[Enlightened1]

Sorry Mitt… RNC Rules State GOP Nominee Must Have Won 8 States to Be Considered Candidate at Convention

Here is Rule Number 40 from the Republican National Committee:

RULE NO. 40
Nominations
(a) In making the nominations for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States and voting thereon, the roll of the states shall be called separately in each case; provided, however, that if there is only one candidate for nomination for Vice President of the United States who has demonstrated the support required by paragraph (b) of this rule, a motion to nominate for such office by acclamation shall be in order and no calling of the roll with respect to such office shall be required.

(b) Each candidate for nomination for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States shall demonstrate the support of a 40 of 42 majority of the delegates from each of eight (8) or more states, severally, prior to the presentation of the name of that candidate for nomination. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these rules or any rule of the House of Representatives, to demonstrate the support required of this paragraph a certificate evidencing the affirmative written support of the required number of permanently seated delegates from each of the eight (8) or more states shall have been submitted to the secretary of the convention not later than one (1) hour prior to the placing of the names of candidates for nomination pursuant to this rule and the established order of business.

(c) The total time of the nominating speech and seconding speeches for any candidate for nomination for President of the United States or Vice President of the United States shall not exceed fifteen (15) minutes.

(d) When at the close of a roll call any candidate for nomination for President of the United States or Vice President of the United States has received a majority of the votes entitled to be cast in the convention, the chairman of the convention shall announce the votes for each candidate whose name was presented in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this rule. before the convention adjourns sine die, the chairman of the convention shall declare the candidate nominated by the Republican Party for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States.

(e) If no candidate shall have received such majority, the chairman of the convention shall direct the roll of the states be called again and shall repeat the calling of the roll until a candidate shall have received a majority of the votes entitled to be cast in the convention.

[marktwain]

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

[Gaffer]

My understanding that the “rules” can be changed virtually at any time up until the day before the convention.

[McCarthysGhost]

So they will change the rules

[econjack]

Walk softly, as there is nothing to prevent the GOP from changing the rules before the convention. They’ve done it before.

[Dr. Sivana]

This is POORLY written. Trump has 12 victories, but does NOT have the majority of delegates in 12 states. Rule 40 CAN be changed at any time. If Trump has a majority, there is no stopping him. If he is CLOSE to a majority, he may be able to deal for some Cruz delegates.

[Nifster]

Those rules are subject to change. And they will be changed before the convention

[vmivol00]

Rules are for the little people. Does the author really think they apply to people like Romney or Ryan? If the rules need to be “amended”....they will be “amended”.

The GOP is beyond corrupt.

[SERKIT]

Like Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ Rules, the 40s are only used to protect the women and children. Unlike Gibbs’ Rules, the RNC Rules change to fit the mean and ends in the moment.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

As it reads, to be nominated requires 8. Since delegates are bound to a candidate for the first round, bound delegates without a nominated candidate they can vote for would have to abstain. Would get tricky if Trump doesn’t have the 1,237 needed to win a majority on the first ballot.

But I think he isn’t worried, and that’s why Cruz said there was no chance at a contested convention. I think Cruz accepts the VP slot and just hands Trump the delegates needed to get over 2,000 votes on the first ballot.

Then the establishment can go cry in a corner.

[stocksthatgoup]

Mitt needs brokered convention

[Nip]

Oh, not to worry Mitt.

After all, the Republic is no longer a nation governed by laws and hasn’t been for some time.

We will change the rules to enable your THIRD run (third time is the charm?) for the White House as soon as we determine what the rules have to be to ensure your victory, this time.

[TomGuy]

Except that Rule #40 can be changed by the rules committee meeting before the convention.

It may or may not have any bearing.

At last count, Trump had about 5 of the needed 8, and Cruz had around 3 out of 8. There are still around 30 states to vote and most of those are winner-take-all, so the 8 number should be reachable by both Cruz and Trump. Rubio and Kasich, not so much.

[Elderberry]

Republican nominees must have won a majority of delegates in at least 8 states.

Majority means 50% + 1

The only primary where a candidate has won with a majority, so far, is Marco, winning in Puerto Rico.

As far as I can recall.

[ziravan]

The RNC imposed rule 40(b) to get their guy.

They’ll certainly amend it to get their guy. They made the rules.

Depending on a rule to limit the rule makers is not a grand strategy.

[FewsOrange]

“This convention rule – Number 40 – was adopted at the 2012 convention”

Does that mean a new rule could be adopted at the 2016 convention?

[Petrosius]

I think that everyone is misunderstanding Rule 40. The rule requires the support of the majority of the delegates of eight states. The delegates are bound to vote for their pledged candidates only on the first ballot. After that they can vote for whomever they please. Thus on a second or subsequent ballot, if a candidate can show that he has the support of a majority of delegates of eight states his name can be entered for nomination. This support can include those who were pledged to vote for someone else on the first ballot.

[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?!

[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.

[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?