A bold, fair way to choose a Republican nominee (from a National Review columnist)

The Chicago Tribune ^ | 3/15/16 | Ramesh Ponnuru

[Uncle Miltie]

If Trump comes in with a plurality, Cruz exacts some conservative act, and throws his support to Trump.

Any other outcome would be a political (and quite possibly actual) bloodbath.

[edwinland]

I don’t think it’s fair to change the rules after the game started.

But note that the rules do not say whoever enters the convention with the most delegates wins. They say if you enter with more than 1237 delegates you’re the nominee. If you enter with less you might be the nominee but someone else might still beat you depending on what happens in the convention.

Anyone who thinks that the person with the most delegates should automatically get the nomination is saying we should change the rules after the game already started. Maybe that should be the rule in the next election but it’s not the rule now.

[scrabblehack]

Unless delegates have run as committed to Trump when they really aren’t, the only way that could happen is if the convention refused to seat certain delegates committed to Trump.

I’m not sure under what pretense that could happen.

I don’t see a bunch of, say, black delegates committed to Romney, demanding to be seated instead of the delegates who were duly elected.

Has any state broken party rules (say having their primary too early)?

At this point, I expect Trump to get more than 1237. I also expect Trump, Cruz, and no one else to get at least 8 delegations.

Should Trump get fewer than 1237, then obviously a deal can be made. Trump has likely burned his bridges with Cruz and Rubio so yes, if that does happen, he is likely to get pushed out.

[AFreeBird]

The Chicago Tribune is giving us advise?

Well, bless their little hearts.

[irishMN]

Ditto. That’s what I’ll be doing should trump get the most delegates and not get the nomination.