Posted on 02/09/2012 6:28:49 AM PST by St. Louis Conservative
For many conservative Republicans, the dream outcome of the primary season is a brokered convention. Disappointed in the four remaining choices, they hope to change horses in August, and draft their preferred candidate, be it Jeb Bush, Mitch Daniels, Chris Christie, or Paul Ryan.
I've been adamant that such an outcome is extremely unlikely. For a brokered convention to occur, there has to be an almost perfect storm of events; the GOP elites can’t just declare shenanigans on the primary season and select a new nominee. Instead, something has to prevent any of the current candidates from clinching a majority of the delegates; if one of them amasses that majority, he will be the nominee on the first ballot at the convention in Tampa.
My assumption -- and the assumption of many -- was that the GOP fight would eventually degenerate into an ideological battle between the very conservative and somewhat conservative/moderate wings of the party, with Romney on one side and a single alternative on the other. Unless there was a late entrant or Ron Paul caught fire in the caucus states, someone was virtually assured of claiming the requisite number of delegates in that scenario.
But for the first time, the two way faceoff doesn't seem inevitable, and a viable path to a brokered convention is beginning to emerge. Let’s start with something else I overlooked. The GOP does have super-delegates of a sort, in the form of the 63 RNC members. They aren’t as numerous as they are in the Democratic Party, but they are still there. While many of them have already declared allegiance to one candidate or another, those commitments can evaporate quickly, as Hillary Clinton learned to her sorrow in 2008.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
Interesting. Now that Mittens is in trouble they want to sell us faux conservatives such as Christie, Daniels, or another Bush. I’ll stick with Santorum.
Ryan maybe. Hell no to the others, especially the Bush and Crispy Creme Christie.
LOL. Daniels and Jeb are both solid conservatives. Jeb is much more solid than his brother.
Santorum is conservative on all the social issues, but he was a big government Bush Republican. I do not trust him on economic/fiscal issues.
For instance, I don’t think that Santorum would have signed a right-to-work bill as Mitch Daniels just did.
This is gonna get interesting.
If you think Daniels is a Conservative, you should listen to the Mark Levin calling Daniels out. Daniels actually sided with the Union thugs in Wisconsin.
Let the democrats not know who to go after until late summer.
They’re clearly having fundrasing troubles since they need to go the super pac route. Obama’s not a shoo-in, despite what the republican establishment thinks.
A real conservative republican nominee can sweep the table.
Mitch “let’s-just-ignore-social-issues” Daniels is not only semi-conservative, but he also has the charisma of a goldfish. I agree that Jeb is more solid - by about 50 lbs -than his brother. Another Bush would never be elected, and the Bushes are weak on social issues, including Jeb.
I agree that Santorum has flaws. He was far too supportive of GWB and the “team”, but I think he has learned from that and would be more fiscally conservative than Bush ever was. There are no perfect candidates.
Mitch “let’s-just-ignore-social-issues” Daniels is not only semi-conservative, but he also has the charisma of a goldfish.
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You are absolutely correct on both counts. He is Obama-Lite on social issues and could you see him up against the charismatic Obozo in a Debate?
It is high time that “- - - an ideological battle between the very conservative and somewhat conservative/moderate wings of the party - - - “ FINALLY is now occurring.
Each election the GOP Establishment sneers at us in Flyover Country, and says to us “Quit your whining, and complaining, and just hold your nose as you vote for who WE have chosen for you. Never mind that only 4 % of Primary voters have chosen the GOP Nominee. We know that you have no choice to vote but to vote for our RINO. Oh, and BTW, be sure to “get out the vote. “ If you don’t vote for our RINO, then you are voting for the Democrats. Hah, hah, we beat you again!”
That hasn’t worked out for decreasing the size of the US Federal Government, in the humble, but ALWAYS correct opinion of those of us who are TAXED ENOUGH ALREADY Voter Block Party.
Currently, Ol’ Karly “Turdblossom” Rover-Boy is the main GOP Establishment proponent of this tried, and failed argument. Time to “Move On,” Karly-Boy as the 2012 Election Train has left the Station, and you are not on it.
BTW Karly-Boy, don’t let the door hit yuh where the Good Lord split yuh! Maybe MSNBC, CNN or the NYT will give you a new contract?
“brokered convention” = death OF THE “GOP”!
While I don't dispute that, I doubt there are many conservatives out there for whom Jeb Bush is their preferred candidate.
Typical. No mention of the 1000-lb. gorilla. When Palin’s name fails to appear, I’m immediately suspicious of the source.
I didn't know this. That means that the RNC is going against it's own rules if it lets Romney keep all the Florida delegates. There's been hardly a peep about it.
Also everyone seems to think that Romney has Michigan sewed up because he is a native Michigander and his father was governor. That's bunk. I'm 50 and barely knew the name Romney. I'm not the most political person in the world but my political knowledge is probably 80% better than most and I know nothing about George Romney except he was the governor a long time ago. I'm not sure how these things translate to votes.
does anyone have a link to somewhere that shows which of the remaining contests are winner take all?
The GOP Establishment has allowed their RINO wing to con us into believing that “their way or the highway” is the only way to reduce the size of the US Federal Government.
After 80 years of failed Republican Presidential promises to “Balance the Budget,” (All have promised as Candidates, but NO Republican President has EVER had even one year that their Federal Budget was balanced), it is time for a massive takeover by The TEA Party of the Republican Party, and give ALL Americans a true choice to significantly reduce the size of the US Federal Government for the first time in 80 years.
It is easier to take over the GOP than it would be to expand the TEA Party from its current voter-block, lobby status to full regalia political party status, with candidates and the rest of the distracting baggage necessary in today’s political environment.
BTW, politicians judge themselves by what they say. Voters judge politicians by what they have done in the past. What has Romney done for America lately, or EVER?
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