I am not a Cruz fan, but if he wins the nomination and the GOPe pulls this crap on him at the convention, I’ll be rioting in Cleveland with those who chose him.
I’ll bring the tar. You bring the feathers.
Everybody remember your pitchfork.
What’s the point of the primaries if the GOPe is going to throw our voice away and pick whoever they want? Why are we going through all of this?
Marie I will be standing be your side!
But what is different about this go around, and what makes it difficult to accept that the party could pick someone at an open convention is that in this situation, the party is fighting against some of its candidates. The party should be neutral, and the candidates can battle between themselves. But in this primary, we have the party leaders working night and day to "stop" one of the candidates, setting up phony debates where opponents of that candidate get to savagely attack him. We have party leaders working on funding marketing efforts against candidates, and rounding up donors to consider a third party, or bring in a retread to get the nomination. That is a new development. And if, through their efforts, they manage to keep the front runner from getting to a majority, but he is close, and they then try to take the nomination from him, that is going to result in severe repercussions.
Not just a loss this time; I think they wouldn't mind a loss. I think it would be the end of that party. The 5 or 10 percent of the party who are "establishment" can go join the Democrats, which is where they belong anyway.