New 'convention facts' website latest sign GOP is preparing for contested .. Convention

cleveland.com ^ | March 31, 2016 | Andrew J. Tobias

[don-o]

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A newly launched website from the Republican National Committee is the clearest sign yet that the GOP is preparing for July's Republican National Convention in Cleveland to be contested.

The new site, conventionfacts.gop, broadly lays out the party's rules for nominating a presidential candidate, including walking through the ground rules for the possible multiple rounds of voting at an "open convention." (This is the party's preferred terminology — it lacks the air of controversy of a "contested convention," the more commonly used phrase.)

By explaining the GOP's arcane rules, Republicans hope to tamp down the inevitable controversy that would result from a convention floor fight at Quicken Loans Arena. After downplaying the likelihood of a contested convention for months, the party recently shifted toward acknowledging the possibility.

"ConventionFacts.gop is a tool for voters to learn about convention delegates, rules, and how the overall process works in a simple, easy to understand format," RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement. "Conventions are democracy in action and our Party's gathering in Cleveland will be an exciting, transparent, and fair process."

[don-o]

I am trying to learn the process of how a contested convention would work. I have been told this morning that the delegates we voted for are just political hacks who "will do as they are told."

So there's a link in the source for the rules that the convention is supposed to follow.

[JPJones]

“Conventions are democracy in action and our Party’s gathering in Cleveland will be an exciting, transparent, and fair process.”

That’s complete BS.

And whatever GOPe tool you nominate, when he/she loses to Clinton you’re going to need to resign.

Along with a whole lot of others.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

“contested convention”

Translation: Votes for Hillary.

[DugwayDuke]

Thank you for posting that. It would behoove all freepers to read and understand these rules although I doubt many will.

[Pietro]

The GOP is balanced on a knife blade.

If anyone other than Cruz or Trump is nominated it will be the last GOP convention ever held.

[dirtboy]

My grandmother was an uncommitted delegate from PA in 1976. So she had both Reagan and Ford wooing her big-time - but she was free to chose who she wanted (she went with Ford - she was a classic Rockefeller Republican).

But she was more of an abberration in that PA does not lock most of its delegates to the winner - most states do on the first ballot.

[cba123]

I think you are right.

Except, Cruz is also (very) close to also becoming part of the problem.

Cruz needs to stand down, if he can no longer win this election.

[marron]

A contested convention would have to be done in such a way that at the end of it the rank and file respect the result and will support it.

If it smells like skullduggery, half the party sits the election out and the Dems win.

I don’t expect this, because Trump will probably have enough delegates that he can close the deal with one of the other candidates to make up the deficit.

If Cruz is within striking distance of creating a winning coalition, he still has that challenge, of doing it in a way that brings Trump supporters on board which is a tough hurdle. In a weird way, if he wins he still needs Trump’s blessing or Trump supporters quite simply won’t be there for him.

Its easier for Trump, in a way, because Cruz people generally like him for their second choice and there is nothing shameful about backing the winner if your guy falls short. Its the reverse that is almost unfixable; if your guy is in the lead, and yet you are asked to back someone who won by sharp lawyering, you probably aren’t going to do it.

So my money is still on Trump as long as he doesn’t self-destruct, which despite his various missteps he isn’t going to do; he’s tough, and his people are loyal. Their connection to him is almost personal, while Cruz’s supporters basically support his policies... its not nearly so personal. Its an important distinction that will matter if this thing goes behind closed doors. That is why though I like Cruz, and he is proving to be a tough competitor, my money is still on Trump.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Bingo. Just a fancy way of saying they are going to take a dive. They KNOW Trump’s voters will stay home or write him in.

[King of Florida]

Given the apparently tight race in Wisconsin, I don’t think that’s going to become clear to Cruz if he wins there. It won’t become clear until he gets his ass handed to him in a sling the week of April 19-26, when all those NE states vote with 237 delegates at stake. Cruz may be able to fool cheeseheads in Wisconsin, but those in the NE know a phony charlatan when they see one.

[jetson]

Let’s see if Cruz wins Wisconsin.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

It's amazing how hellbent they are about getting her into office isn't it. They do not give one rats ass about this country or the people, all they care about is getting someone in office who will continue to allow them to line their pockets and sell out this country.

Trumps son said it best:

[don-o]

Thank you for posting that. It would behoove all freepers to read and understand these rules although I doubt many will.

You're welcome. Hopefully, thread won't degenerate to yet another food fight. Here is something we need to be looking at for all the states that Trump and Cruz have won.

Many of the 49 delegates in Tennessee who are pledged to either Donald Trump or Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) 97% will reportedly meet this month to seal a grassroots alliance in which they pledge their votes during any contested convention only to Trump or Cruz. “My concern is that whether you are a Cruz delegate or a Trump delegate the establishment wants to nominate somebody like John Kasich who has no mathematical chance or moral authority to become the nominee because he has received so few votes in the primaries,” former State Rep. Joe Carr, an at-large Cruz delegate, tells Breitbart News. He adds:

[strings6459]

I don’t know about other states, but in South Carolina the actual delegates to the convention will be elected this summer.

The game is rigged in that it takes two years to become a voting delegate, eliminating anyone who got involved this year for specifically for Trump or Cruz. The delegates are bound for one vote and then can vote for the party’s candidate.

[leprechaun9]

My understanding (in NJ) is that the filing deadline for ALL candidates is the same. If a candidate intends to run in the GENERAL ELECTION (even if not running in the PRIMARY) the application to run in the GENERAL ELECTION must be filed before the PRIMARY. That deadline has already passed. If a candidate has not already filed to run as an INDEPEDANT in the GENERAL ELECTION, it is too late.

Another possibility is to run as a WRITE-IN candidate (as Murkowski did in Alaska). Of course, this is a much more difficult task.

[Pietro]

Some conservative opinoners have pointed to the 1860 convention as an example of a brokered convention settling on a winner.

My question is: How did that work out?

Answer: 600,000 dead.

[LostPassword]

The old names no longer work: contested convention, brokered convention.

Lets call it by the right name: divisive convention.

At least to this point they have shown NO INTEREST in following the will of the voters. If they don’t work things out before the convention based on votes from voters they will divide the party and Hillary will win. Much of the GOPe understand that and prefer Hillary.

It’s also likely the end of the party being able to compete with the democrats nationally. Unless Ryan somehow pulls a conservative budget rabbit out of his hat the 2016 congress along with the GOPes handling of the presidential primaries will convince voters that the GOP is not a preferable alternative to the Ds and we need to look somewhere else.

[lonestar]

Cruz has already shown he is willing to lie, cheat, and steal in order to be the nominee. Do you think he will stand down?

But the fact is... the establishment will not let him be the nominee. He will be thrown under the bus when they no longer need him.

He is sowing what he will reap, IMO. He will suffer the consequences of his excessive ambition exceeding his patience.

[don-o]

Cruz has already shown he is willing to lie, cheat, and steal in order to be the nominee. Do you think he will stand down?

Posts like that, which are just inundating this board, are most pleasing to the Democrats. Please stop.

Both sides here need to rise above the rhetoric of our chosen candidate and push them to keeping eyes on the prize - which is not mutually assured destruction.