Republican Kasich says does not need delegate lead to win nomination

Yahoo! News ^ | March 7, 2016 | Reuters

[2ndDivisionVet]

Ohio Governor John Kasich, who has staked his Republican presidential campaign on the upcoming contests in the Midwest, said on Monday he would not need a lead in the delegate count before his party's convention to win the nomination, according to media reports.

"In order to be the nominee, you have to have a certain number of votes," Kasich said after a town hall in Monroe, Michigan, which holds its presidential primary on Tuesday.

"You've got to win. You don't just say, 'Well, I have more than anybody else, therefore I'm in,'" Kasich said, according to the Washington Post.

Kasich, who is rising in some opinion polls to compete with Ted Cruz for second place in Michigan's Republican primary, has embraced the idea of a brokered convention to choose the nominee if no one gets a majority of delegates in the nominating contests for the Nov. 8 election.

New York billionaire Donald Trump is at the top of the dwindling Republican pack with the highest delegate count, but victories on Saturday by Cruz, the U.S. senator from Texas, cut into his lead. Kasich trails all his rivals, including U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, in delegates won....

[JSDude1]

This guy is delusional.

[mabelkitty]

Not true.
They have the authority to rewrite the rules up to the day before the convention.
This is the test to win and then they will move the goalposts.

Problem is, they risk losing the House and the Senate if they do it, and they risk losing the House and Senate totally two years later if they do it along with Governors, state legislature, judges, etc.

[JSDude1]

HA- Trump will screw conservatives as easily as all of them. Cruz is the conservative choice.

[vbmoneyspender]

Can you site me the rule that says that and explains what it takes to do that?

[Freedumb]

The problem is the GOPe can change that rule prior to the convention.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

"Assuming my reading is correct, according to Rule 40(b) of the Republican National Committee Rules governing the convention, only candidates who have received the majority of delegates from 8 or more states can be considered for the Presidential Nomination. So that would likely rule Kasich out as a potential nominee. "

The rules committee meets again before the convention and will change the rules to whatever serves their establishment purposes. Count on it.

[jospehm20]

Kasich strikes me as an idiot.

[Smittie]

I think he just wants someone to bake him a cupcake...

[Kenny]

Kasich is the absolute Washington insider. Nine terms in the House and he needed cash to fund that career, from special interests. Then he went through the revolving door to Lehman Bros. where with no banking experience he landed a job as investment banker and managing director.

Kasich was asked to release tax returns for all eight years at Lehman in 2010, but he only released his 2008 return and a 2009 financial disclosure statement. Those reports showed he made $1.4 million in 2008—including $265,000 as a Fox News contributor and $590,000 (his bonus was $432,000) from Lehman.

Huge Lehman Brothers payouts report recalls Gov. Kasich's time at firm

[fkabuckeyesrule]

I would think that is true of anyone. I’m not sure how it would work. Would Cruz and Trump compete for the support of the Rubio/Kasich delegates or would delegates be released to support whoever they want.

[Homer1]

Rule 40 can be waived

[fireman15]

I am a precinct captain and I will not freeze my as* off outside of the voting center in November in order to help get Kasich elected even in the impossible event that he is nominated.

Thank you for working as a precinct captain. I have been involved in local politics myself. I think that what a lot of people do not understand is that the rank and file Republicans who actually do the work are very good people and not responsible for the raving idiots who have somehow positioned themselves at the national level.

[vbmoneyspender]

Pretty sure Rule 40 can't be changed until the convention. Plus if my reading of Rule 12 is correct, the Committe Rules can't be changed after September 30, 2014 until the convention is held. Here is what Rule 12 says in regard to changing rules before the convention:

The Republican National Committee may, by three-fourths (3/4) vote of its entire membership, amend Rule Nos. 1-11 and 13-25. Any such amendment shall be considered by the Republican National Committee only if it was passed by a majority vote of the Standing Committee on Rules after having been submitted in writing at least ten (10) days in advance of its consideration by the Republican National Committee and shall take effect thirty (30) days after adoption. No such amendment shall be adopted after September 30, 2014.

[vbmoneyspender]

Can you point me to the applicable rule that would lay out how a waiver like that would occur?

[marygam]

They risk a revolt like they have never seen in their lifetime.

[JimSEA]

Gov, it’s been clear for some time that Trump is going to win. If you’d have been more concerned about what was best for your country, you, Jeb, and all the marginal candidates would have dropped out leaving it to the strongest competitor to battle Trump. You and the others didn’t, enjoying you moment of fleeting fame and now we’re stuck with the Donald.

Pulling some shenanigans will only make a bad situation worse.

[GATVR]

Assume Trump has the most delegates and the plurality of the raw vote, let them try it. the people will revolt against the party for generations to come.