Posted on 03/20/2016 9:49:23 PM PDT by dennisw
Staffer from a large Northeastern state passed the entry codes for a conference call of five Republican chairmen from significant states this past Saturday. The topic on the table? Stopping Donald Trump. I had to listen in.
These hard-boiled pols know the nomination will be decided not on the first ballot, but in a series of procedural votes by the entire convention to adopt the rules of the convention as recommended by the Rules Committee and the seating of the delegates as recommended by the Credentials Committee. Those key committees are made up by two members from each state. The bosses have been quietly planting establishment regulars in these spots.
The party kingmakers may have the votes to knee-cap Trump in the rules and credentials committees, as they did Congressman Ron Paul in 2012.
The kingmakers have planned to steal the nod from Donald Trump.
Now they party insiders want to make sure they have a working majority on the floor for the passage of their “license to steal.” Republican state chairs are planting Trojan Horse delegates into slots won by Trump on the first ballot to vote with them on procedural votes to pass the Rules and Credentials Reports that will seal the “Big Steal.” This is going on in Texas, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut, North Dakota, and other states.
Though these “Trump” delegates will be bound by national and state rules to support Trump through the first ballot at the convention, they are free to vote against Trump’s interests on the adoption of Rules and the seating of delegates. It’s entirely plausible that a state could seat delegates pledged to support Donald Trump who have open affiliations with other candidates. In California, Cruz and Paulistas are signing up online via CA’s GOP website as Trump delegates.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Trump did meet the 8 state rule (to win a majority in 8 states). Cruz has done that in four. I’m not sure how Cruz looks in the remaining states. Utah I guess. I was at a Washington state caucus and 90% or more were for Cruz. But we have to go by the primary results - but I think the state is leaning Cruz. (Well - probably Bernie for the populated parts of the state....)
Message to GOP Delegates:
DONALD TRUMP LOVES TO SUE PEOPLE, and on a personal level.
So if you decide to go along with late change to the rules, you better have some deep pockets, because you WILL need them as you try to fight off his lawyers. For starters, Mr. Trump has already spent $30 Million of his own money, and probably will spend another $30 Million by the time this is over. And that is only direct damages. God knows what else Mr. Trump’s legal team will come up with.
(and no, not a threat as I have no association with Trump, just an observation based on his past business dealings - he doesn’t take being double-crossed very lightly)
Just operate within the rules, a concept which all constitutionalists on this forum will no doubt support.
Trump has already passed the 8 state rule. Cruz is not even close and probably will not. The issue of what happens if no one crosses is moot.
To me, this is the big problem. If they change the rule to allow other candidates to be placed in nomination, they are changing it only to screw Trump.
One of the things I don’t know is what happens if he has less than 1237 delegates, but no one else meets the 8 state rule?
I suspect that delegates pledged to other candidates can not vote in the first round if their candidate is not nominated. Now, does nomination really require more than 1237, or does it require more than 50% of the votes cast? If Trump is the only nominee is he the winner?
The rule is new, but as you were saying, it is the rule. Changing it now is going to disadvantage Trump. That is just not right.
If he gets the umber and it is stolen from him the GOP is over
But then one must consider whether he continues to fail to get 1237 votes, is the convention doomed to eternal stalemate? Normally, we would say that rules ought not to be changed contemporaneously with the event, especially if those making the changes are not representatives democratically elected which appears to be the case here. In other words those who would change the rules as they go along are appointees of regional party apparatus and not necessarily representatives of victorious primary candidates like Trump. If those controlling the rules were truly representative of the voters, I might have a different point of view.
In the event should such a scenario unwind it seems clear that Trump will be able to horse trade and get enough votes to put himself over the majority threshold. Evidently, the fear is that after the initial ballot support for Trump will erode rather than grow by horsetrading. Meanwhile, the elites will jigger the rules and I think that would be inappropriate and wrong-because they are not representative of the voters.
On the second ballot (and the rest of them) - you can vote for who you want to. I imagine that Rubio can tell his delegates to vote for xxx, and Kasich can tell his to vote for yyyy and hope that their delegates follow their direction. I doubt if Cruz is close to Trump that he would have his delegates vote for zzzz, but perhaps.
I think it was upthread that someone surmised that Trump could promise Cruz a job so as to get Cruz's delegates.
I'm reminded of Nixon when he didn't fight the recount when he lost in 1960. To spare the country all of the drama. I imagine that something like that may happen if the Republicans see something like that happening. I would like to think so anyway. They will definitely need to come together at the convention to have any chance of beating Hillary.
Kidnapping is a real possibility. What happens if a pledged delegate decides not to show up for the first ballot? The alternate replacing them may not be for Trump.
Yes, Cruz is close. Utah will be his 5th. He's a lock to win several more of those flyover states like Nebraska, Montana, South Dakota, Indiana, etc. and I imagine an unexpected state like Maine will be tossed in there. If the GOPe change the 8-state rule, it will be stop Cruz, not Trump, because that rule would make it easy for them to rally behind Cruz against Trump if they wanted to.
“The party would be over if they pulled that sort of bs.”
I care more about America than I dislike the gop. But I have to admit, seeing the gop wing of the uniparty laid waste is a mighty nice consolation prize.
Electing hitlery is likely the strategy. The uniparty owns both the ‘rats and the gop. While they would prefer to run with two candidates, I’m sure they’ll be just fine with electing hitlery.
An interesting part would be played out down ticket. As millions decline to vote as a result of the shenanigans, a fair number of down ballot choices could see themselves cast overboard.
understood
Yes. That’s quite the conundrum. And therein lies the problem with pissing off large numbers of populists who might not be all that interested in the finer points of conservative theory. They might be pissed off enough to destroy the place on their way out the door.
The establishment power structure as well as their useful conservatives seem to forget that winning at any cost often becomes winning at all costs. Including their own destruction.
“I don’t know the count, will Trump make the 8 state rule?”
Trump already has.
Looks like most if not all the marbles are in play.
The political establishment should tread very lightly. But they probably won’t. Stupid is as stupid does.
Beyond the first ballot?
Several states bind delegations through the 2nd ballot.
Florida delegates are bound through the 3rd ballot (thanks Jeb!)
A few other states require 2/3 consensus to support another candidate.
“Like they did Ron Paul in 2012”
Two rather different situations, I would say.
I wish they would stop using Paul. He didn’t have any chance and nowhere near the delegates.
Now, as for the rules: if Trump goes in with the delegates and is cheated-—cause that is what it would be-—out of the nomination, the Republican Party will officially end in a period of a week.
By “their” of course you mean the Dems, and indeed Trump is the instrument of their destruction-—which is why the GOPe also oppose him.
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