Posted on 04/05/2016 8:30:44 AM PDT by Lucky9teen
On social media you see a lot of people saying that this candidate or that candidate is “stealing delegates.” There is no such thing. First of all, it implies something illegal, or at best, nefarious. It is neither. Secondly, there is no way you can “steal” delegates.
When people talk about stealing delegates they are displaying their ignorance about how the system works. Just as Donald Trump displayed his ignorance when he claimed that he should be the candidate because he had more votes than any other candidate, but not a majority. Reince Priebus had to call Trump into a special private meeting so he could explain how the delegate system works and what the rules are for the Republican convention. Trump is no longer making that claim.
So here is how the delegate system works. In most states, delegates are selected by the campaign of a candidate. For example, I have been selected to be a delegate for the Cruz campaign in California. If Ted Cruz wins a majority of votes in my Congressional District, I will go to the convention as a Cruz delegate. In California, you are committed to vote for the candidate whose campaign selected you for the first two ballots. After that you are “unbound.” There are some states where the delegates are only committed to vote for their candidate for the first ballot. There are some states, like Colorado, where the delegates go to the convention “unbound,” and can vote for any candidate on the first ballot. By the third ballot all delegates are unbound and can vote for any candidate.
What some people refer to as “stealing” is a practice that has gone on since the formation of the Republican Party in the early 19th Century. Smart candidates who know the system will try to get delegates to vote for them after the first or second ballots. All delegates are typically contacted by candidates other than the candidate whose campaign selected them, and asked to commit that, if their candidate isn’t selected on the first ballot, or the second ballot, they will vote for candidate “x” on subsequent ballots. I am personally committed to vote for Senator Cruz for every ballot, no matter how many, so another candidate would be wasting his time trying to get me to commit to vote for him in subsequent ballots. However there are some delegates who do make those commitments. The mainstream media (read: the Democrat Party press) call this long-time political process “stealing” delegates. The fact that Senator Cruz has been successful in getting delegates from other candidates to commit to him on subsequent ballots isn’t “stealing.” The fact that the Trump campaign hasn’t been successful is because they weren’t familiar with how the system works. Trump hasn’t had a campaign staff that is really familiar with how to round up delegates, or the inner workings of the Republican Party.
You also hear comments that the “Establishment” is rigging the convention so that Trump can’t be the candidate. There is no way they can do that. Yes, there are some uncommitted delegate positions that the RNC, and State parties have who will vote the way they are told to, but they are a minority of delegates and couldn’t sway an election.
The way it works is that the candidate is not nominated by a vote of the people. The people elect the delegates. The delegates nominate the candidate. There is no way the election can be “rigged.” At the convention, 2,472 individual delegates will vote. If no candidate receives a majority of votes on the first ballot it will go to a second ballot, and to successive ballots until one candidate emerges with a majority. That candidate will be the nominee for the Party. The voting is transparent. It will be an above-board system which will fairly nominate a candidate for the Party who has the support of a majority of delegates.
Yes....Trump has exposed the ugly underbellies and removed the masks from the corrupt GOPee....and DN/political class.
Ted Cruz is an Adult Child of Alcoholics. That’s no a label I coined. It’s a standard psychiatric term for adults who grew up in alcoholic households.
Here are a few relevant points.
For the ACoA, facts are not what is true/demonstrably the case; facts are what the ACoA says are facts.
For the ACoA, history is not what actually happened; history is what the ACoA says happened.
For the ACoA, morality is not any standard set of ethical or religious principles; morality is defined by what the ACoA does. What he does is ‘good,’ and hence ‘moral.’
The same applies to the true believers in the ACoA. For example, if a spouse is gungho [at least at first] for the ACoA, then he or she will accept a version of facts, history and morality as dictated by the ACoA. Ditto devoted followers or supporters, should the ACoA be in a position to have any.
In normal morality, subverting the will of the voters would be wrong. But for the ACoA and his supporters, it’s merely being smarter than the other guy.
It’s a whole different world. Too often the ACoA never awakens to the realization of how warped it is. Far more often, his spouse and/or followers eventually do.
BTTT!
Using your Rinse Prius idea, as well!
Drip Drip Drip. Teddy you’re a bad little boy. Cruz LuuZ
Believe me I understand what you are saying. I realize that the game can be played this way. Immoral is the way that most people have described their feelings about Cruz trying to install his people as Trump’s delegates. Most people expect that once the votes are cast the party will assign people whose proclivities will be similar to those they are suppose to be representing.
It makes Cruz look like a sneaky insider lawyer trying to take advantage of some weird loophole. You can equivocate all that you want with your associates here, but it will do nothing to change the perception that was first confirmed in Iowa. The question is will people vote for someone that they perceive as a duplicitous sneaky lawyer to be their president. With approximately half the voters still waiting to participate in this race this is not good timing. It is the tactic of someone who despite what he has been saying, knows that he is going to lose. My feeling is that this will alienate more people and make it much more likely that Trump will reach 1237.
Like the article said, no one is stealing. However, one candidate looks like he doesn’t understand the contest he chose to enter.
I am pretty sure Trump would not sit down with an opponent in a competition for a business deal and make sure the other side understands all the rules and would abstain from any advantage he gained by knowing something the other didn’t.
And you would praise him for playing hardball.
‘”I only see one candidate stealing delegates.”
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Actually, if Cruz supporters were not voting to place “their” folks in as delegates, most of the selected delegates would be GOPe folks who would abandon Trump/Cruz as soon as they were no longer “bound” to vote for Trump/Cruz.
Many posters here apparently have the mentality of children and just don’t understand this process.
This election has exposed how corrupt the convention system is (and always was). I think it is actually allowed within certain levels to “bribe” delegates.
If someone gets a majority of the delegates then they'll win the nomination. Getting more than anyone else is not sufficient.
>> It is highly recommended here at Good Old FR that you actually read the article before posting <<
C’mon, stop kidding us. You know full well that reading the articles is not to be encouraged. In fact, too much reading might even get you zotted.
Once again Fantasywriter, you have nailed it. I come from a family and a culture with numerous alcoholics. I am part Native American, part German, and part Scandinavian. I know that I am predisposed to alcoholism myself, which is why I do not touch a drop. I have seen the devastation first hand. The behaviors you describe are 100% accurate.
Many conservative Christians have been fortunate enough to have lived sheltered lives. They do not seem to recognize the set of behaviors that Ted Cruz has shown over the past few months. I am shocked that so many can excuse the many shady actions that we have now seen from the Cruz campaign during this contest.
I do believe that God tests our judgment for a reason, often so that we can realize that we are not perfect and none of us can make it to Glory without help from above. God help us if we have to endure another immoral liar as president.
So you would rather see Hillary or Sanders in office than Cruz?
Hoosiermama, whenifhow
Ping to posts by fireman15 and fantasywriter
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3417635/posts?page=42#42
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3417635/posts?page=52#52
Says it all..
Vote Trump!
Excellent post!
In many of those Christian home the cross is used to cover and hide the damage described The pain and coping methods still survive under the surface. And heaven forbid if anyone suggests they are an issue !
If nobody gets a majority of the delegates on the first ballot, then delegates switching their vote isn't just an option, it's required. Somebody has to get a majority, and some delegates have to change their vote. It's pretty obvious. This isn't immoral, it's exactly how the system is designed, and it must take place.
Planning for that possibility is just smart and competent.
“Cruz and his Amanda and his Heidi are proven thieves
in caucus after caucus (Dr. Carson, please pick up
the red phone.).
Whoring Cruz will steal what he could not win.
Scum.”
Oooh! Oooh! Your brilliant argument convinced me to vote for Trump. /sarc.
Most people perceive what the Cruz campaign has done in Arizona for example differently than you do. If word continues to get out and it will... the perception that Cruz is a sneaky, lying, lawyer with no chance of winning fairly will continue. This perception will erode the enthusiasm of those considering a vote for Cruz. With approximately half the electorate still waiting for their chance to vote this may be just what Trump needed to break through his “ceiling”.
This is true.
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