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Are the GOP rules really rigged against Donald Trump?
CNBC ^ | 2016 April 25 | Bruce Abramson and Jeff Ballabon

Posted on 04/26/2016 2:24:16 AM PDT by CutePuppy

"It's not fair!" may be the most pitiful lament in the English language, but Donald Trump seems intent upon adopting it as his battle cry heading into this summer's Republican convention. The GOP's poorly designed nominating process includes more than its share of problems, but is it really unfair to Trump? ..... < snip >

..... open primaries invite abuse from voters whose goals may not involve selecting the party's strongest representative. Those with deep ties to the party deserve greater input than those with tenuous or nonexistent connections. Yet Democrats and Republicans alike have chosen to pretend otherwise. ..... < snip >

..... While some might see this deception as unfair, however, it has hardly worked against Trump. Trump's connection to the Republican Party is weak and of recent vintage, and he often boasts that many of his supporters are new to the Republican Party. ..... If anything then, Trump is a beneficiary of this misrepresentation rather than its victim. ..... < snip >

..... In a reasonable system, each state would allocate delegates proportionately. ..... Still, the big losers in this arena have been Marco Rubio and John Kasich; Trump has leveraged about 40 percent of the vote into about 49 percent of the delegates. ..... < snip >

..... Few consider it unfair to award the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, or World Series title to a team that failed to boast the best record in regular season play. Here, too, the rules have been clear for decades: ..... < snip >

..... Regardless, the tactical politicking pales in comparison to the unique advantages Trump's campaign has exploited with his enormous wealth and celebrity-driven free media coverage. Our political system hasn't been fair to Trump? Really? ..... < snip >

(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2016elections; arnold2; brokenrecord; celebrity; ibtz; ilovetowhine; kanye; kanyewest; media; money; perot2; primary; ronpaul2; ronpaulwithmoney; showbiz; sport; trump; ventura2; waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
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To: exDemMom

Kudos on your counter points. I laughed, I cried, it was a joy to read. Succinct, yet elaborate enough to destroy the author’s flimsy arguments.

Again, nice post.


21 posted on 04/26/2016 3:44:03 AM PDT by aligncare (Cruz cant give a greeting without it sounding like the Gettysburg Address.)
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To: CutePuppy

They rules weren’t specifically rigged against Trump.

They were written (rigged?) to give primary voters the illusion of electing the nominee while actually keeping control within the party establishment.

No different than the democrats - just not as obvious and in-your-face.

Trump just happens to be the nightmare candidate that the republican party power brokers hoped they would never see.

His candidacy is sort of the perfect storm that reveals the true workings of the inner party.

I believe the party power brokers made an unrecoverable error when their establishment choices fell early in the game and and they panicked.

Once they chose sides against Trump and publicly showed their hand they opened the door to an inner party struggle that can only help the Hillary and the democrats.


22 posted on 04/26/2016 3:50:23 AM PDT by Iron Munro (Noah: 'When the animals began to pair up by specie and stand in line, I really took notice.')
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To: CutePuppy

Of course it’s rigged. If it weren’t rigged against Trump he would have 100% of the delagates. If it were fair, the GOP would have kicked Cruz and Kasich off the ballot the moment Trump hit 34%.

This stinks like a barge full of rotten fish, and we’re taking this POS party down.

GO TRUMP!


23 posted on 04/26/2016 3:53:12 AM PDT by SampleMan (Feral Humans are the refuse of socialism.)
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To: driftdiver

oh yeah, its broken beyond repair!

doncha always wonder why it is that dems ALWAYS come up with something that defeats the laws we pass, rules we live by?

they KNOW the game - they play it - they dive deep down into history and find the loopholes that are killing our country.

so what do we do? crucify the guy who is the smartest tool in the box and has tried, repeatedly, on his own, to stand up and take back control for the people. and what does he get? lies, half-truths, smears.

EVERY candidate has faults. lets explore them. sheeple would rather run with the crowd cause they want to be the kool kids, on the popular side. WE are supposed to be the grownups.

obamabots were effective in shutting down reasonable questions. media were complicit. so, are we sufficiently VETTING the candidates?


24 posted on 04/26/2016 3:57:28 AM PDT by oldmomster
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To: SampleMan

25 posted on 04/26/2016 3:59:28 AM PDT by jpsb (Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied. Otto von Bismark)
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To: CutePuppy
No, the rules are rigged against the voters.

The reason "that's the way it's always been" doesn't fly is that the way it's always been is that the GOPe candidate always wrapped it up after Super Tuesday, or shortly after, so that the actual delegate selection process was pro forma, it didn't really matter.

Now that we have a true electoral contest, we are seeing the flaws in the process, meaning we are seeing all the hidden back-doors that were always there but never used, that are being used now to undermine the will of the voters because the GOPe finally lost at the ballot box.

That's what has the people so angry. It's not that the rules were always there, it's that the rules are designed keep the establishment in power.

-PJ

26 posted on 04/26/2016 3:59:44 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too (If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)
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To: aligncare

Thank you!


27 posted on 04/26/2016 4:09:11 AM PDT by exDemMom (Current visual of the hole the US continues to dig itself into: http://www.usdebtclock.org/)
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To: CutePuppy

“Trump’s connection to the Republican Party is weak and of recent vintage”

Bingo!


28 posted on 04/26/2016 4:18:28 AM PDT by Beagle8U (Giggles the pig for POTUS - 2016)
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To: ObamahatesPACoal
Trump shouldnt be forced to cut a deal with Jeb just because he needs another 5 to 9% somewhere. It’s better that the dominant 40% candidate gets in alone. Trump should not be forced to cut deals with Jeb or Rubio just to get 50% of the vote.

If the rules are changed so that the guy with the most delegates wins, then the next time we will have more candidates staying in and the "winner" may very well have support of only 30% of the delegates.

It is only rational that a party nominates someone whom the majority can support.

29 posted on 04/26/2016 4:20:00 AM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: Political Junkie Too

I have to wonder how many of these people bitching about rules have ever been to a meeting?


30 posted on 04/26/2016 4:20:53 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: Political Junkie Too
It's not that the rules were always there, it's that the rules are designed keep the establishment in power.

The rules were designed to give an extra weighting of delegates to the frontrunner after the early primaries are over.

This was supposed to be some conventional politician. Trump is benefiting from the system the establishment put into place.

31 posted on 04/26/2016 4:21:24 AM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: WMarshal

Good post. All the talk of unfair from Trump is about us the voters being treated unfairly. Trump himself is still the forerunner by far, but we the voters are treated unfairly when our individual votes are negated by some elite GOPe “rules”.

I used to wonder why the GOPe had such trouble welcoming new voters. It is amazing that now with so many attracted to their candidate they want to alienate them. Seems like the GOPe wants to remain an exclusive little party that can’t win.

They have proven since 2014 that when they do win they let us down with lies. Go Trump! Fix the party, fix America.


32 posted on 04/26/2016 4:35:10 AM PDT by nclaurel
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To: driftdiver
I'm not bitching about rules, I'm bitching about bitching about rules.

These rules played virtually no part when Romney and McCain were nominated. When they were changed in 2012 because of Ron Paul's surge, it wasn't because Paul could seriously overtake Romney that year, it was to protect the next Romney.

Unfortunately, the next Romney was thrown out of the primary by the voters, and now the establishment is trying to use the dormant rules to force one back in.

-PJ

33 posted on 04/26/2016 4:37:30 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too (If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)
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To: oldmomster

“Lawyering” I call it, for the votes. Trumps not a lawyer. Rules are written by lawyers to be played by lawyers.


34 posted on 04/26/2016 4:37:36 AM PDT by lilypad
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To: CutePuppy

“Those with deep ties to the party deserve greater input than those with tenuous or nonexistent connections.”

That’s a pro-establishment assertion at a time when the ‘establishment’ is seen by many as one of our problems.

Obviously, those that are proven loyalists to the party machinery are going to be respected by the party machinery.

When a machine is working well, the cogs in the machine deserve respect, but when it’s not ....


35 posted on 04/26/2016 4:41:28 AM PDT by cymbeline
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To: CutePuppy

Rigged against Trump?
NO

Rigged against outsiders?
Hell yes.

Remember, an outsider and any change he might bring could upset the gravy train. A train that runs from the local dog catcher right up to the White Hut. Remember, these “jobs” are not near as valuable as the benefits.


36 posted on 04/26/2016 4:43:00 AM PDT by Tupelo (we vote - THEY decide.)
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To: driftdiver
Sorry, I left a bitch out. I'm bitching about bitching about bitching about rules.

-PJ

37 posted on 04/26/2016 4:43:21 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too (If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)
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To: Political Junkie Too

Ok. How many of those bitching about the bitching about the bitching have ever been to a meeting in their local area?


38 posted on 04/26/2016 4:46:14 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: nclaurel

“Trump himself is still the forerunner by far, but we the voters are treated unfairly when our individual votes are negated by some elite GOPe “rules”.”

So you would be OK with 35% of the votes from a crowded field nominating a Demonrat in the GOP primary?


39 posted on 04/26/2016 4:48:02 AM PDT by Beagle8U (Giggles the pig for POTUS - 2016)
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To: oldmomster; 2ndDivisionVet
You are correct Cruz supporters will overlook TPA, Coker, NAU and location of birth to get their guy the nomination. Lest you want to disagree with place of birth, one of Cruz staunchest supporter said this about Obama but doesn't apply it to Cruz:

20 posted on 5/12/2010, 1:03:41 PM by 2ndDivisionVet (Don’t care if he was born in a manger on July 4th! A “Natural Born” citizen requires two US parents!)

40 posted on 04/26/2016 4:48:59 AM PDT by nclaurel
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