An update on a Cruz supporter’s phone sent before a public announcement was made about Doland’s departure.
Posted on 04/11/2016 7:04:04 PM PDT by iowamark
OTTUMWA, IOWA — Mahaska County Supervisor Mark Doland had to leave the Second District Republican convention for a wedding. Such absences occur during the ebb and flow of voting and debating that started early in the morning and stretched into the evening as the sun began to set outside the community center perched on the Des Moines River.
But Doland was no ordinary delegate.
The story of this county official was almost immediately replaced, coupled with reports from across the state’s other three Congressional Districts illustrates why Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was almost perfect on Saturday.
An update on a Cruz supporter’s phone sent before a public announcement was made about Doland’s departure.
Cruz finished the day with 11 out of 12 available slots to the national convention filled by allies. The Texas senator also holds the majority on a state party committee, which will elect the remaining 15 delegates. Iowa’s other three delegates are the state chair and two Republican National Committee members.
RELATED: Into the thick of the delegate race
Out of the hundreds in attendance in Ottumwa, Doland had been identified and printed on paper as someone who would back Cruz on a possible second ballot in Cleveland and any ones that would follow.
The campaign for the Republican frontrunner Donald Trump knew what was happening after Doland left though. All they had do was check their phones.
Initiated before delegates even stepped inside the Bridge View Center, Cruz loyalists set up a texting service that lit up phones throughout the day.
A Cruz supporter displays the text message he received to opt into the service.
This seemingly simple solution illustrates why Cruz backers were able to almost sweep all of the available delegates in the four Iowa Congressional District conventions on Saturday.
The service was not perfect. Based on interviews with Trump supporters, a number of them signed up for the service. But before the most important votes of the day, which determined who would go to Cleveland and even those for state party offices, a text went out.
A Trump supporter’s phone with the list of Cruz preferred picks for a number of state party and convention committees.
At the Second District Convention, Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s campaign had one staffer who declined to name preferred delegates. Trump had a mostly volunteer run effort that fed off word of mouth and a hand scrawled list of names that appeared like a homework assignment rushed before class.
In Ottumwa, only one of the original Cruz slate, state Rep. Greg Heartsill, made it Cleveland. But the other two spots were filled by Amy Christen of Davenport, who expressed concerns about Trump and former Congressional challenger Mariannette Miller-Meeks who is maintaining her neutrality. A minor blip in a dominating show across the home of the first-in-the-nation caucuses.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
Iowa will send 30 delegates to the national convention, but due to the increasingly contested nature of the race the Republican presidential nominee may not be chosen on the first ballot.
Should Trump or Cruz not reach a set number of delegates during the primary and caucus process, currently set at 1,237, the nomination would go to a second ballot.
This is an important distinction since each subsequent ballot allows even more national delegates to vote on their own preference. Iowa delegates are bound to the results of the first-in-the-nation caucuses on the first ballot even for candidates no longer in the race like retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson or Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
JimRob speaks the truth.
Just like Obama didn’t win the election for president of the Harvard Law Review on the first ballot. Instead, it took them all night and multiple votes for him to “win.” You must be so proud that detesTED is in such illustrious company.
Cruz cannot win the majority of delegates and is only trying to stop Trump from doing so.
He won't win anything.
Reality hits home tomorrow night.
Not according to Cruz and his supporters how take great delight in circumventing the will of the voters with clever tactics.
Frankl,y, I don’t know how he faces himself!
A perfect day. Like Elle woods? Legally blonde?
Does Cruz have any freakin clue what happens to the eventual republican nominee?? Within the now friendly media? A clue? How the media wants him as nominee so they can destroy him in one eight hour news cycle. When they cannot destroy trump? That what they’re doing totrump now is nothing in comparison? That what trump is likely doing to them all the head scratching over Colorado is possibly trump playing with them while everyone marvels at Cruz’s electoral delegate bs prowess while he has zero zero savvy on media and that they would smash him like a daddy long leg spider on the bathroom wall ten minutes into the first eight hour news cycle and SNL would sweep up the mess?
Does he have one clue?
Posts like this look more like cultism. Probably time to leave.
Silly me...I thought the voters selected the delegates. Ah, democracy...what a quaint concept for the little people.
No you are right they vote for the delegates. But silly Trump didnt spend anytime with them.
You’ve gotten awfully testy since your WI forecast of a Trump victory went down in flames.
Maybe your 1100 forecast for Trump on Apr 27th will see the same fate?
Ok sure I underestimated the GOPe strength. And 1100 is approximate. It could be more or less, but those two days will have zero Cruz wins. If anything Kasick may get some delegates.
>>And 1100 is approximate. It could be more or less, but those two days will have zero Cruz wins.<<
Trump has 743 delegates now per RealClearPolitics, and there will be 267 chosen on Apr 19th and 26th, so I’m guessing your approximation of 1100 is a bit optimistic (since 743+267=1010.)
Furthermore, Cruz and Kasich will both get some of those 267 delegates. Both are likely to get 4-6 each out of Rhode Island alone because of the way they allocate delegates.
And wait until you read how 54 of the 71 Pennsylvania delegates are apportioned. That has the potential to drive you absolutely bonkers, especially if Cruz is on his game and Trump is still playing catch up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.