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.
How specifically, and even factually, is this tied to Cruz, in any way?
That’s rather laughable that you think it does...
Many are missing the point, mostly Trump fans who are intentionally missing the point.
The writer effectively describes the system in place. Not one created for this primary campaign or for Ted Cruz.
There is a simple logic to unbinding the delegates: if a candidate comes to the convention short of the majority and a balloting process is invoked, if the first ballot(s) do not yet provide a candidate with a majority of delegates, then something has to give or you will be voting over and over again with the same outcome.
By unbinding delegates, they can coalesce around a candidate who can cobble together a majority. Part of that process is-yes, as unbelievable as it seems-politics! Each candidate has the same opportunities to lobby delegates to be prepared to switch if they become unbound.
A possible analogy is an option contract. As the buyer, I have the option to buy. If I either don’t or can’t exercise the option and get the property, the seller becomes “unbound” to me and can accept other offers. Nothing illegal or even unethical in either scenario. Voters who might feel cheated can only feel that way if they are ignorant of how the process works. You got to cast a vote for your candidate with built-in rules how and when your vote would ultimately count. There were not guarantees otherwise when you case your vote. Get over it.
Typical, the ‘devil’ is in the details... And Cruz the serpent intends to strip Trump voters of their Constitution rights. I would NOT support Trump IF he did this to Cruz voters. Big difference in Trump supporters and Cruz supporters... whatever it takes.
Many FReepers DO understand the process.
Cruz and his pacs and his GFs deliberately
lied against BOTH Dr. Carson and Mr. Trump.
The blood is always on your own hands,
even if you have someone else do the killing for you.
Any leader who forgets that will inevitably become a tyrant.
–Duke Leto Atreides
Can you give a source for this information? My father and his 11 brothers and sisters were adult children of alcoholics. All of them put themselves thru college, established successful businesses or chose careers of service, raised happy, well-adjusted children, contributed to their communities and churches. My father was a pastor. Built 24 new churches in his career. He translated his beliefs into actions his entire life.
Forgive me if I am a little dubious? Do you have some sort of personal access to Cruz’s mental health records? Or do you merely assume that anyone who had alcoholic parents fits your description?
Reading is Fundamental. Reading comprehension is even more fundamental. Try it.
Yes, fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is as well ' f u n d a m e n t a l'.... How do you think I know about the lies and deception. Reap the whirlwind.
Please take a moment to read the constitution.
It’s shorter than yo think.
When you get to the part about party primaries take a few notes and get back to us with your findings.
Dint but the hype my FRiend. Cruz will protect your rights. He always has.
I think my phone has gone mental with the spelling... My apologies for the eye strains.
You have bought the deception. First Cruz is a natural born Canadian and is not Constitutionally eligible to hold the office of president. And if you are a natural born US citizen then you are selling out your birthright. DO not be itching when you loose your blessing.... Read what God had to say about Esau selling his birthright for a 'RED' bowl of pottage (lentils) God made sure Esau lost his blessing and had it recorded two times that God hated Esau.
I bet if I felt the urge I could dig something up on the children of slumlords.
I don’t have that urge because I’m not a shrink and I didn’t sleep at a holiday inn last night.
So maybe "delegate" stealing is legal. It's still immoral and delegates who go along with it a treasonous towards the principles embodied in any Republic. So, Pubbies, by all means play your degraded stinking "legal" games.
Excuse me, but did you say "plethora"?
Define it any way you want to. Watch what happens if they do it. Can you say, Hillary, Loretta, rat House and rat Senate.
Thank you for caring about me.
I’m still not sure what any of that has to do with the trump fan’s constitutional rights.
Since you seek to inject religion:
Remember it is trump who will not ask the father for forgiveness.
Read Mark 16:14-15.
I pray for him and hope he finds the Lord in the short time he has left on the earth.
On every thread where I’ve seen the word “moral”. I’ve asked posters to explain how it is amoral. I have yet to receive an answer.
Since you also bring up ethics, please explain how it is unethical.
Remember, words have meaning not just the emotional value you place on them.
God is in control regardless of what any of His children believe. I do not have 'religion' I have Christianity. Trump was wiser than that old serpent who tried to bait him into a public confessional. Now you keep carrying the devil's water.
If there isn’t a Trump\Cruz ticket Cruz and the non-Cruz person they put in loses to everyone else. Quote me, then the GOP gets dismantled IMO.
You may not realize it, but your ability to stand up for what you believe in is pretty much at the Westborro Baptist level.
It does not do you any credit and it sounds like someone pretending to know how Christians think.
One candidate is still receiving profit from dens of vice. Tell me, who holds the devil’s water?
Cruz pulling what he did in Iowa elsewhere only gets him a job quicker at Goldmas Sachs.
Mail.
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