Sorry Mitt RNC Rules State GOP Nominee Must Have Won 8 States to Be Considered

Gateway Pundit ^ | 03/07/16 | Jim Hoft

[Enlightened1]

Sorry Mitt Romney–
On FOX News Sunday this morning Rush Limbaugh pointed out that even with a brokered convention the Republican nominees must have won a majority of delegates in at least 8 states.

So far only one candidate qualifies with 12 state victories – Donald Trump.

So even if the GOP establishment wants to nominate a Paul Ryan or Mitt Romney they couldn’t because they have not won majority of delegates in any state let alone 8 states.

This convention rule – Number 40 – was adopted at the 2012 convention.

Rush said the GOP would have to change the convention rules in order to steal the election from the Republican base.

 

[acoulterfan]

So Trump has the majority of delegates in SC, NH, GA, MA and TN?

Scroll down to the bottom of the page:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/republican_delegate_count.html

[acoulterfan]

And Cruz only has over half the delegates in one state - TX

[RightFighter]

It’s not even necessary to change the rules. Rule #32 states the following:

Suspension of Rules
A motion to suspend the rules shall always be in order, but only when made by authority of a majority of the delegates from any state and seconded by a majority of the delegates from each of seven or more other states, severally.

So, if we were to assume that by the time of the convention, Trump had some number of delegates less than the 1237 he needs to win, but there were at least 8 states where a majority of the delegates in the state DON’T want Trump, then one of those states could simply move to suspend the rules, and 7 more states could second that. Then, a vote would be taken to suspend the rules. If a majority of delegates voted to suspend the rules, then rule 40 no longer applies (nor do any of the other rules about binding of delegates), and the convention immediately becomes a free-for-all.

[acoulterfan]

AND Alabama; that makes 6 states for Trump with over 50% of delegates.

[usconservative]

The thing that needs to happen RIGHT NOW, as in TODAY, is for both Trump and Cruz to agree to request their delegates to WALK OUT of the Convention if the rules are changed in any way, to allow Mittens (or any other GOP-E hand picked candidate) to STEAL the nomination.

That is the ONLY way the GOP-E can be stopped from stealing the election. If 2/3rds (or more..) of the delegates walk out the door -- GAME OVER.

The GOP-E won't have enough delegates left to steal the nomination, and would then have to AGAIN change the rules to do their dirty deed.

Can you imagine the uproar not just at the convention, but across America?!

[Petrosius]

So Trump has the majority of delegates in SC, NH, GA, MA and TN?

Yes, but this only applies to the first ballot. If Trump can be denied a majority vote on the first ballot then these delegates would be free to vote for whomever they pleased. I am not predicting this but only pointing out that the results of the primaries only apply to that first ballot.

[RightFighter]

It’s not a majority of the vote - it’s a majority of the delegates.

Trump has won a majority of delegates in Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Cruz has won a majority of the delegates in Texas, Kansas, and Maine.

Lousiana appears to be a tie, with 18 delegates to both Trump and Cruz.

Vermont was a tie between Trump and Kasich.

Every other state was proportional with the winner taking less than 50% of the delegates. What’s not clear is what happens if Kasich, Carson, and Rubio were to drop out and endorse Cruz, for instance. The rules seem to be unclear as to whether those delegates could then switch their allegiance to Cruz or Trump. There are at least 4 states so far were if 2/3 of the Rubio/Carson/Kasich delegates supported Cruz and 1/3 supported Trump, then Cruz would hold a majority of the delegates from those states. This would include Louisiana.

Also, nobody has to change the rules at all. Rule 32 allows for the suspension of the rules by motion of the majority of delegates in one state with a second by 7 more states. If that were to happen and it passed, the rules no longer apply and the convention becomes a free-for-all.

[GOPJ]

The problem is the RNC can change the rules any time they want.

Even our braindead elites won't risk this - for one thing Romney has no base. He can't win.

Kasich and Rubio can't even reach the old threshold... and certainly can't win in the general. If we wouldn't vote for Kasich or Rubio these two the past year, why would we vote for them AFTER GETTING SCREWED OVER BY THE GOPe?

[marktwain]

Yes.

I saw a “suspension of the rules” play at the NRA meeting in 1982 in Miwaukee.

We were told that the rules would be suspended so the agenda could be changed and awards given out. We were all ready for a long night, to get the NRA to be more actively for the Second Amendment.

The activists left the hall to get something to eat. I remarked, at a McDs, that with the suspenstion of the rules, they could just adjorn. Everyone laughed. We had been promised by the chair that they would not do that.

We finished a quick meal and headed back. As we were entering the hall, people were streaming out. They had closed down the meeting when the activists left, with a quick, voice vote.

It was my first exposure to power politics and dirty tricks up close and personal. It has taken 30 years for me to regain a little faith in the NRA.

[marktwain]

I am not so certain that they want to win if it means a Trump or Cruz as President.

They might well prefer Hillary.

[TomGuy]

Just ran across another potential loophole:

from forbes.com: Dramatic, Little Known GOP Rule Change Takes Choice Of Presidential Candidate Away From Rank And File Republicans And Hands It To Party Elite, page 2
Rick Ungar, contributor
April 7, 2014


Based on the RNC issued memo in 2011 ruling that ‘winner-take-all’ elections will only be permitted when a candidate receives a majority of the votes cast in the primary battle, ...

Thus, a Republican candidate who receives 49 percent of the vote in a “winner-take-all” state will not be permitted to get 100 percent of the state’s delegates.


===

RNC Memorandum, February 2011
RE: EXAMPLES OF "PROPORTIONAL DELEGATE ALLOCATION" LANGUAGE FOR PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING PROCESS


III.Suggestions for Adjusting 2008 Language for 2012 Compliance


A. Previous "Winner-Take-All" States Based on Total Statewide Vote


{from paragraph 1} Section (v) of the proportional allocation guidelines above allow for a similar "winner-take-all" end result beginning in March, as long as a candidate receives a majority of the votes cast within a state. If a candidate does not achieve a majority vote, then the delegates would be allocated proportionally bases on the percentage of statewide votes received.

==

from National Constitution Center, Constitution Daily,
February 25, 2016 by NCC Staff:

Explaining the Super Tuesday primaries: The Republicans

The “winner-take-most” states account for 438 delegates, or 70 percent, of the delegates picked on Super Tuesday. Of the 12 Super Tuesday GOP states, eight states follow “winner take most” rules that require the leading candidate to have more than 50 percent of the vote among congressional districts and at-large groups to get most of the delegates. Without a majority winner, the delegates are divided among candidates who receive at least 15 percent or 20 percent of votes.

[acoulterfan]

I was starting to think the very same thing and that they just did not want it to appear so obvious.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Convention rules are set at each convention. A rule made in 2012 is hardly something that would be “broken” if the convention this time made a different rule.

On the other hand, the entire discussion of “stealing” the convention is hilarious. THe entire point of a convention is that we don’t just pick the plurality winner to be the nominee.

Anybody who argues that whoever has the most delegates HAS to be the nominee or else it was “stolen” from them, is arguing against the entire delegate/convention process.

Feel free to do so, but claiming that the plurality winner HAS to be picked would be the real “breaking the rules” position. The entire point of a convention is to stop somone with 35% support from ending up the nominee just because there were two other candidates who split the remaining support.

That’s why we vote for delegates, so the delegates can be our votes at the convention. If we were smart, we picked delegates that can make informed decisions.

Most people voting for candidates other than trump WANT their delegates to switch to candidates other than trump. If a cruz delegate switches to trump in the 2nd ballot, they will be stealing the vote of the cruz supporters who put them there to stop Trump.

[GOPJ]

True.

The GOPe wants CHEAP LABOR and USELESS but EXPENSIVE MILITARY equipment... Five million dollar ‘smart bombs’ to hit desert shacks... for eternity - - while America's bridges, byways and economy are falling apart...

Yep, they would back Hillary... in a New York Minute...

[etcb]

I think Cruz accepts the VP slot and just hands Trump the delegates needed to get over 2,000 votes on the first ballot.

Under current rules, I don't believe a candidate can give his pledged delegates to another candidate on the first ballot. When it gets to the second or subsequent ballots, trading can be done but only among candidates whose name is in nomination.

[TomGuy]

shall demonstrate the support of a 40 of 42 majority of the delegates

I think I have figured out what that means:

Those are numbers in the 2012 National Republican Party Rules. That document has 42 rules. Rule 40 of the 42 rules regards the majority of delegates.

In the actual document, there are references to 8 of 42, 12 of 42, 40 of 42, etc. Those refer to the specific Rule #X out of 42 Rules.

[Ted Grant]

It’s really going to be something, watching Mitt hold rallies in the September & October and have few people show up.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

The delegates are bound to the candidate, but the candidate can release them from their oath. If Cruz did so with the desire they vote for Trump, some might not, but considering Trump will be within a couple of hundred of the 1,237 goal and Cruz will have 800+, releasing them would give Trump the easy win on the first ballot.

[CA Conservative]

Considering they changed Rule 40 to require 8 state wins to be considered at the beginning of the convention in 2012 (to block Ron Paul’s name from being entered into nomination), what makes you think they won’t change it again at the beginning of this convention if they need to?

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Cruz has three contests with a majority of the delegates:

Texas (104/155)
Kansas (24/40)
Maine (12/23)