Posted on 04/05/2016 8:23:00 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Northern Kentucky Republicans will send supporters of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to the national convention in July.
A group of 126 Republicans on Saturday from the 20 counties of Northern Kentucky’s Fourth Congressional District gathered in the theater of Boone County High School to choose their three delegates and three alternates for the Republican National Convention in Cleveland for July.
People at the convention seemed to either support Donald Trump or Cruz.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s name never came up.
Cruz won the Fourth District in the March 5 GOP caucus but came in second to Donald Trump statewide.
Two of the delegates — U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Garrison, and Henry County GOP chairman Jon Park — wouldn’t say a preference. The rest said they supported Cruz.
From this district, the delegates are Massie, Park and Kenton County resident and tea party leader Garth Kuhnhein. The alternates are State Rep. Diane St. Onge, R-Lakeside Park; Boyd County GOP Chairman Randy Vanhoose and Boone County GOP Vice Chairwoman Phyllis Sparks.
All the candidates pledged to only vote for candidates who were on the ballot in Kentucky and have not suspended their campaigns, which as of now are Trump, Cruz and Kasich.
The GOP voted down three similar slates before picking this one. Many pressed the delegates on who they supported for president. When one proposed alternate delegate, J.D. Sparks from Oldham County, wouldn’t say, he got voted off.
Former Boone County GOP chairman Pat O’Reagan on Saturday wanted to make sure none of the delegates from Northern Kentucky wouldn’t go rogue and vote for an unelectable candidate. O’Reagan supports Cruz but also thinks Trump’s mass appeal could also beat Hillary Clinton.
“If you believe in will of people, which I do, you have to go with who’s bringing people out to vote,” O’Reagan said. “End of the day, I don’t want Hillary Clinton. How do you do that? Get someone who can get more votes. I don’t see Gov. Kasich connecting with the people to do that. I don’t see anyone not running for president doing that.”
Massie said he doesn’t have a preference between Trump or Cruz and wouldn’t commit when pressed by the crowd Saturday.
“I don’t have a preference between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump at this point,” Massie said. “There’s a great advantage to waiting to the end to play your card. I think there are people in this room for candidates who may decide in the next three months they are for a different candidate.”
Massie said it’s not a sound strategy to commit to a candidate, especially if it becomes a contested convention. He floated the hypothetical idea that if someone like former House Speaker John Boehner got nominated at a contested convention, he might need to vote for someone else to prevent Boehner from getting the nomination. Massie consistently voted against Boehner for House leader.
“Sometimes you have to vote for your second choice to keep your third choice from being elected,” Massie said. “What if John Boehner gets elected and the only way for me to stop that is for me to vote for our district’s second choice and not district’s first choice?”
Park also wouldn’t commit between Trump or Cruz but after the meeting said he was leaning toward Cruz.
“We have Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, and that’s who I have to choose from,” Park said.
The rest of the slate said they supported Cruz.
Northern Kentucky was the first of Kentucky’s six congressional districts where Republicans chose their delegates for the Republican National Convention.
The Republican Party of Kentucky will choose its delegates at district conventions over the next few weeks leading up to the state Republican convention April 23. Of Kentucky’s 46 delegates, 18 are chosen from the districts— three from each district—and 25 at the state convention. The remaining three delegates are the state chairman, Mac Brown, and two national committee members, Mike Duncan and K.C. Crosbie.
Kentucky has 46 delegates and, on the first ballot, will dole them out proportionally at the Republican National Convention based on the number of votes each candidate received in the March 5 caucus.
Trump won the state and will receive 17 delegates. Cruz will get 15. Kasich and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will each get seven.
If the convention becomes contested, it delegates could change votes on subsequent ballots.
If Ted Cruz manages to deny the nomination of Donald Trump, I will leave the GOP.
Just me, but that is 100% true.
Good, vote for Rafael “Calgary Canada” Cruz. Repeat the same mistakes of 2008, 2012, —— just a different party this time making the same mistakes.
If the GOP nominates Cruz they will be be driving the final nail in the natural born clause. Any party that would do such a thing deserves no support.
Starting in 2020 we need to seriously have a third party option. I can’t stomach the Republican Party as is. Even if you get Cruz or Trump as the presidential nominee the party insiders will sabotage them and help Hillary get the presidency.
Maybe 2020 is (far) too late.
Maybe we need to have a serious discussion right now.
2016.
The way he's setting it up there simply will be no way he'll concede he lost according to the rules, if thats how it indeed plays out.
Its all about him, ya know, and to hell with the USA. Apparently.
Trump is leading, by quite a bit.
Cruz needs to be aware there are a whole huge number of people who did not vote for him.
I will leave it at that, because I don’t want to cross a line in what I say on FR. But I’m completely series.
This is looking more and more like a GOPe operation, and I will support Trump.
100%.
At least lay the groundwork. I don’t expect a third party to win an election this year, but if say Trump did go independent, and he got 15 to 20 million votes that would be a step in the right direction. There is no two party system in America anymore between the Republicans and Democrats. It’s one giant Uniparty and we’re all just being slaves to it.
I do not agree.
I think Cruz is going to back us into a corner. If whatshisname wins the Democrat nomination, and Ted Cruz is the GOP nomination, I’m sorry but Bernie will win. Bernie will win, against Ted Cruz. I also think he will be strong enough, that Trump could not successfully mount a third party challenge. Bernie, a socialist, will be the next president in that case.
If Hillary is the nominee, then I think Trump could bolt the GOP, and still win enough cross-over votes to beat her in the election.
The reason I say this it, only Trump and Sanders, ironically give one flying fig, about American jobs.
It is the reason Trump has won so many primaries. It is the reason Cruz won’t win. He just won’t.
If he manages to mess this up, he will have destroyed the GOP, in my opinion. Kaput..
Just my humble opinion.
Trump, win this election.
Well, bye. The GOP won't miss you. If you are saying that you are so wedded to Trump that you can't vote for Cruz if he wins the nomination (and Cruz happens to be far more conservative than "the Donald" ever was or will be), then there is no hope for you.
I detest Donald Trump, but if he wins the nomination I would vote for him. I would have to hold back bile to do it, but I'd vote for Trump to beat Hillary. The idea that you would contribute to Hillary winning because you are a crybaby (like Trump is) and didn't get your favorite candidate as the nominee is ridiculous.
I will not say that, because I value my FR membership too much to do that.
That is the reason.
What is so conservative about globalism, bad trade deals and open borders?
Please explain
Just because someone labels themselves “conservative” doesn’t mean they are one
Sorry, not falling for that trick AGAIN
Yeah, if they screw Trump, I can’t see myself voting. If Ted were to win it fair and square, he’d have my vote, but no dirty business.
Their is yuuuger number of people that did not vote for Trump. I’ll never understand why Trumps supporters can’t see that.
Adios. Roll on Cruz!
Cruz won’t win the presidency.
He won’t. Period. Cruz will not be our next president.
He may, it seems, be poised to screw things up for Donald Trump’s supporters, on behalf of the GOPe. Who is it seems, turning around their formerly desperate situation.
Maybe I am just ticked at the moment, but this is starting to appear to be a massive “stop Trump at any cost” moment, and I am starting to take offense.
Big time.
"on behalf of the GOPe"
You live in Lala land. Cruz-GOPe? Right... BTW, that was a really classy concession speech, very appropriate for a GOP Presidential candidate./s.
Cruz-GOPe?
—
Yup. That is EXACTLY what appears to be happening.
Completely, totally, right. 100% right.
Is Ted Cruz a natural-born citizen eligible to serve as president? [Yes! And I support him! JimRob]
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