Posted on 04/03/2016 6:10:04 PM PDT by DrewsDad
The Donald Trump and Ted Cruz campaigns are working to prevent John Kasich from appearing on the ballot at the Republican National Convention in July, msnbc has learned, an aggressive strategy suggesting the GOP's leading candidates are girding for a contested convention to select the party's nominee.
On Sunday, Trump told a supporter that "Kasich shouldn't be allowed to continue and the RNC shouldn't allow him to continue."
Related: Trump Says RNC Shouldn't Allow Kasich to Keep Running
If no one clinches the nomination during the primaries, delegates choose from candidates on the convention ballot.
While Trump and Cruz are locked in a bitter battle, aides to both men tell msnbc it is in their mutual interest to keep Kasich off the ballot. The convention rules control who is on that ballot — and thus eligible to win the nomination.
"I expect the Rules Committee to require a level of support that would leave only two candidates on the ballot at the convention," a senior Cruz Campaign aide told msnbc.
That committee, which writes the rules governing an open convention, is made up of 112 Republican delegates from around the country. Operatives for Cruz and Trump say they will have major sway over what the committee does.
"The Cruz people and Trump people are fighting hard to make sure their hard-core delegates get on the committee," said Barry Bennett, a Trump adviser.
Bennett said a voting bloc favoring the two leading candidates will run the committee.
"We'll be successful getting at least a majority — or supermajority," he projected, counting Trump and Cruz delegates together.
Both campaigns are backing a rule that would require candidates to achieve a minimum amount of support to get on the ballot, which could block Kasich in Cleveland. That would effectively end his campaign.
Kasich cannot mathematically win the nomination through the primaries, so his only hope is to win on a convention ballot.
"The committee is not going to oppose" a rule that the two leading campaigns support, Bennett added.
Many RNC members now expect the ballot rule to be the first big fight of an open convention, and it will begin when the Rules Committee meets the week beforehand.
Another Republican operative, who has worked for Cruz, said the GOP primary will increasingly focus on convention maneuvering, which underscores a cloud now hanging over Kasich's candidacy.
This is why Cruz maintains that in a contested convention it will be he and Trump alone.
This is a good sign. The Trump and Cruz campaigns must work together to prevent the GOP establishment from appointing a nominee like Ryan who will not change anything even if he were electable. It is time for the leading candidates to stop bludgeoning each other.
This would be the smartest move by the GOPe, instead of Rove’s “fresh face” BS. If the convention is open/contested/brokered, the only candidates should be Trump and Cruz. That’s the only fair way to pick the nominee if nobody has 1237 on the first ballot. Anything else destroys the party.
Ted’s a mess.
Cruz Will Be Knocked Out of Delegate Race By April 26 — Even If He Wins WI!
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/04/april-cruzs-last-hurrah/
Dream on.
Bet he stays in just like Kasich is doing ..his GOPe masters will command him to ...
Not dreams, just math and logic.
Thinking it isn’t over for Cruz is for real Dreamers. Have a soccer ball.
Of course. He has no honor or love of his second country.
This is why Cruz maintains that in a contested convention it will be he and Trump alone.
==
It’s over for Cruz, except for potential VP pick.
Reality, like it or not.
Trump will have 1100-1300 delegates, next closest is Cruz with 700-800 / GoPe is not suicidal / Trump wins on the first ballot if needed/ GoPe negotiate their choice for VP.
Cruz needs GoPe backing for VP or he’s out. Guaranteed
BECAUSE:
Trumps FL and OH beat down of Cruz, ended any chance he had. That’s right Trump’s margin over Cruz just in those states =~ 1,000,000 voters or pissed off voters if Trump gets dumped. GoPe knows this, they want to hold on to senate and house seats.
Your math does not apply unless
trump_delegate_count > 1237
Bookmarking....
.... I know it’s wishful thinking but .... sure would love to see a Trump/Cruz ticket on the ballot. That would probably sew up the election with support from both factions. The Mouth and the Constitutional Brain .... or The Constitutional Brain and the Mouth ... either way is good with me.
Sadly for Trump.....pride cometh before the fall.
Trump wouldn’t go for it.
.... Ya ... I know ..... He deffinitly needs a serious injection of Constitutional protocol knowledge and support.
That soesn’t make even the slightest sense.
I’m not too impresed with you math there Mr. Quigley.
The fact of the matter is that both men will have roughly equal delegate counts by the time of the convention and Cruz has about a 50-50 chance of going into the convention with MORE pledged delegates than Trump, and WAAAAY more unpledged who will go to Cruz en mass on the second ballot.
Of course it does and it makes sense to everyone else ..your comprehension skills are just lacking ...we’ve tried to help you, but you’re not catching on ...
Ted Cruz has NO GOPe masters, and if he did, I doubt they’d be ordering him to link up with Donald Trump to freeze out John Kasich and ALL OTHERS. Or are you now coming around to saying that Cruz and Trump are the new GOPe. No, sorry, it’s you who needs to work on your reading comprehension and reasoning ability.
You might also want to work on your apptite for crow, you’ll be eating a LOT of it real soon.
Cruz won’t have the required delegates , but he will stay in to try and deny Trump ..Cruz GOPe masters will make him stay in ..Cruz has already cut he deal ... not sure what are talking about regarding eating crow ...explain what you mean ..I have made no wild predictions about Trump winning this walking away ...you seem to be rubbing your hands together with glee at the prospect of a GOPe steal ...
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