So if none of the present candidates get enough delegates, this thing could be decided behind closed doors and with a candidate that never ran I assume. Is that correct?
Correct.
It will be up to the delegates. Whether it's a "closed door" proposition or not will depend on the delegates.
If enough delegates are "tea party", then it will be the floor vs the podium.
Correct.
It will be up to the delegates. Whether it's a "closed door" proposition or not will depend on the delegates.
If enough delegates are "tea party", then it will be the floor vs the podium.
Not only are you correct but that was the way the nominee was selected for every party until probably the last half of the 20th century. Conventions choose the nominee not primaries and before that they didn’t even have conventions. Primaries are new to the game.