Posted on 04/12/2016 7:03:20 AM PDT by GIdget2004
The Republican National Convention Rules Committee is the most powerful group you've never heard of -- it will set the rules of the convention and could potentially keep John Kasich off the ballot, open the battle to House Speaker Paul Ryan or create a dozen other different scenarios that decide the result.
Its power is only limited by the political constraints of Republican Party leaders worried about the long-term effects of Donald Trump winning or losing the nomination.
"He who writes the rules, rules -- as the old saying goes," said Gary Emineth, former chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party and expert on the party's rules. "I think it's going to boil down to how strong Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are and how close they are."
Here's everything you need to know about the Rules Committee:
Who's on the committee?
The Rules Committee is comprised of 112 delegates --- mostly party leaders, longtime members of the Republican National Committee and lawyers who understand legislative process.
The 56 delegations to the national convention -- one for every state, the five U.S. territories and Washington, D.C. -- will each select two members for the committee each, one man and one woman.
(Delegations will also pick their members for the three other committees: platform, credentials and permanent organization.)
Each one of the delegations will have significant power on its own -- if delegates supporting Texas Sen. Ted Cruz can win a majority on the Texas delegation, for example, they could pack the rules panels with two Cruz supporters.
The Republican National Committee will retain quite some power over the panel. Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus will select the chairman of the panel from the 112 delegates selected...
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Likability is an important trait in politics and Cruz is lacking in that department. You’re right; Hilary could actually make him appear more likable by contrast.
I’m surprised Cruz’s people haven’t already “re-tooled” his image to make him more appealing.
I know you say this but truly if voters are not voting for Cruz in the primary, what makes you think they will in the general? In 2 weeks, trump likely will have 12 million primary voters to Cruz’s 6 million. That’s a steep deficit if you think about it.
Apples and oranges when Cruz strong states are caucus and close primaries.
But the answer is simple... Hilary.
The rules decisions will tell everyone whether Trump/Cruz delegates are loyal or just placeholders who are bound to vote for candidates that many of them are eager to betray. If those rules decisions go against Cruz/Trump a week before the convention, Trump and Cruz should give careful thought to their strategy. If the delegates are not loyal, the two leading candidates only control the first round of voting.
Trump and Cruz have shared interests when it comes to the rules. If the rules are still decided against the two of them, we should be very worried!
If Trump shows up with over 1237 then he deserves the nomination. Otherwise it is up to the delegates to select someone who can get over 1237 votes, whether that is Trump, Cruz, or Kasich (God forbid!).
As long as Trump and Cruz stick to supporting Rule 40(b) and don’t let an outsider get inserted into the process, we will at least end up with someone I can live with (Trump or Cruz).
Thankfully the democratic primary is chaotic as well. Not to say Hillary can’t convince 50.1 percent to vote for her. After 2012, I don’t put anything past voters. That election to me was a shock. But 2016 was our election to lose. Democrats haven’t won 3 in a row since FDR. We should have ran away with this election but GOP always finds a way to screw it up.
I agree. Romney was the ONLY person that could lose to Obama. American’s hated Obamacare and what does the GOP do? They nominate the grandfather of Obamacare!
Oh and McCain was such a wimp he wouldn’t take on Obama and call him out on many many issues that would have won the election for him.
I honestly think the GOP wants the power of congress vice the Presidency. In Congress they can feed the beast and steal more money from us. And how do you stay in power in congress? Have the opposite party as President.
This election is a conundrum for them though. Neither front runner is an insider.
meant to say two GOP front runners.
Oh yeah makes sense for sure.
Overall it is the GOPe biggest nightmare. I just wish I liked Cruz. If I did, this primary would be perfect and the general better because I’d be cool with either one. But alas there something so unlikable about Cruz. I can’t shake it and I’ve tried.
He wasn’t my first choice, but he’s my last acceptable choice.
I used to like Trump and everytime I warm up to him he does something so stupid and asinine that I’m like—no way I can’t support him. I’d vote for him over Hillary though.
Well in many ways I agree with you. The week before Wisconsin was mostly self inflicted. If he would just relax a minute, he’d bring a lot of “not sure” voters. I feel the same with Cruz. He needs to relax as well and at least pretend that he isn’t a “win at all costs” type. It can be done. Also both need to stop talking about each other. Pretend the other is out of the race and go campaign.
Don't forget all the down ballot Republicans who will get slaughtered.
If Cruz is able to assemble a coalition of 1237 delegates then he will have the support of more of the Republicans than whoever doesn’t have 1237 even if that is Trump. Cruz is clearly better at organizing the crucial ground game and campaign team, which is absolutely essential for a general election.
He'll have the support of perhaps a few hundred insider establishment republicans and lose the support of tens of millions of Trump supporters at the ballot box - either way Cruz and the other Republicans running for office LOSE.
I have no doubts about it at all. I should be the nominee!
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