Posted on 04/28/2016 4:44:51 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
A group that would normally fly under the radar -- the USVI GOP -- has been thrust into the political spotlight, as a slate of nine unbound delegates could ultimately help swing the Republican presidential nomination.
The Virgin Islands, with under 3,000 registered Republicans who are ineligible to vote in the presidential election, will send to Cleveland nine of the at least 136 total unbound delegates who are free to vote for anyone they wish on the first ballot.
But since the Islands contentious March 10 GOP caucus, competing groups have duked it out in court and on the airwaves over who those delegates will be.
On one side is a slate of delegates lead by veteran Republican strategist John Yob, a Michigan native who recently moved to the Virgin Islands. In his book Chaos: The Outsiders Guide to a Contested Republican National Convention, Yob predicts that activists and politicos at the Republican National Convention will arrive spoiling for a fight -- a fight to pick the Republican nominee for president, and maybe a fight for the future of the GOP itself.
On the other side, an alternate slate preferred by the Virgin Islands' Republican Party Chairman John Canegata. In a statement released on Wednesday, USVI GOP Committeewoman and delegate Lilliana Belardo ONeil wrote that they are disgusted at the tactics of John Yob and accused Yobs allies of orchestrat[ing] the chaos that Yob has spoke of causing at the Republican National Convention.
Last Saturday, tensions boiled over when USVI GOP members met at a shooting range owned by Canegata to fill vacancies on one of the partys committees. At least four of the participants were among those on the Virgin Islands competing delegate slates.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
This election has really stirred up passions.
If Trump is just short of 1,237, the Virgin Islands delegation could find itself in the national spotlight.
Are there any Freepers from the Virgin Islands?
Virgin Islands ping
Curious. At 3000 residents why do they get the same number of Delegates as Guam which has 170,000 residents?
Is that a minimum? If so what is the population trigger to get more? (Not that Guam would ever probably reach it.)
I see this as very good for Trump. These thieves are failing. Their party is being taken from them and they can go to hell.
I just left. I can say that the mood among Republicans is not one of unanimity .The controversy is breaking out in physical confrontation and great anger. Imagine St Johns, St Thomas and St Croix (where I lived), somewhere around 100,000 people and only 3,000 registered Republicans. Who knows, those 3000 could become very important...Bring on the popcorn this is going to be interesting!!
The political version of the “Jamaican Bobsled Team”.
I can see the headlines now:
Candidates lose their innocence over the Virgin Islands delegate fight.
If they can’t vote in the general election, why should they have delegates to determine the nominee? Who they can’t vote for.
Take it up with the rules committee.
Delegates are selected based on rules that are part of the party organization.
Parties select delegates, not the general public. I have not idea why the VI gets 9 delegates, but they do.
When the rules become important, no one wants to follow them.
Kind of like tossing out the Constitution when you do not get what you want.
Maybe they get three delegates per island.
I don’t see the VIs in the list of locations with state/country boards. Zambia is there, but no VI.
They have 3000 registered Republicans. They have 100,000 residents.
All I asked was a question, for a need to know. No need to get short.
Sorry if my tone was off.
Did not mean to offend.
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