Posted on 02/02/2012 11:16:03 AM PST by Qbert
The Republican National Committee will not support Newt Gingrich in his quest to add some Florida delegates to his count.
The former Speaker's campaign argued it deserves some delegates out of Florida despite the state party's position that its contest is winner-take-all.
But an RNC memo obtained by The Hill says that is not a possible scenario.
"With regard to proportionality, the RNC does not have the authority to intervene in a state’s primary plans beyond the imposition of the Rule 16 penalties," the memo says, referring to the state's loss of half its delegates for moving its primary up to January. "A contest procedure exists for challenges to a state’s delegation or delegates. The RNC cannot consider any issue regarding Florida’s delegation unless and until a proper contest is brought."
An RNC source said that Florida's plan as submitted in the fall said the state would be winner-take-all, and their plan could not be changed.
Even if there were a way to challenge proportionality in Florida, no one in the state party has shown any interest. Lenny Curry, the state GOP chairman, on Thursday painted Gingrich's campaign as a sore loser for making the argument.
Florida was the first state to award its convention delegates on a winner-take-all basis. Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina all awarded theirs proportionally.
Gingrich's campaign circulated a memo on Wednesday questioning whether Romney won all 50 delegates or whether they should be proportional an "unsettled question which will not be resolved until the Republican convention in Tampa this August."
Former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, Gingrich's state chairman, reiterated that point on Thursday morning.
"You've got to realize that whoever was going to lose was going to make this challenge," he said on Fox News. McCollum said the challenge would be brought "to contest committee, then on convention floor."
Gingrich has argued his campaign will go to the convention, and this is likely his way as painting the nominating contest as a fight for delegates instead of racking up primary and caucus wins.
It takes 1,144 delegates to win the Republican nomination. Mitt Romney has 71; Gingrich has 23; Rick Santorum has 13; Ron Paul has three; and Jon Huntsman has two, according to a count by The New York Times.
—This post was last updated at 11:36 a.m.
I doubt that Romney can win against Obama ...the base is already PO’ed and hates him ...and the man is totally “tone deaf” ...he's coming off a win in FL ...no big pressure on him now; and he's been throwing out “gaffes” at a rate that will soon eclipse Joe Biden’s Guinness Record.
Take care,
-Geoff
This makes the conspiracy theory part of my brain overload. We’re being played like freakin’ minions...
I believe in starving the beast. I haven’t donated to the RNC in years. I joined the Republican Party of Florida again last year but will not make that mistake again. My county GOP leaders were supporting Romney. They didn’t care what the TEA Party wanted. They wanted our money but not our input.
Give to conservative candidates Freepers! Not a dime to the Republican establishment!
Was he supposed to spend his money to force the RNC to follow their own rules BEFORE he lost in FL?
What was the Alfalfa dinner? THanks
P rivate club in DC for the rich and powerfull. Dinner held the end of Jan.
Newt was inducted as a member in 1994.
Clever reasoning by RNC. It would seem to me that the case to give Newt some of the delegates is valid.
PING!
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