I am fully 100% against taking the nomination away from Trump if he has over 50% and would fight with anyone who suggested in doing so...
However, there is a reason they put in the >50% rule and didn’t simply award the nomination to whoever had the most delegates.
If it turns out to be Trump - 40% Cruz - 35% Rubio - 25%, I fully expect a full out floor fight for the nomination and I would not consider it “dirty” or “cheating” if it goes to someone other than Trump.
Of course, as a conservative, I hope that Cruz would get it and would be extremely disappointed if Rubio got it (more than if Trump got it) but I wouldn’t consider it underhanded in any way. That is the way the system was designed and everyone knew it going in.
Yes, the reason for the rule is to make sure the establishment gets who they want, and not who the people want. If Trump gets over 50% of the delegates, he should get the nomination whether you like it or not. And furthermore, either all primaries and caucuses should be proportional, or all should be winner take all. Why should states like Florida have more say than Texas?
Sometimes I wonder if any of you paid attention to the last primary cycle?
Here is what you need to note, the voters did not move toward Romney as each candidate was slimed and dropped out. They moved to the next candidate standing. Romney never had more than 30% of the vote AT MOST and usually when he “won” the early states, he had about 20% of the vote, but he was the anointed one and he had the money and the backing. So, finally, as the winner take all states came into play there really was not anyone left except Ron Paul, and at that point Paul started getting bigger numbers of vote but not enough, so Romney took all the big states — hence he had enough states with a majority of delegates although he never really had the support of the base.
So what you people need to understand, Bush would be doing as Romney did, a small percentage of the votes, and each candidate slimed in turn, running out of money, and withdrawing until only Bush is left, and then because no one is left, he then takes the winner-take-all states, meeting that majority state rule, even if one or another of the candidates does have a large number of delegates.
Do you think for one minute, if Trump was not in the race, Cruz would be? Cruz would be utterly trashed, he would be out of the race by now, Bush would be hanging in there, winning nothing, but forcing the other candidates out, one by one, until only he was left standing. Remember he said he was going to win without winning the primaries.
So at this point, if you do not realize what is happening, if you do not consolidate behind Trump NOW: YOU WILL SEE BUSH AS THE NOMINEE, or possibly Romney. (They are not going to give this to Rubio, they are going to make an issue of his citizenship — as they should!)