Posted on 11/22/2015 1:17:49 PM PST by RoosterRedux
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said Sunday he is open to running for president as an independent if he concludes Republicans are not treating him "fairly."
He made his comments on ABC's "This Week" when asked about a Wall Street Journal story first published online Friday that reported an effort by Republican establishment figures to unite to knock Mr. Trump out of the race. The group plans a "guerrilla campaign" backed by secret donors to "defeat and destroy" the celebrity businessman’s candidacy, the Journal reported.
The notion of an independent Trump bid worries some Republicans, who fear he would siphon votes from the GOP nominee and help elect a Democrat.
Asked if he would reconsider his promise not to run as an independent, Mr. Trump didn't give a direct answer.
"Well, we'll see what happens," he said. "It will be very interesting. But I'm leading every poll by a lot. It's not even a little bit anymore, it's a lot."
Asked again if he was open to an independent run, he repeated, "Well, I'm going to have to see what happens. I will see what happens. I have to be treated fairly. You know, when I did this, I said I have to be treated fairly. If I'm treated fairly, I'm fine. All I want to do is a level playing field."
Mr. Trump also said he would bring back use of waterboarding, the controversial interrogation technique that simulates drowning and that is considered torture by many. President Barack Obama barred waterboarding and other harsh techniques at the start of his presidency.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...
Maybe a 4-way race. Remember, Jim Webb is thinking of running as an independent.
All Trump has to do is ask his lawyer and/or campaign staff, explain how the delegate system works. And if you aren't an expert, no prob...just get me the best authority who does ("and I mean the VERY best").
Furthermore, how well defended are we against dirty tricks by the GOP and our opponents?
Trump is a delegator. You can't build an empire with your own two hands. You have to hire the best and then turn them loose, keeping a watchful eye on their results.
I think if Trump is forced to go 3rd party because of dirty tricks by the GOPe, Cruz will GO with Him.
Unless he (or another candidate) wins an outright majority, the decision goes to the House of Representatives to choose among the top 3, each state voting as one. This is a built-in advantage for the "party" candidates, as it's likely that the party that controls each state's House delegation will vote for the party's nominee and not an independent.
The Senate picks the VP from the top 2, each Senator having one vote.
What if the Dhimmicraps take back the Senate? (I don't think they will, but as long as we're "what-iffing"...)
We could have a President and Vice President from different parties for teh first time since 1800.
“No matter who the Republican candidate would be, a third party Trump means hello President Hillary.”
I don’t think so.
I’m pretty sure the Republicans don’t have super-delegates. The supposed “Democratic” party does. If the Pubs screw the winner it will be with the rule that requires a candidate to win majorities (not just pluralities) in at least 8 states to be automatically included in the floor vote. If nobody does the party gets to decide whose name(s) is/are placed into contention at the convention.
I think the vote would come before the new Senators are sworn in.
“Wait, he promised not to and he is a man of word isn’t he?
If he can’t be trusted in this, what can he be trusted to do _____?”
And the Republican Party promised Trump would be treated fairly didn’t they. Otherwise Trump wouldn’t sign their pledge to not run 3rd Party. But now the Pubs are surreptitiously sending their assassins out to stick the stiletto in Trump’s back with their faux superpac disguised as a LLC. The circumstances and rules of the game have changed, haven’t they?
All’s fair in love and war, and this is war. The Pubs have started this, thus Trump has the option of how it ends, unless the Pubs call off their dogs.
The GOP does in fact have super delegates.
Interesting article from the WSJ on GOP delegate allocations:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-path-to-a-wild-gop-convention-1446682656
Not as many as they dems, but enough to create havoc.
“Wait, he promised not to and he is a man of word isn’t he?
If he can’t be trusted in this, what can he be trusted to do _____?”
All the Pub Party has to do is play fair with Trump, and this won’t happen, will it. The Pubs will be at fault for all to see, and thus will deserve to go down. It won’t be Trump’s or Cruz’s fault; it will be the RNC’s fault.
It has nothing to do with Trump’s ego, and everything to do with the RNC playing dirty pool with Trump that they said they would not do. Remember, if Trump gets hit, he hits back harder.
So you are saying that Trump's word is only as good as long as he wants it to be and that he really cannot be trusted to keep his campaign promises if he later decides to change his mind. What matters is winning, not honesty and integrity. It explains why he spread the payolla around, to benefit from corruption. No thanks, I want an end to corruption not someone better at it. I think we can see why two of his previous marriages failed, his vows are subject to change.
I’m not going to subscribe. What’s the bottom line on super delegates?
He signed IF they were fair and they are breaking the contract. You don’t trust him, but you trust the GOPe? He is not treated fairly.
“It explains why he spread the payolla around, to benefit from corruption. No thanks, I want an end to corruption not someone better at it. I think we can see why two of his previous marriages failed, his vows are subject to change.”
I see you aren’t above practicing the politics of personal destruction here against Trump either, just like the RNC. You live by the sword, you can die by it too. You and the RNC will both lose out and deservedly so. Moral of the story: don’t play games with Trump that he will not lose.
Trump made it clear that his promise was contingent of getting fair treatment, and Reince Prebus made promises to that effect. If the GOPe breaks their promise the deal is dead.
Geesh, who the hell are you? God?
Do you seriously think that if the establishment manages to remove Trump from consideration with their dirty tricks, that the replacement candidate would be conservative? If they remove Trump, there’s no way in hell that Cruz would manage to take the nomination, and he’s the only other conservative in this race.
And even IF everything you say about Trump is true, then it’s evil vs. evil vs. evil, and it’s good for us because it weakens the power of the establishment as they batter each other.
“So you are saying that Trump’s word is only as good as long as he wants it to be and that he really cannot be trusted”
So you are saying that the RNC’s word is only as good as long as they want it to be and that they really cannot be trusted.
“No matter who the Republican candidate would be, a third party Trump means hello President Hillary.”
The lesser-evil or imperfect-candidate argument no longer holds water.
It worked when voting Bush in 2000 and 2004, and you could make an argument for it in 2012 because Obama was just THAT bad. And it certainly works even if you have a dim view of Trump’s other positions, because the wall is just THAT important.
But it’s gotten to the point where the GOP establishment brand isn’t even throwing scraps to conservatives any more. If there is a difference, it’s not enough of a difference to matter.
So go Trump. Run third party if you’re given the shaft. If nothing else, it would be fun to watch, which is better than what it would otherwise be.
apologies.
I don’t subscribe either and had no idea the site was restricted.
Bottom line is a ton of states have proportional distribution, SC being that only early state with winner take all apportionment.
About half the states set aside super delegates. Total is 210.
So it is highly conceivable the nomination could go to a second ballot.
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