Posted on 02/17/2012 11:54:10 PM PST by neverdem
For the past two weeks, I've commented on the increased possibility of a brokered Republican convention. This is a scenario where no candidate manages to claim a majority of the delegates, and the convention deadlocks.
At that point anything can happen. Candidates can combine forces, urging their delegates to support another candidate (usually in exchange for a vice presidential nod or cabinet appointment). Or the convention can turn to an outside candidate in an attempt to break the deadlock.
The latter possibility has caused some excitement among GOP’ers dissatisfied with the current field. After all, a brokered convention could end up drafting one of their favored candidates, such as Mitch Daniels, Paul Ryan or Chris Christie. The idea is that this person could then unite the party in a way that none of the four current contenders has been able to.
This is certainly the upside of such a scenario. And one argument in particular supports it: The remaining field of candidates is clearly very weak. While it isn’t the weakest in my lifetime, it gives the 1996 Republican contenders and the 2004 Democratic group a run for their money.
So if you look at the 2012 field and conclude that none of them can defeat President Obama, then a brokered convention probably makes sense for Republicans. In other words, if you believe the GOP couldn’t do any worse than Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, or Newt Gingrich, then there’s little to be lost with a brokered convention.
I wouldn’t personally endorse that view, as I continue to believe that this election is about Obama, and that his re-election chances are quite weak regardless of his opponent. Reasonable minds can certainly disagree, but if you conclude that one of the remaining four could win, I think the upside of...
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
This guy is not serious. He left out the most prominent name - Sarah Palin.
The biggest danger of a BC was listed as #4 in the article:
4.There is no time for party wounds to heal.
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Yeppers!!!
This guy is not serious. He left out the most prominent name - Sarah Palin.
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Not so. I read the entire article and he did mention the possibility of the Gingrich and Santorum Delegates coalescing around Sarah Palin.
A brokered convention could be exhilarating IMHO: (a) keeps the attention on Republicans who will be hammering Obama; (b) avoids Obama’s ability to focus on one candidate early; (c) avoids the stale, dangerous months between an early end to a nomination fight and Tampa; (d) offers most likely opportunity for Gingrich / Palin; and (e) assures that the nominee won’t be Romney.
One good thing....it would be the most exciting convention in just about anyone’s memory....so if they could capitalize on that excitement it might sweep them right into the White House.
Still risky, though.
Really the only massive, outrageous, destruction has been focused on Newt Gingrich, and most of that was by Mitt Romney.
Romney is the villain, in fact the dirtiest campaigner that most of us can remember, the others have been pretty normal and within the range of a hard fought primary.
Remember, “brokered” is a bit of a misnomer. Party brokers (whoever they are) may decide upon a particular alternative, but the delegates -- who will show up in Tampa largely believing that Gingrich, Paul, Romney or Santorum should be president -- may not be in any more of a mood to follow the party “establishment” than the GOP electorate as a whole is.
So while one may envision Jeb Bush or Paul Ryan emerging from the convention as the party’s standard-bearer, the possibility is real that the Gingrich and Santorum delegates could coalesce around someone like Sarah Palin. Now, for some Republicans that’s an attractive feature in the scenario. For others, it is the worst imaginable outcome. Regardless, it’s a real possibility.
Oh please don't throw me into that Briar Patch, Mr. Bear.
Romney is....in fact the dirtiest campaigner that most of us can remember....
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Well, you certainly told the truth there. I’m coming to despise the man. I, naively, thought that ALL Mormons were honorable, decent, truthful people. Mitt Romney certainly destroyed that perception for me.
Losing by 10 points to a guy who was coming off of 2 huge landslides was a respectable result. FDR’s big margin in the EC paints a false picture of that election.
Wilkie of course was no conservative but a former democrat and was later affiliated with the Liberal Party of New York. I wouldn’t have nominated him but I do give him credit for his tenacious campaign against the dictator Roosevelt.
Your Post #7 makes a very good point.
Why do we NEVER see any Romney supporters on Free Republic?
That is Bishop and Stake President Mitt Romney, son of Bishop and Stake President George Romney, possibly the fulfillment of the Mormon, “White Horse” Prophecy, some Mormons believe.
Known to many campaign watchers as the dirtiest, most destructive, and most Party damaging Republican campaigner that we have ever seen.
I agree with you - - the obviously deliberate omission of Sarah Palin's name here renders everything else he wrote a joke. Of course, the inclusion of Chris Christie's name renders the piece a joke anyway.
“Why do we NEVER see any Romney supporters on Free Republic?”
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FR is like high school. Romney supporters are like those geeks who got an atomic wedgie in the hallways. No one wants to hang with them..ruins the rep.
And that is the reason Sarah Palin elected not to run, she knows them only too well.
The GOP must be fixed before a worthy candidate can be elected from the GOP.
"Worst imaginable outcome"?? No wonder this party so rudderless.
Most of the truly hard core Romney devotees got banned for various reasons as liberals, a tiny few of the hard core are still here, and a fair number of less hardcore Romney people are still here, guess who they support, and who they can't stand? They like Santorum, and despise Gingrich.
The point is, there's plenty to criticize Mittens for, but fighting dirty ain't one of them.
FRegards,
LH
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