Posted on 04/14/2016 1:21:21 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Morton Blackwell, founder of the Leadership Institute, is the Republican national committeeman from Virginia and a Rules Committee member since 1972, making him one of the foremost experts on GOP national convention rules.
He recently spoke out about the current delegate situation facing the party, discussing the way—because, as he put it, there is only one way now—the party establishment can prevent either Donald Trump or Ted Cruz from becoming the Republican presidential nominee. That "way" would be to rewrite the rules before the convention begins.
At issue for the GOP establishment is Rule 40(b), which requires a candidate much have a delegate majority from at least eight states in order to qualify for nomination. Trump has surpassed that number and Cruz, who currently has seven delegate majorities, is expected to surpass it, as well.
Blackwell tried to change the rule, twice, before any votes were cast in the current election cycle, but those efforts were blocked by attorneys representing the establishment interests. But now that it is all but impossible for any other candidate to qualify for the nomination, he fears they could try to change the rules between now and when the convention gathers in mid-July.
"I think what happened is the establishment that put in these rules, expecting that it would help establishment candidates for president, still believed in January that these rules would facilitate the nomination of an establishment person," Blackwell told World Net Daily last week. "It appears that the only two candidates for whom votes may count at the convention coming up in Cleveland would be Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. That is why the establishment is now talking about changing these rules."
He told The Washington Examiner the likely time for a rule change will come at the RNC's spring meetings. Those are scheduled for April 20-23 in Hollywood, Fla.
"[RNC Chairman Reince Priebus] has the votes to do that if he decides to do it that way," he said. "And don't you believe anybody who says—if it does happen that way—that Reince didn't decide to do it that way."
Blackwell has said any such move would likely be the end of the Republican Party.
Go for it. Then folks will urge a Trump/Cruz independent ticket. Sounds dandy to me.
“THEY’RE BUYING DELEGATES in an effort to stack the deck at the nominating conventions.”
Geez. All I got was some emails and a phone call from Cruz volunteers to remind me about my precinct and then district caucus. WHERE’S MY MONEY!!!!!!???
I imagine the other Cruz delegates my district sent to state (over 90% for Cruz) are probably wondering the same thing.
Of course, the Trump supporters are probably wishing he had sent an email out too to remind them, as very few of them even showed up. (No Trump folks sent as delegates from my district, a few Kasich though).
I used to work for Blackwell, that didn’t end well but it wasn’t his fault. Started working for some small l libertarians and things went much better.
Where’s the new party going to get money? The only reason the party has veered into pro-abort, pro-same-sex-marriage, pro-amnesty is because that’s what the people with money to donate want.
Not enough to foist their candidate on the party and the country I bet.
No, they are still bound by the rules of their respective states.
In the case of winner take all states it would go to the candidate left with the most votes in that state.
Think of the uproar when Ohio’s delegates are bound by the rules to cast with Trump.
Even more reason to end this before the convention.
“..Where’s the new party going to get money?..”
If the radical left gets put back in the White House, money will not be an issue after some time as there will not be much of an economy. Look what has happened already directly due to Obama and the complicit GOPe. It cannot continue...if it does, well, you can figure that one.
The Republican party ended January 20th 1989.
I doubt they will try to change it ahead of time. They may very well try it at the start of the convention, though.
I think this is where it really matters that the local party hacks have been blocking loyal Trump delegates from being chosen. The “establishment” is not just in D.C., it is EVERYBODY that are in key positions at the local levels of the GOP. By putting THEIR people (not Cruz people) in Trump’s delegations, they can get rule changes passed that are inimical to Trump and Cruz — like changing 40(b) to allow “anyone who has won any delegates”.
Except that if OH delegates are all given to TRUMP before the convention, and that puts Trump over 1237, Cruz will have lost.
If changing the rule 40(b) means Kasick’s delegates prevent Trump from 1237, then Cruz will do that as his only remaining chance to win.
Then it goes to a second ballot and both Cruz and Trump find out just how badly the GOPe at the local precinct level has subverted “their” delegates.
I disagree. With rule 40 in place, it comes down to Cruz or Trump. With rule 40 removed, it is anyone’s ball game.
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