On my view the Cruz side of this flap over rules keeps making the same logical error:
For example, let us say there is some rule A, and I think the rule is unfair. If I complain that rule A is unfair, it is non sequitur to say, "but it's the rule".
Now one could say "hey you should have complained at another time before you ran afoul of the rule". That may be prudent advice. But it is still avoiding the question of whether rule A is fair.
Now one can say "Hey dummy, you are so incompetent because you don't know how to take advantage of the rules". Again this may be a less charitable expression of good advice, but it is still avoiding the question of whether the rule A is fair.
One can say "That is the way it has traditionally been done". This may be true, but it is still avoiding the question of whether rule A is fair.
One can say "The party in each state is free to make whatever rules they like". That may be true. A rule can be legitimately put in place by those entrusted with the power to do so. This however does not make the rule fair and beyond reproach by people making a moral argument that the rule is unjust.
Having delegates hostile to the person who they were elected to support is simply not fair to the voters who elected the delegate. It is particularly unfair to the voters if the ballot does not have the name of the delegate nor anything about the delegate, but only about the candidate they are voting for the delegate to represent. It is very close to using the principle of "its not the people who vote, but those that count the votes".
Now I can understand why Cruz supporters are defensive and throw up the non sequiturs. It does not mean they are bad people. Its just they want to feel justified and avoid the full moral weight of this particular issue. I can understand Trump supporters becoming very angry at them wanting to avoid it though. It does not justify, nor is it prudent for Trump supporters to bash Cruz supporters over this. I think it better to try to talk reason.
[[Now one could say “hey you should have complained at another time before you ran afoul of the rule”. That may be prudent advice. But it is still avoiding the question of whether rule A is fair.]]
The3 problem is that trump is only complaining about the rule when he loses delegates, never when he gains them- in Missouri the vote was nearly equal with cruz only a few thousand votes behind Trump- however, because of the rule- trump walked away with 70% of the delegates and cruz got only 20% or so- even though the end result of vote count was nearly identical- The voters that brought cruz to within a few thousand votes of trump had their votes essentially taken from them when hte state awarded trump 70%- they could have just stayed home and not vote ,and the results would have been the same- their votes didn’t count- Trump doesn’t mention the rule then- only when he loses delegates in places like Colorado because he didn’t have a ground game to woo the delegates like Ted did-
[[Again this may be a less charitable expression of good advice, but it is still avoiding the question of whether the rule A is fair. ]]
Was it fair when When Ted lost 50% of the delegaTEs in missouri because of the rule? Ted didn’t complain about losing them- He knew the rules and played by them and accepted that that is how the game is played- He did his best in Missouri, and it didn’t pay off- ok on to hte next state- Donald loses delegates in Lousinna and complains about ‘stolen delegate’- He loses in Colorado- apparently not knowing he needed to woo them- and complains about stolen delegates- (and there was some discrepancy about a ballot misprint that screwed up the delegate stuff, as well as some trump applications begin denied because they didn’t pay their $5 fee or something like that-)
[[This however does not make the rule fair and beyond reproach by people making a moral argument that the rule is unjust.]]
Nope it doesn’t but how long have these state delegate rules been inplace? A very long time now- all candidates have had to go by them- and never has there been such whining about it until this election except for Al Gore and ilk-
It’ the system we have- Donald should have been man enough to realize it, and smart enough to work with the rules, and worked later to change them IF he doesn’t feel they are fair- But to constantly charge Ted by saying ‘Lying Ted is stealing delegates from me” during the campaign that he CHOSE to enter is whining- plain and simple- I’ve worked at several places where their rules weren’t very fair to everyone- yet they were the rules- i had two choices- bitch moan and complain about them and quit- or live with them and keep my job- No amount of complaining was going to change them-
[[It is very close to using the principle of “its not the people who vote, but those that count the votes”]]
Hmmm- sounds just like Missouri where donald came away the victor of the spoils and didn’t complain one bit-