Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

After Alabama and Mississippi: Will the GOP Convention Be a Battleground?
National Journal ^ | March 14, 2012 | Alex Roarty

Posted on 03/14/2012 1:08:13 PM PDT by BAW

Is it time to take the Republican convention seriously as a potential battleground?

Republicans should know better by now. Their still-putative nominee, Mitt Romney, lacks the conservative support to capture the kind of expectations-exceeding primary win necessary to capsize underfunded but motivated rivals Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.

Romney didn’t do it in South Carolina, Colorado, or Tennessee. He proved unable once again on Tuesday to claim victory in a state, Mississippi, that seemed tantalizingly within reach.

The months-long trend makes it clear that Romney will have to win the GOP nomination with math, not acclamation, steadily accumulating enough delegates in friendly contests until he reaches the nomination-clinching number of 1,144. But that path is fraught with risk. There is always the chance that he’ll fall just short of the magic number, which raises the possibility of a contested August convention in Tampa.

Many mocked the notion a month ago, but it now seems increasingly likely. “After last night, you have to start think it’s possible,'” said political consultant Curt Anderson, a former political director of the Republican National Committee who advised Rick Perry before he quit the race. “It seems more possible than before, that’s for sure.”

The Santorum and Gingrich campaigns are each eagerly embracing that very scenario. In a memo released this week, the Santorum team argued that some delegates ostensibly pledged to Romney would switch to the onetime senator if Romney fails to win on the first ballot at the convention. Combined with a difficult schedule remaining for Romney, that dynamic ensures that the front-runner won’t acquire enough delegates, the Santorum campaign contends

(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: brokeredconvention; convention; gingrich; romney; santorum
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-59 next last
The advance drumbeats for a brokered convention are beginning to beat louder. Seems risky, but - Hey - if it gets Romney out of the picture then it might be the way to go . . .
1 posted on 03/14/2012 1:08:15 PM PDT by BAW
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: BAW

I’m all for it.


2 posted on 03/14/2012 1:09:59 PM PDT by NoGrayZone (Jim "Firebrand" Robinson endorses Newt...with EPIC call to action!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BAW
Newt has said he was going to do this all along and

explains again why the ruling party is doing a terrific

job to silence him. He will be there fighting. He said it first now the other person is copying his idea.

3 posted on 03/14/2012 1:11:26 PM PDT by Christie at the beach (I like Newt and would love to see political dead bodies on the floor.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BAW

It’d better be.

If it’s RINOmney, I’m not checking the president box.

After all, why go for Obama lite when one can get the whole sleezy, slimy package?


4 posted on 03/14/2012 1:12:01 PM PDT by Da Coyote
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BAW
The advance drumbeats for a brokered convention are beginning to beat louder. Seems risky...

Worst that can happen is we wind up with a RINO, which is where we are headed now.

5 posted on 03/14/2012 1:12:47 PM PDT by Joe the Pimpernel (Islam is a religion of peace, and Moslems reserve the right to behead anyone who says otherwise.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BAW

Not going to happen.


6 posted on 03/14/2012 1:13:10 PM PDT by org.whodat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BAW

No, it wont be a brokered convention, nor a battleground.


7 posted on 03/14/2012 1:13:53 PM PDT by Ted Grant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BAW

Hope so. Sieze the power back from the elites. Or at least make them scramble so they begin to fear the electorate again.


8 posted on 03/14/2012 1:14:05 PM PDT by cotton1706
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BAW
The advance drumbeats for a brokered convention are beginning to beat louder. Seems risky, but - Hey - if it gets Romney out of the picture then it might be the way to go . . .

If it's a brokered convention, who's going to be doing the brokering? Hint: it's not the grass roots.

9 posted on 03/14/2012 1:16:23 PM PDT by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BAW
Seems risky, but - Hey - if it gets Romney out of the picture then it might be the way to go . . .

No matter who might emerge from such a convention, he or she couldn't be worse than Romney.

10 posted on 03/14/2012 1:22:31 PM PDT by CommerceComet (If Mitt can leave the GOP to protest Reagan, why can't I do the same in protest of Romney?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ted Grant

I think you are right. The Fat Backroom, cheap labor proponents in the GOP will force us to hold our nose and vote for Romney, as they did with McCain, SIC NO ENTHUSIASM unless RUBIO is VP.

Our only hope is summed up in this email I rec’d
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Hallelujah!

Brilliant in its Simplicity

A. Back off and let those men who want to marry men, marry men.

B. Allow those women who want to marry women, marry women.

C. Allow those folks who want to abort their babies, abort their babies.

D. In three generations, there will be no Democrats.

Man!! I love it when a plan comes together!


11 posted on 03/14/2012 1:24:32 PM PDT by Tuketu (The Dim Platform is splinters bound by crazy glue. We need a solvent)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: BAW

I’m all in for a brokered convention. Stupid GOP-e and their RINO nonsense. They all thought it would be a cakewalk for Mittens..


12 posted on 03/14/2012 1:24:54 PM PDT by max americana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Da Coyote
After all, why go for Obama lite when one can get the whole sleezy, slimy package?

Here in Illinois the primary may be the only time our vote counts. In the general we know the dems are going to win. So if the GOP candidate is Romney I'm going to vote Green for president and GOP down ticket. If enough of us in the hopeless blue states to that we might still hold the House and take the Senate. Meanwhile the big showing by the Greens might cause a split to the left of the Democrats.
13 posted on 03/14/2012 1:25:49 PM PDT by GonzoGOP (There are millions of paranoid people in the world and they are all out to get me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: BAW

I’m down for it.

FUMR and the horse you rode in on. Looks more like an ass and who rides backward and bareback?


14 posted on 03/14/2012 1:26:30 PM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously, you won't live through it anyway)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tuketu

The thing is, liberalism-leftism isn’t hereditary.


15 posted on 03/14/2012 1:27:08 PM PDT by Ted Grant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: BAW

Count on it!

Romney can’t secure the nomination with the state primaries left.

If he is our nominee, we lose big-time!


16 posted on 03/14/2012 1:29:06 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Christie at the beach

I put my ballot in for him here. However, I’m not optimistic for him at this point. He has but ONE chance - that chance is in a lengthy speech at a brokered GOP convention. It had better be the most passionate speech of his life. If he isn’t working on it now, he should be. It is his last chance. He won’t be in any debates from hereon out.


17 posted on 03/14/2012 1:29:39 PM PDT by Gaffer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

A brokered convention has to be a good thing. Besides, I want to see the angst looks on the faces of the GOP Elites, Karl Rove and Ann Coulter.

This will be Conservatives chance to make some noise and cause a ruckus.

Romney is NOT inevitable, folks. Did you see how nervous he was on CNN last night? He’s on the ropes and knows it.
Delegate counts be damned.


18 posted on 03/14/2012 1:31:19 PM PDT by Mountain Mary ("This is OUR country and WE will decide"... Mark Levin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Christie at the beach

If Santorum does his part the rest of the way, Romney will be 250 short at the convention, while Santorum would be about 300 short. If Santorum fades, or Paul or Newt draw too much from him, Romney could pick up the 250 before then.


19 posted on 03/14/2012 1:31:19 PM PDT by Ingtar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Ingtar

Santorum is not going to fade.
Wisconsin Freepers: Please contact me via private mail. We’ve got work to do.


20 posted on 03/14/2012 1:33:29 PM PDT by Mountain Mary ("This is OUR country and WE will decide"... Mark Levin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-59 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson