Posted on 02/06/2008 7:50:37 AM PST by Congressman Billybob
The first state results to be reported on Super Tuesday came from the Republican Caucus in West Virginia. The result was that Mike Huckabee got all the delegates from that state to the Republican Convention. What makes the story really interesting is, HOW he got those delegates.
From the report I have, here’s how the delegates voted in round one:
* Romney 464 * Huckabee 375 * McCain 176 * Paul 118
Ron Paul, who got the fewest votes, was dropped from the ballot for the next round of voting. The results then became:
* Huckabee 524 * Romney 479 * McCain 11
Anyone who can count to twenty without removing his socks can see what happened. McCain’s operatives saw that they were going nowhere in West Virginia. So they instructed their people to give the state to Huckabee. And most of their delegates obeyed that order.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ran this title on the story: “Wild and Wonderful Win for Huckabee.” That title is false. This was a “Down and Dirty Win for McCain.” Huckabee is going nowhere. Eventually, at the Republican Convention if not before, Huckabee’s candidacy will fold like a cheap lawn chair. At that point, who will get those West Virginia delegates?
If you guessed Mitt Romney, I’ll allow you another guess. John McCain has just stolen the votes of West Virginia by giving them, temporarily, to his ally in the theft, Mike Huckabee. By the way, national convention delegates must vote as they were pledged when elected, depending on state laws. I understand that none remain bound beyond the third roll-call vote.
As the saying goes, politics ain’t beanbag. What was just done in West Virginia is entirely legal. But it smells as bad as a dumpster full of day-old crab shells behind Phillips Crab House in Ocean City, Maryland, in mid-July. Believe you me, that is REALLY rank.
If the delegates from West Virginia are enough to put McCain over the top, then McCain has just stolen the nomination. Right in front of God and everybody.
Well, has anything similar happening among the Democrats? Just by coincidence, it has.
In order to preserve the special status of the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, the Democratic National Committee required that no other state conduct its Democrat primaries before a certain date in 2008. Democrats in Florida and Michigan decided to move their primaries up in violation of that limit.
The DNC then “stripped” the delegates from both states for the Convention. No delegates were then elected in the “beauty contest primaries” in those two states. Democrat candidates had also pledged not to campaign in those states, and in Michigan, Hillary Clinton was the only major candidate to leave her name on the state ballot.
Well, Hillary Clinton won both of those states. After those non-delegate elections, she wrote a letter to the DNC demanding that delegates for her from those states be seated at the Convention. The rest of this discussion is somewhat obscure, but I guarantee it is correct. I speak as the former Parliamentarian for a national political convention. (The convention was for Ross Perot’s Reform Party. But the principles of operating a convention are the same, regardless of the candidate’s chance of winning the coming election.)
When the Democrats meet in Convention in the summer, initially no delegates from Florida or Michigan will be seated. But let’s say at that point that Hillary Clinton has a majority of the seated delegates, but not the absolute majority of all authorized delegates which is required for nomination. You with me so far?
Who gets to decide whether Hillary Clinton delegates from Florida and Michigan get seated? Why, it’s the delegates who are already seated, that’s who. In that circumstance, Hillary can use her plurality on the floor to steal the delegates from those two states. Having done that, she will have stolen the nomination. Right in front of God and everybody.
In short, there is a possibility that the 2008 presidential election may be unique in American history. Before 2008, nominations have been stolen. Elections have been stolen (recall the Hayes-Tilden race of 1876). But never before have two candidates, both of whom stole their nominations, faced each other in a general election.
If the vote tallies are tight at both the Republican and Democrat national conventions, it is possible we might see that unique circumstance, two election thieves facing each other with one guaranteed to win, between John McCain and Hillary Clinton.
Sorta makes you proud to be an American, don’t it?
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About the Author: John Armor practiced in the US Supreme Court for 33 years. John_Armor@aya.yale.edu He lives in the 11th Congressional District of North Carolina.
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Romney thought he could play cut throat early on and he ended up getting his own throat cut.
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Money bought him a lot of negative ads against the other candidates early on. Payback is a . . .
John McCain has just stolen the votes of West Virginia by giving them, temporarily, to his ally in the theft, Mike Huckabee.
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One question only. What rules were not followed in the WVa caucuses? Did anyone violate the procedures that the state GOP put together for the running of the caucus?
I’ve not heard a single example of a single rule being broken.
Can anyone provide examples? Or is the pain really because some folks have had to pull their heads out of the sand and recognize that politics on both sides of the aisle is exactly the same ... a dirty game with players motivated by money and power.
There, fixed if for you
You don't see the irony in your post do you?
I have been a Fredhead and now a strong supporter of Mitt but Huckabee did not steal anything in WV. I have participated in caucuses before-this is how they are suppose to work. I am just as disappointed as many others.
But Mitt lost this one fair and square. It is a little late to be talking about how caucuses work after the fact.
I know of no one, including Freepers from WV complaining on this site until after the results came in.
I think he can take it.
McCain is a Soros puppet and Huck is created by the Rockefellers just like the Clintons. The little boys with no money are beholding to their cash cows. It is time to expose those too crooks for what they are.
I think your argument is with the WVAGOP and their rules/regulations regarding the conduct of the caucus event. I think the allegation of stealing is a bit over the top when nothing in the rules prohibits making pacts/alliances.....
Show us where building alliances is against the rules of the WVAGOP, can you?. After all that is what politics is about. You build alliances/supporters from across the spectrum in order to get elected. No one not even Romney had enough votes to win outright without having others cross over and vote for him. Romney got beat because he didn’t or couldn’t secure the support of the other caucus goers in attendance that had a right to vote in the second round.
Here are the ballot totals for the first and second round of votes..... Apparently Romney couldn’t even cajole the Paul voters to his side.....
First ballot:
* Romney 464
* Huckabee 375
* McCain 176
* Paul 118
1,133 total votes
Paul was gone for round two.
The second ballot results were:
* Huckabee 524
* Romney 479
* McCain 11
1,014 total votes
Thus, 119 did not vote on the 2nd ballot; Romney gained 15 votes on the 2nd ballot; Huckabee gained 149; McCain lost 161.
You write: “McCain would have dropped off the next round of balloting anyway as the number 3 choice. McCain’s delegates would naturally go to Huck; it was the smart play. Nothing underhanded, typical politics”
Disagree, typical McCaine politics. Keep up making excuses for McCain. If this was so typical; why is McCaines national headquarters directing complaints to the WV GOP that pulled this stunt? They should be defending it instead of telling callers, including me, they can’t control the local delegates.
Whatever happened to honor?
Whatever happened to honor?
It’s how caucuses work. Romney and his supporters have been whiners since Iowa.
Now, my goals are much more modest. I hope the Republicans can nominate a President, or very much less and worse, a Vice President, who understands that the core of a conservative is to read, understand and obey the Constitution of the United States, and along with that, nominate Justices and judges who have the same skills.
That ain't Huckabee. That ain't McCain. And that sure ain't Clinton or Obama. Romney's not my first choice, nor maybe even my second. But he is all that's left. Don't even bother to mention Ron (Stormtrooper) Paul.
And I don't give a rat's patoot what Rush or anyone else has to say on the matter. Like most folks on FR, I make up my own mind, after doing my own homework. BTW, my homework included writing part of a brief in the Supreme Court, against McCain-Feingold. And, I resigned from the Bar of the Supreme Court in disgust, after the Court approved that monstrosity (5-4).
Congressman Billybob
Apparently honor is a conservative, not republican concept.
Regards Great Grandma!
Yea, but what makes you think he would use them against a Democrat? Have you ever heard him criticize Democrats? No, he only skewers Republicans and then we're stupid enough to select this traitor as our candidate. There's something rotten here.
Stolen election? Give me a break.
There is nothing immoral, illegal or unethical about Huckabee winning West Virginia. This is pure politics.
Sour Grapes.
Absolutely correct. In my case, and other conservatives, too, I think the heartburn lies in the fact that it is a great big slap in the face that with all the candidates on the Republican side, it's "business as usual".
I can honestly say that I don't have high hopes for the next 4 years, as the prospects of any of the candidates excite me. NO conservative change will take place on the national level for the next 4 years. In fact, the way things look, there will be a distinct turn to the left.
I voted against McCain, by casting a vote for Romney, and will most likely write in Duncan Hunter, or Fred Thompson in Nov.
Cry me a river. We don't 'vote' until JUNE! One man "race" by then? And you think you are disenfranchised?
If they did this of their own free will, that's fine. If they were pressured or offered "benefits" for flipping, that's something else again.
Love ya Billybob, but I am not sure why this should get one worked up. If Hillary has the plurality before FL and MI are added, why is it a shame that she gets the majority after they are added? Seems like she's ahead in each case.
(What would happen if FL and MI were never tossed, but each went to, say, Edwards? Hillary still has the plurality, right? Wouldn't she still win the convention? Or do the DEMs drop the bottom feeders and re-vote for the top two? Sincere question here.)
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