“So these people are so wise as to “protect the people?””
Exactly so. That was the plan, anyway.
For example, the founders were concerned that if, say, the univeral franchise were unwisely granted by a reckless, weak-minded generation, and a corrupt rich elite were to push their Marxist Manchurian candidate who appealed to this dumbed-down electorate made up of groups of dependents, then the electors protect the people with their refusal to seat the fraud.
In the same way, it is the duty of the delegates to refuse to nominate a rich manipulative insider fraud that has the support of perhaps 20% (if that) of even the more active elements of the party, and is likely to lose in the general election to the other fraud anyway.
Liberty depends on each of us keeping our word, following the rule of law, and honoring contracts. Failing that, the rule of law must enforce contracts.
These people actually believe that they know better than the voters in their State’s Republican Primary. Since they are more equal and so much wiser, they want to be their own elite, to trump what they believe is another elite. The honest and honorable thing is to follow the votes in the Primaries. It’s ridiculous to believe that they would sign pledges or contracts and yet be honorable or trustworthy enough to over ride the election results in their States.
The Constitution is clear about the national election of the President and the Vice President. The Party delegates are another matter, as are the Parties themselves. At the least, the contract of State Party rules should be followed, at the most, this is definitely a case of State’s rights that is not covered by the Constitution.