Posted on 04/06/2016 3:12:22 AM PDT by markomalley
Via CBS reporter Sopan Deb, the key bit starts at 45:19 of the clip below and runs through 48:21. Stone’s not a formal advisor to Trump at this point but he’s more than a random pro-Trump talking head on cable. He still speaks to Trump “from time to time” and was accused directly by Ted Cruz of planting the story about Cruz’s alleged affairs in the National Enquirer to benefit Trump. He was last heard promising demonstrations at the convention if Trump doesn’t win the nomination which he calls “days of rage,” a name he apparently borrowed from the 1969 protests organized by Bill Ayers’s old radical outfit, the Weathermen. Trump himself predicted “riots” in Cleveland if he loses a floor fight despite winning the most delegates in the primaries and he’s repeatedly winked at violence against protesters at his rallies. All of that being so, can we not pretend like Stone isn’t issuing a barely-veiled threat of harm to delegates here to try to intimidate them out of supporting their preferred candidate? (Especially since some Trump fans themselves are bound to respond, “Good! They deserve what’s coming to them!”) When you’re organizing mass demonstrations devoted to “rage” and encouraging participants to descend on people’s hotel rooms to “discuss” their vote, you’re not really into discussion. And if you doubt that, imagine Cruz’s spokesman encouraging mobs of angry Cruz fans to show up at Trump delegates’ doors for reciprocal “discussions” — which may be in the cards if Cruz delegates end up being hurt.
Incidentally, Trump fans don’t need Stone to leak any delegate information. Per Stuart Stevens, one of Romney’s top strategists in 2012, that information is always easily obtained at a convention:
Usually they’re a big party. Not this year, which is why, I’m sure, the RNC will take extra security precautions inside hotels where delegates are staying. But that’s the beauty of Stone’s threat: It’ll carry over after the convention too, just like it’s carried over for Megyn Kelly and Michelle Fields long after their confrontations with Trump ended. Kelly can afford a bodyguard; the average delegate can’t.
That is to say, the significance of this clip isn’t that Stone’s going to spoonfeed personal information on delegates to angry Trump fans. (Although who knows? They don’t call him the Dirty Trickster for nothing.) The significance, a la Trump reminiscing at his rallies about how protesters were treated in the good old days, is the implicit permission being given by a Trump confidante for strong-arm tactics against the delegates. It’s all in service to the political end of delegitimizing the idea that anyone but Trump might be nominee. Never mind that the rules governing delegate selection were clear long before the primaries began; never mind the fact that Cruz is running rings around Trump so far in snapping up delegates even though Trump’s whole pitch to his fans is that he has the best people on his side and never gets outmaneuvered in competition. They can’t win a delegate fight so they’ll screech “stop, thief!” instead. Stone’s just putting some muscle behind that.
Good for Roger Stone. All the 2473 GOP delegates, no matter what the primary result in their state, should be forced to vote for Trump...or pay the consequences.
Trump, in fact, should be immaculated as the GOP nominee, regardless of any primary result. After all, Lyin' Ted isn't even eligible to run, right?
If Trump is crazy, it only makes sense that his surrogates would be crazy too.
http://lamecherry.blogspot.com/2016/04/ted-cruz-exposed-with-pants-down.html
Throwing the word crazy round isn’t going to close the delegate gap. If Trump is crazy then there are more “crazies” out thee who voted for him in 20 contests to Ted’s 10. Here comes the northeast and Ted’s Russian winter.
I’m all for this if Ted wants to play dirty with his GOPe buddies so can we
Regardless of what the voters wanted trump should be nominated? Sounds like how our Republic works to me.
Advocating for ignoring the primaries I’m surprised the concern over Ted’s birthplace even matters. Regardless until a Cort rules otherwise he is 100% elgible. a court
Please explain to me why Trump is such a brilliant businessman when he creams his competition because he knows the ins and out of business rules, but Ted is such a sleaze because he and his staff know the ins and outs of RNC rules?
Apt analogy.
This is counter-productive as hell, but it is I teresti g to see how many people apparently endorse the tactic.
As the results were coming in, The Donald released a pitiful, nasty statement unworthy of a presidential candidate.
In my opinion, that statement, alone, makes Trump unqualified to be president. It's clearly not the kind of thing I would ever want to come from the pen of someone I would call president.
Im shocked at how taunting the delegates are towards Trump’s supporters.
Trump’s going to win 35 states most of the taunters are from states Trump won or will win.
Incendiary smears. What Trump supporter has attacked anybody without first being aggressively provoked? As if Trump supporters are a bunch of brown shirts beating their opponents in the streets.
“Stone’s threat is the exact kind of thing that will drive people away from Trump”
It sure will. Plan on Cruz making a point of this, too.
And physically threatening delegates will help convince people to vote for him? Trump needs to get control of his campaign. Repudiate this POS and focus on two things. Winning votes and winning delegates. They are different.
And Cruz using the violent communist attack on conservatives (including at least one FReeper) in Chicago to attack Trump? That will help convince Trumpers to vote for him? And on and on. One one issue after another the media, GOPe and Cruz have attacked Trump and his supporters for months on end to the benefit of Rafael Cruz. You deluded Cruzies have no shame.
Trump has more important things to do. Keeping an eye on the big picture for his campaign requires lots a Tweets.
Incendiary smears. What Trump supporter has attacked anybody without first being aggressively provoked? As if Trump supporters are a bunch of brown shirts beating their opponents in the streets.
Cruz defacto called Trumpers klansmen. Now he wants their support? LMAO. Never going to happen in a million years.
Interesting “leadership” style. Coercion and threats.
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