Florida GOP will require 2024 candidates to sign loyalty pledge to qualify for primary ballot

cnn ^ | July 06, 2023 | Eric Bradner

[backpacker_c]

Florida Republicans are requiring 2024 presidential candidates to sign a loyalty pledge to support the party’s eventual nominee in order to qualify for the primary ballot next year.

The new pledge in Florida is similar to a Republican National Committee requirement to qualify for next month’s first presidential debate, under which participants have to sign a pledge “agreeing to support the eventual party nominee.”

Several other candidates have also bristled at signing the RNC’s pledge, and Trump and DeSantis have both sidestepped questions about whether they would commit to backing the other if that person wins the party’s nomination.

[backpacker_c]

Florida GOPe trying to protect their own, as well as party, power.

They are trying to get Trump to commit to loyalty pledge, to ensure if the deep swamp GOPe rinos manage to keep Trump out of the general election as the republican candidate, he doesn't run in the general as a third party candidate.

They are also trying to protect desantis, even though desantis hasn't said he'd agree to a loyalty pledge yet, either, as the default candidate if they manage to take Trump out of running.

And before desantis supporters start attacking the story, it was either a cnn, or a usa today based article for the story.

[Bayard]

Trump will win Florida

[Shady]

Loyalty to whom? The #JihadJunta? NO.

[dforest]

I don’t like this conditional stuff in order to be in a debate no matter who a person wants to win.

I don’t like the GOP for this type of manipulation.

[dware]

The GOP needs to end.

[Reno89519]

As I have written previously and numerous times, I think loyalty pledges are simply wrong, whether by RNC, state, or local party groups. Too many try to do this, even to pick up a sign, bumper sticker, etc. Trump’s campaign did it in Nevada, Lombardo did it, and just about every campaign. Not sure who is doing it this year—at the DeSantis event in Minden, they did not ask for loyalty pledge so maybe these are going away, which would be good. No candidate, no voter should ever be asked to make a future promise that might not be in their interest.

[stars & stripes forever]

I think that is unconstitutional.

[Macoozie]

Get the McRomBush Never Trumpers like Messrs Ryan an Kristol to sign it first.

nevah hapin.

[aynrandfreak]

Didn’t Jeb & others renege on their 2016 promises to endorse the nominee? What is the consequence of not honoring it?

[backpacker_c]

lol

desantis supporters/nevertrumpers trying mislead and lie to you, to make the loyalty pledge sound like it's a Trump and candidate problem

Trump asked people at rallies to pledge to do what ever they could, to make sure their vote went in.

That is quite different from what is happening here.

Here, the FL GOP is saying candidates have to pledge they will support who ever the republican candidate is in the general, and not run third party,

or they can't apppear on the primary ballot.

Quite a strong arm tactic, and shows how even more corrupt the FL GOP is.

[dragnet2]

The GOP is corrupt. Making anything conditional, restrictive and being subject to, creating their own little rules as they go along, making sure it fits their agenda, is total bull s**t.

[Boogieman]

“pledge to support the party’s eventual nominee”

Ha. Methinks someone thought of this as a way to help DeSantis, but in actuality, they would be pledging to support Trump :)

[Boogieman]

"As I have written previously and numerous times, I think loyalty pledges are simply wrong..."

Hmm.... zat's sounds like someting a traitor vould say!

[dragnet2]

See #9

[Reno89519]

So you have to trash every comment? What a jacka55.

[ryderann]

Did Trump’s primary opponents support him in 2016 after the primary? Christie, Jeb, Graham...? I can remember only Carson who had kind things to say about him.

[napscoordinator]

Then he should happily sign the loyalty paperwork like he did in 2016 (eventually).

[Yogafist]

How does a party have any say about who appears on a ballot? Wouldn’t the Secretary of State be responsible for that? And if a person submits the necessary paperwork they are entitled to run.

[1Old Pro]

I am against this tactic by political “parties”. Another reason the GOP doesn’t get a penny from me.

[Reno89519]

I guess if we look at it from top down... RNC needs some commitment from candidates to support the party and candidate, maybe at least to not undermine the party or candidate. I recall Cruz dissing and undercutting Trump in 2016. I think the party has more say, maybe in whether candidates get access to RNC resources, though once they've lost, they won't care. Loyalty pledge is meaningless... if Trump loses, he won't be running again, so he won't care. At the state level, more immediate resources to run campaigns and all, so maybe the same required? But on voter level, that's where I object. A candidate needs to earn our support and vote, and it may be taken away if a better candidate comes along or if the candidate becomes unsupportable.

I think it is priceless that Trump is concerned about loyalty pledge when his biggest issue with hirings is their loyalty. He wants it but won't give it.