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This article is pure bunk. The rule which says that 1,237 must be achieved can be altered, but 1,237 would still represent a passing vote.

Look at this way: Suppose the party decided that a plurality can nominate a candidate. Fine... because the rule which says 1,237 must be reached is not a permanent rule. Essentially, the party can bind delegates to vote to approve whoever achieves a plurality.

But let’s say that the party decides that it wants 1,300 delegates to be needed for a nomination. Can’t happen. A mere majority can’t bind a majority. When Trump gets 1,237 votes, his nomination passes, and the previous vote is over-ruled.

The sticky part is what happens if Trump gets a mere plurality? Then, in the second round, any delegate can vote for any qualified candidate. Under Rule 40B, only Trump and Cruz will likely qualify. Cruz can pick up all of the other non-Trump delegates and win if the delegates prefer him. Is that fair? *IF* Cruz blocks Trump from a majority, it’d be because he started winning majorities once the field cleared, and the argument could be made that demonstrated that he was the favored choice of the majority of voters.

But Rule 40B is also a temporary rule, could it change? Theoretically yes. Practically, no. Trump and Cruz supporters would know that if the rule is changed, it’d be to allow someone ELSE to be nominated. So they’d almost certainly block that from happening.

The only way it COULD happen would be if Trump decided to throw his support behind a Grand Compromise candidate. But I can’t imagine who that could be, or how the delegates could imagine that such a person could be “electable.”