.

If they don't, I see a purpose for a new party forming...

[deport]

If they don’t, I see a purpose for a new party forming...

---

Why a new party when there are numerous other parties existing out there today. IMO all another 3rd party does is further dilute the vote making it easier for the two major parties to keep control.

[gardencatz]

It’s not time to fight 0bama yet. We need to let the process play out. Generally it doesn’t ramp up until the convention anyway. I don’t know why everyone is in such a panic about this.

Cindie

[trappedincanuckistan]

Do you think the answer is to continue trying to clean up the Republican Party? That hasn’t worked so well, and I would argue that at this critical point in history they are even more hostile to conservatives than they were.

[deport]

Do you think the answer is to continue trying to clean up the Republican Party?

---

I truly don’t know what the answer is. But I do know that if you can’t get control of the existing party then I don’t see how in hell you can expect to be a force with something much smaller.

3rd parties:

http://www.politics1.com/parties.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_party_(United_States)

[trappedincanuckistan]

I don’t know what the answer is either.

[Art in Idaho]

The American people don’t want Romney or Obama. We want a new government - a small limited government with freedom, liberty and back to the Constitution. I hope the various Tea Party groups get together and ‘call up’ a massive 2 million person Tea Party Rally at the convention. What is it going to take for them to get the message? We want our country back!

[Once-Ler]

But I do know that if you can’t get control of the existing party then I don’t see how in hell you can expect to be a force with something much smaller.

Every so often there is a nugget of wisdom on FR.

[stickywillie]

do Reagan democrats & Conservatives out number the winner of a race between liberals & rinos?

[Theodore R.]

But when you have Dole, GHWB, and McPain against you, I don’t think the American people will listen.

[exhaustedmomma]

The Founding Fathers did not originally intend for American politics to be partisan. In Federalist Papers No. 9 and No. 10, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, respectively, wrote specifically about the dangers of domestic political factions.

The need to win popular support, well, did it just murk up the original intent... maybe that's what Franklin meant when he said, "A republic, if you can keep it."

[napscoordinator]

I don’t think it will go to the convention. I think once the last state is done, I think Utah. Romney will have a higher number than the other 3 and Paul is going to give his to Romney. That is gonna suck too.

[Gene Eric]

>> Newt: “The idea that the Republicans have to be organized before Labor Day or they will be out of the race I think is a fundamental misunderstanding of ...”

Not to mention a fundamental misunderstanding of the average citizen’s political attention span.

Landed here via:

There’s a Chance! Yes! (Could there be a brokered convention?)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2860503/posts

[traditional1]

Same here; I’ll write-in before I vote for Romney-the-RINO, aka, the “Chosen One” of the Republican Establishment Elite.

[TribalPrincess2U]

It’s pretty much over for America.

[LibsRJerks]

The American people don’t want Romney or Obama. We want a new government - a small limited government with freedom, liberty and back to the Constitution. I hope the various Tea Party groups get together and ‘call up’ a massive 2 million person Tea Party Rally at the convention. What is it going to take for them to get the message? We want our country back!

**

This is right. This is correct. It’s evident MOST don’t want Obama, by any means ...and MOST don’t want Romney either ...so why are these two choices constantly being rammed down our throats??

WE should get to decide who WE want as president. There ARE more of us than of THEM — these liberals and pseudo conservative RINOS, AND the media ...there are STILL more of us than there are of these people. WE need to fight for it, and we CAN win it ...but we need to fight and not “stay home” and sit on our butts.

[bkopto]

I sent Gingrich’s campaign a donation recently so as to encourage him in his attempt to force a brokered convention. I don’t usually donate but I felt this reasoning (forcing a brokered convention) was important.

I would encourage other Freepers who want a brokered convention to do the same, regardless of their opinion of Gingrich.

www.newt.org

[VictoryGal]

Same here; I’ll write-in before I vote for Romney-the-RINO, aka, the “Chosen One” of the Republican Establishment Elite.

Here's why I am NEVER NEVER and I do mean NOT EVER voting for that puke Romney.

Why I am NEVER voting for Romney, even if he is the GOP nominee (shudder)

Many people, online and in-person, have started to shrug and say, "Oh well. Looks like Romney's gonna get the Republican nomination. I'll have to hold my nose and vote for him, like I voted for McCain.and all the other RINOs the GOP have shoved at us. After all, if he's only 80-90% like Obama then he's at least a little better than him, right?"

WRONG. and here’s why.

If Myth does 90% of what Zer0 does, he will do it WITH AN R NEXT TO HIS NAME.

What does this do? Well, Republicans in Congress who would otherwise balk at lib legislation if it were proposed by Zer0 WILL SIGN ON TO THE LEGISLATION BECAUSE IT IS PROPOSED BY THE LEADER OF THE GOP.

Imagine: amnesty, “tax fairness”, gutting the military and so much more ALL SAILING THROUGH CONGRESS because a “Republican” is at the helm of America. Contrast this with a second Obozo presidency where the GOP will dig in their heels and at least try to fight.

Yeah, I said it. An Obummer presidency is better for America than a Myth presidency (in the way that a cowpie sandwich is better than a meal of broken glass).

This is why we have to have a NOT-ROMNEY at the top of the ticket if we are to have any hope of digging America out of this hole we’re in. And if we don't, God help us... but I still WON'T vote for him. I'll vote for whichever acceptable, conservative 3rd party candidate is running (so my protest vote will have the most impact), or I'll write one in.

As JimRob says. Romneycare = Obamacare = Commiecare. NO ROMNEY, NO WAY!!

[VictoryGal]

> It’s pretty much over for America.

As long as there is life left in my body, I’m going to keep fighting, whatever the odds.

Snap out of it and don’t give up. The GOP-E and liberal scum are all betting we’ll lose heart. Don’t give them what they want!

[Cato in PA]

I’ve learned to think for myself since 2008. Rush and the other establishment lapdogs will never scare me into voting for Willard Romney the father of U.S. socialized medicine. If he wins, Obamacare will live on and the GOP will be destroyed, or, at best, completely co-opted by the establishment.

Obama vs Romney is like asking the Rebel Alliance to vote for Emperor Palpatine or Darth Vader.

[af_vet_rr]

The Fox people and Rush types will scare us into voting but will they be able to scare enough? That is the question.

Not now. Four years ago, 12 years ago, yes, but not now.

Many Conservatives (including myself) have finally woken up and realized that the only difference between a liberal with an (R) next to their name and a liberal with a (D) next to their name is how fast they will take us down the road to socialism. Both will do so, just at different speeds.

The people who still think that Romney or other liberals with (R) next to their names are somehow better than Obama are numerous, there is no doubt, but they will find out that if they want a Republican to win, they damn well better get a Conservative on the ballot.

In their ignorance, they think that not only is Obama better than a liberal with an (R) next to his name, but they think that Conservatives will bend over for the GOP and support a liberal with an (R) next to their name, and they will find out just how wrong they are.