Posted on 02/14/2008 6:17:50 AM PST by jdm
Like most conservative writers and talk show hosts, we have been inundated with Republican reader mail describing a depth of anger and frustration we have never before witnessed, all of it directed at the RNC-MSM anointing of John McCain against the will of the Republican majority.
Before most rank and file Republicans ever got a chance to vote in the Republican primaries, all conservative candidates had already been run out of the race by open primaries held in early primary states that have a notable liberal slant. By the time most real Republicans got a chance to vote in their party primary, there was already nobody left to vote for.
Even then, McCain is currently leading the RNC nomination race with only 37.6% support among Republicans and much less than 30% of the national vote.
Although the MSM and RNC are touting McCain as the “clear choice of Republicans” for the ’08 nomination, no less than 62.4% of Republican primary voters have actually cast a vote against John McCain.
Principled, consistent, core Conservatives in particular, seem to be entirely fed up with having their candidates dictated to them by the likes of Mel Martinez and other RNC turncoats who are either closet card carrying members of the liberal cabal across the aisle, or so compassionate towards democratic socialism that you can’t tell the difference between them.
But Are Republicans Angry Enough To Take Their Party Back Yet?
If 62.4% of Republicans really do oppose McCain becoming the Party nominee, then they need to do something more than whine and complain about it. If their best plan is to stay home in protest come November, or buy into some insane third party fantasy, they will be sadly disappointed with the outcome of their plan.
Further, the idea of getting involved in the RNC or Republican Party organizational process – becoming a committeeman or precinct captain – and effecting meaningful change is a genuine solution-based thought to consider for the future, but incredibly late for 2008 and a patently unrealistic method of dealing with the current McCain crisis.
If they really are fed up with having liberal candidates dictated to them by liberals running the RNC, then they need to act to take control of the nomination process, now and in the future.
Republicans CAN Take Their Party Back, Even Now and Here’s How!
In short, Republicans MUST use the opportunity provided by the remaining primaries to force an open convention and deny McCain his RNC-MSM mandated coronation, if they want their Party back.
A Republican candidate needs 1191 delegates to sew up the nomination. As of today, John McCain has only 804, which means he is presently 387 delegates short of tying up the nomination.
McCain cannot pick up those 387 delegates before the April 22nd Pennsylvania primary, and he must win every delegate between here and there in order to secure the nomination even then.
Here Are the Primaries McCain Must Win Between Now and April 22nd:
(Big delegate states in bold, the three most important in red)
Guam 2.16
Wisconsin 2.19
Hawaii 2.23
Ohio 3.4
Rhode Island 3.4
Texas 3.4
Vermont 3.4
Mississippi 3.11
USVI 4.5
Pennsylvania 4.22
To be blunt about it, Texas alone, with 140 delegates, has the power to dramatically delay the McCain coronation all by itself. The five big delegate states (in bold) together make up 381 delegates and if McCain lost all five, it would become all but impossible for him to win the nomination anywhere but in an open convention.
If McCain fails to capture the nomination by April 22nd, the message will be sent to the RNC loud and clear and McCain will be in a state by state fight from that point forward. If he is denied all of the five big delegate states, he will have to fight all the way through Nebraska on July 12th to capture the nomination, if he can win all the delegates between April 22nd and July 12th.
If McCain is blocked on April 22nd, keeping him blocked through July 12th and all the way to the convention becomes a viable task. Obviously, if he is allowed to sew up the nomination by April 22nd, it’s all over but the shouting.
But to put a fine point on it, Republicans can stop McCain on one day in two states, Texas and Ohio. The two control 228 delegates. Focus on Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania between now and April 22nd.
How The People CAN Make It Happen?
Mike Huckabee is still in the race with 240 delegates. Romney is sitting on another 285 delegates with his campaign in a “suspended” state. Both can still collect delegates. Even though neither can actually win the nomination before the convention, the two combined have the power to stop a McCain nomination and force him into an open convention where the delegates are all in play.
Simply put, what has to happen between now and July 12th is this. Huckabee and Romney have to continue amassing delegates, denying those delegates to McCain and forcing an open convention.
Once at an Open Convention
The goal of affecting an open convention achieved, the process of selecting the legitimate Republican nominee will be rightfully, back in the hands of the Republican electorate.
Because the delegates would not be bound to the candidates to whom they were initially pledged, the process of selecting the party’s nominee would fall to the arena of old-time convention politics. Floor campaigns would be initiated for each candidate supported by the delegate constituencies and allowed by the nomination process. In essence, an open convention serves as a literal “reset button,” thus usurping the political piracy of the liberal leaning RNC and mainstream media rushing to make McCain king.
For you golfers, it would be considered a gigantic political “Mulligan,” - no offense intended toward the Irish.
This Process Has Dual Messages
Taking this tact is to travel the edges of the double-edged sword.
On the one hand it sends a loud and serious message to the Republican National Committee and the interloper mainstream media that Republicans, and Conservatives in particular, will no longer stand for elitists manipulating the election process. It will prove to them through pro-active solution, creative deed; action based on the principles of defending our Constitutional right to defend our Charters of Freedom, that we are willing to defend those covenants and that we are dedicated to casting off the manipulative limitation of their political and ideological opportunism.
On the other hand, because the candidate will then be of the electorate’s creation – exclusively, we must be dedicated to whatever the outcome of the process...even in a perceived worse-case scenario.
In The End
In the end, nothing will be more effective than securing the US Senate with a solid majority. A strong Conservative majority in the Senate creates a power-base from which great influence can be exerted on the Executive Branch’s agenda. This must, regardless of the White House race, become the greatest focus for all principled Conservatives and Republicans from this point forward.
But no greater “message” can be sent to the elitist powers that be – the elitist RNC and Liberal MSM – than to render their ability to anoint “the chosen one” impotent. To affect an open convention where the true voice of the Republican and Conservative electorate can be heard, measured and enacted sends the ultimate message to those who would usurp our constitutional right to defend the Charters of Freedom.
Want your party back? Here’s how you can take it back. Take it back now or forever hold your tongue-and your nose!
The GOPs DNR order is already filed.
Deciding the candidate at convention sounds like a plan to me.
The RNC primary system has been designed to anoint a RINO. The convention is how Republicans can take back their own party, or at least force conservative concessions/appointees onto McCain.
At conference the RNC could get Romney, Thompson or Hunter as a compromise candidate. Just saying.
it is a great idea.....it is now in the hands of the voters...spread the word
I like this idea! As it stands now, Obama and McCain are but different sides to the same socialist coin.
MORE:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1970157/posts
I think a better strategy is to hope the Democrats and moderates give us a better conservative next time they dictate our nominee. It appears we are the new blacks, afterall “where are they going to go” group in the Republican party.
Thank you for laying out the rules and methods by which we can force an Open Convention!
Though voting for Huckabee is just about as distasteful as voting for McLame, if it gets us an Open Convention thn that is a good outcome.
As I read the totals, Huckabee cannot get to the necessary number of delegates with his current total. So, a vote cast in his direction is nothing more than a vote for an Open Convention.
Of course, neither of the two remaining “candidates” are worth a flip. Hopefully they will be discarded in the first ballot in an Open setting. But one never knows...
Vote. Go to your Precinct meetings! Get involved!
“Deciding the candidate at convention sounds like a plan to me.”
Really..
We will have two candidates, neither of which I would ever vote for, with a basket full of delegates each. But somehow, at the convention, we’re going to pick a real conservative??? And not take either screaming liberal that has 90% of the delegates between them?
Not a chance, these are Huckster fans that want to replace McCain with the Huckster. Either one is completely unacceptable to me. I won’t help the Huckster become president any more than I would help McCain.
Ditto....McCain has to be dumped and conservatives have to take back the Republican Party and get rid of the Leftard RINOs....Otherwise, by this time next year we may see the beginning of another “100 days” of socialist legislation like FDR’s New Deal.
“HEY! HEY! HO HO! John McCain has to go!”
The authors interchange the term Republican with conservative. They fail to discern the difference. THAT is the problem.
I am not big on Huckabee at all, but I have been for him for this very reason. I hope everyone votes for him in the remaining primaries. The electorate does not lead the polls, the polls lead the electorate. The polls that have McCain in a tight race with Obama are almost laughable. The new Zen Xanax McCain you are seeing lately is not the real McCain. If he wins the nomination conservatives will discover that rather quickly, imho. Hunter/Romney 08 -——Romney has potential and 8 years learning and being a conservative is just what he needs.
I may not vote for any of the Republican candidates if there are Constitution Party candidates in the race. I can tell the local candidates that the reason I deny them support is that the party bighats offend me. Let them send the message up the latter.
These bozos that apparently run the party will send us bogus candidates for the next 3 elections unless they are voted out or their power base significantly shrinks. It’s just the way things are.
The Huckster simply cannot win the nomination. It is no sinister plan by the Huckster or his supporters. He and they are giving us another chance to get a decent candidate.
The RNC and MSM did not “annoint” McCain - the voters did. Nobody put a gun to voters’ heads and made them vote for McCain or Romney instead of Thompson or Hunter. If the MSM
Quitter. I like this idea. It's out best chance to get a better candidate. One we can support. The fat lady ain't singin' yet.
My opinion of Romney and Huckleberry is just as low as McCain.
No, Huckabee can’t win the nomination, but he can control enough delegates to give McCain the nomination. Huckabee will do that if he wants the VP slot.
If we are serious about doing this, then we need to NOT vote for Huckabee, but write in someone of our choosing and deny them both.
In an open convention, any candidate holding delegates is back in the race, unless they want out of the race.
Even if McCain wins in an open election, he will have to win with the support of the “Republican” electorate, whereas he is currently leading with only 37% and some of them NOT Republicans...
Can a Republican convention draft Petraeus?
We certainly a conservative Surge to save the Republic.
Can a Republican convention draft Petraeus?
We certainly need a conservative Surge to save the Republic.
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