Santorum Backers Look to Change Texas Primary Rules

The Texas Tribune ^ | April 5, 2012 | Jay Root

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

Rick Santorum, trying to keep his presidential hopes alive despite increasingly long odds, is looking for the political equivalent of a Hail Mary pass from Texas Republicans.

Santorum has noted in recent days that some Texas party activists are waging an uphill battle to change the rules of the May 29 primary so that whoever wins would get all 152 delegates up for grabs in the contest. The activists, led by Santorum supporters, say they have enough support to force an emergency meeting of the State Republican Executive Committee, though major hurdles loom beyond that.

The Republican National Committee would have to approve the last-ditch move to change the delegate selection process because of the late date of the request, officials say. An RNC official in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Thursday that would be highly unlikely. Later, the RNC communications director, Sean Spicer, said there is "no basis" for a change and that Texas would "remain a proportional state," according to a posting on Twitter from The Washington Post.

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

The RNC will be the fly in the ointment in this, I would imagine. However, it would even the playing field somewhat. It seems that red states (mostly won by Santorum) have been proportional, whereas blue states (mostly won by Romney) have been winner-take-all.

Here is an e-mail that I received today from the Santorum campaign:

I am emailing you to share some important news that will reset this race.

In Texas the Republican Party is moving today to change the primary there on May 29th to winner-take-all, meaning all 155 delegates will be up for grabs and awarded to the popular vote winner.

If our campaign wins Texas, and we will, the delegate gap with Mitt Romney will have closed dramatically and this campaign will head to the convention and be decided there. If we do not, our grassroots, issue based campaign together for a better America will end in the Lone Star state (hopefully nowhere near the Alamo).

Between now and the Texas we must do everything we can to make sure we win in places like Pennsylvania later this month and in states such as Kentucky and Arkansas so that we are able to sustain our momentum until Texas has a chance to vote.

Let me be clear: the final goal of our campaign is the defeat of Barack Obama. That's why I ran for President in the first place and it is why I am continuing in this race until at least Texas.

I firmly believe Mitt Romney's support for his Massachusetts health care mandate, Cap and Trade and the bailouts make him unelectable in the fall. We cannot afford a nominee that does not stand strong for our conservative principles.

We need a principled, Reagan conservative to challenge Barack Obama in the fall and nothing less.

Proud to stand with Rick,

Mike Biundo
Campaign Manager

P.S. Help us build our warchest for Texas and Pennsylvania. Make a donation of $25 or more today if you want to see a strong conservative challenge Barack Obama in the fall!

[Guenevere]

I’m proud to stand with Rick....and sending donations too!

[Redmen4ever]

At the same time Rick Santurom is seeking to shift Texas to winner take all, he is saying Arizona and Florida should be shifted to proportional representation.

[OrangeHoof]

With all the RNC shenanigans that have already been done on Romney’s behalf, I can’t imagine this would go down without a fight. Expect this to be hotly contested if not quickly quashed.

[freedomfiter2]

At the same time Rick Santurom is seeking to shift Texas to winner take all, he is saying Arizona and Florida should be shifted to proportional representation.

Exactly, this is politics.

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

At the same time Rick Santurom is seeking to shift Texas to winner take all, he is saying Arizona and Florida should be shifted to proportional representation.

I think that, in part, it has to do with an April 1st deadline. I think that any primary prior to April 1st was, according to RNC, to be proportional. There will be a floor fight at the convention about that. After April 1st, the state gets to decide whether it is proportional or winner-take-all, but I think that the RNC has to approve any late changes.

[cripplecreek]

Its not like Romney has any room to complain, his people changed the delegate allocation rules after the vote in Michigan.

The Michigan Republican Party (MRP) Credentials Committee voted 4-2 last night to give Mitt Romney both of the state's at-large delegates, State Policy Committee Chair Mike Cox told MIRS today.

Cox was one of two "no" votes on the committee which met via telephone, along with attorney Eric Doster The "yes" votes included GOP National Committeeman Saul Anuzis, a Romney supporter, and MRP Chair Bobby Schostak.

That would put the delegate split at 16 for Romney and 14 for Rick Santorum, after each candidate won 14 delegates apiece in those divided by Michigan's 14 congressional districts.

As MIRS first reported on Wednesday, the MRP was delaying a final decision on the delegate split until after consulting with attorneys.

Cox said that according to the MRP rules, Santorum and Romney should each get one of Michigan's two at-large delegates based on their take of the popular vote.

"I supported Mitt, but the vote was clearly wrong," Cox said of the Credentials Committee. "It's kind of like Third World voting. We published rules and then we voted to change the rules."

Because The Narrative Cannot Survive A Rewrite

[Longbow1969]

There will be a floor fight at the convention about that.

No there won't. There isn't going to be any reason for a floor fight and Texas is not going to change their delegate rules anyway. By the end of the month the race will be completely over. Willard will be so far ahead that no one will even be paying attention to what remains of the primary process. There will be virtually no media coverage at all and Santorum may even lose his home state...again.

[mylife]

I think the Texas Primary has been diddled around enough already!

[Marcella]

Read the whole article. I have a reason.

[katiedidit1]

Would love to hear what Gov Perry has to say about that...and of course the Bush family. Santorum will never take Texas

[Lazlo in PA]

Santorum for President Ping List.

FReepmail “Antoninus” to be added or removed.

[Linda Frances]

Last night we had the Santorum headquarters opening in Nebraska. It was great. He has a lot of volunteers. He will easily take Nebraska and Texas, but it will change everything if winner takes all. Pray! Pray! Pray!

[Mariner]

Yep, just like Obama and Romney...change the rules so you can win.

[Mariner]

"By the end of the month the race will be completely over."

Bullsh!t.

This race is completely over now and only the delusional deny it.

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

Now wait just a minute. Did you miss where Steele said he purposefully rigged the rules to make it so that there would be a brokered convention?

Right from the beginning, this whole primary was at worst designed to get it to the floor, or at best get Romney as the nominee.

Now I do think the rules change thing from the Santorum camp is a fiasco waiting to happen, but it is mighty suspicious that all of the blue states are winner take all and the red states are proportional.

We have GOT to stop Romney.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Let’s REALLY stir it up now! Romney and the elite will not like this at all. Karl Rove is extremely sad. I say, let us go ABSOLUTELY 100% “Ronald Reagan/Texas” on them. They deserve it. I so detest that arrogant wing of the Big Tent. Let us put them in their place with a victory by the Anti-Romney!! Eagles UP!!

[WOSG]

Be careful what you ask for, Santorum fans.
Romney could take Texas if it looks like he’s the leading candidate, which is likely by late may (if its not already over). WTA would seal the nomination for him then.

[RitaOK]

Changing rules in a snit over Romney dissing the Texas debate, or because some candidate is desperate to advantage himself is a bridge that first needs some recon before cliff jumping.

What works for making one (SREC) feel better during one single election, or assuages the desperation of a single candidate (Santorum) during one single election, doesn’t seem like the best of grounds for going to winner-take-all.

If every state were a winner-take-all, this would be over already and RINOS who come in to the races with all the money and all the backing could crush all conservatives early who never have it. The proportional arrangement is certainly fair to all candidates and allows for a protest block of delegates to go all the way to convention.

I was against this on an earlier thread when the “emergency meeting” was not even linked to Santorum, so it’s not my bias for Newt and not Rick.

I can be persuaded, but in a chaotic atmosphere I am not sold by a long shot. Proportional is the only arrangement that keeps conservative candidates alive until they can grow some legs against the Establishment candidates they keep sending us.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Gloomy Gus, you are probably right, ROmney will win it; but at the moment, Santorum is a little bit ahead of Romney in the polls. And if Gingrich continues to fade, Santorum’s lead should grow.