Ted Cruz: Donald Trump could "encourage riots" in Cleveland if he doesn't win

CBS News ^ | May 1, 2016 | Emily Schultheis

[COUNTrecount]

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said in an interview airing Sunday that GOP front-runner Donald Trump may encourage riots if he does not win the Republican nomination in Cleveland this summer.

Asked on CBS' "Face the Nation" if he was concerned about the possibility of violence if he were able to "overthrow" Trump with the delegates in Cleveland, Cruz insisted there wouldn't but said that Trump might try to fan the flames.

"No, it won't, although Donald may do everything he can to encourage riots," he said. "You know, overthrow is such a loaded spin word as ... to bring nothing but chuckles."

Gerald Ford and Abraham Lincoln both won their respective nominations despite coming in with fewer votes than their opponents, he added, so it wouldn't be the first time that the candidate who comes out of a convention is the one who didn't win the most votes during the primaries.

"When we arrive in Cleveland, I'm going have a bunch of delegates," he said. "Donald's going have a bunch of delegates. And it's going be a battle to see who can earn the support of a majority of the delegates elected by the people."

[Beautiful_Gracious_Skies]

I do not consider what Cruz is doing to be skillful guerilla fighting. I see him as a spoiler foil for the GOP. The time has long past for him to leave the race. The dream of a contested convention is only viable when the front-runner lacks the votes. Long ago, I realized four things. (1) Ted is ineligible, (2) Ted lacks the delegate count, (3) Ted can’t win swing states, the (4) GOPe does not want him as POTUS. How will Ted contest a convention that Trump has won?

After Indiana and considering NJ a gimme, it is inconceivable that Trump could lose. Those two states would put him over 1100. With California and all the rest, he should end up 1306-1330. The California delegates are all chosen by the candidates, so there’s no opportunity for Ted to siphon off any of Trump’s delegates.

After Trump wins Indiana’s 50- 57, it will be impossible for him not to reach 1237. There will be no contested convention. I think all the talk about Ted wrangling delegates in states where Ted has lost will never come into play. Everyone is mad about Arizona’s delegates, but they are still 100% bound to Trump on the 1st round. Likewise, the same will be true for Indiana.

Indiana Rules:

13 April 2016: State Committee Meeting. 27 delegates (10 base at-large delegates plus 17 bonus delegates) are pre-slated for the primary.
3 May 2016: all 57 of Indiana’s delegates to the RNC are allocated in today’s Indiana Presidential Primary.
27 district delegates are to be allocated based on the primary results in each of the 9 cd’s: each cd is assigned 3 National Convention delegates and the presidential contender receiving the greatest number of votes in that district will receive all 3 of that district’s National Convention delegates. 30 (10 base at-large delegates plus 17 bonus delegates plus 3 RNC delegates) statewide delegates are to be allocated to the presidential contender receiving the greatest number of votes statewide.

In addition, 3 party leaders, the National Committeeman, the National Committeewoman, and the chairman of the Indiana’s Republican Party, will attend the National Convention as bound delegates by virtue of their position.

“A delegate ... shall on the first ballot at the national convention support the candidate who received the highest number of votes ... if the person is ... a candidate at the convention. If the presidential candidate ... is not on the ballot ... the ... delegates are no longer bound.” [Rules of the Indiana Republican State Committee. Rule 10-2, 10-6, IC 3-8-3-11].

[Gene Eric]

You’re an idiot, Cruz.

[OldNewYork]

I thought this was satire until reading further. I can’t remember seeing someone fall from grace so precipitously, then disappear down a hole to China of their own making. Man, this guy is heading for some very dark days ahead.

[dforest]

The Cuban needs to just go away. We The People have made it clear that he is not wanted.

Get lost Cruz, you freak.

[disndat]

He (thinks) he’s smarter than everyone, this is a tremendous fault of his which has caused his implosion. He listens to no one, obviously.

He’s infuriated that Trump is winning because in his mind he’s smarter.

I used to work with a guy just like that. I think he went back to making license plates.

[MGunny]

Sorry,Mr Cruz, we are working people.We do not have time to be engaged in anarchist types of activities. I am surprised that Cruz would even make a comment like that. Tells you more and more about these politicians.

[Whenifhow]

PING!! -— Article and comments

Sam Adams, many thanks for the analysis! (compares this year to 1976 at the convention)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3426357/posts?page=42#42

See 86

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3426357/posts?page=86#86

See 143
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3426357/posts?page=143#143

Ted is a mercenary, a hired gun, who will be set for life financially if he can bring down and destroy the Republican Party.....These people are not worried about Hillary being President. They did just fine with Obama. And, they are perfectly willing to see 75% of elected Republicans go down in defeat. What choice do they have? But, at present Donald Trump stands in their way..

Thanks, WildHighlander57

[Red Steel]

Cruz is about in Clown territory. There won’t be a second ballot vote for him.

[HKMk23]

Y’know...

...when this primary season began, I was hoping Carson would take off, but I really thought it would end up being Cruz, whom — at the time — I lied and respected.

My, oh, my how the worm has turned!

[Eleutheria5]

Ted, you’ve forgotten something fundamental. This is not about you. It is not about the Republican Party. It is about the future of the United States of America and the world. The United States is sick. I don’t recognize it any longer. It’s not where I grew up. If Hillary is elected, it will get much, much worse. Remember when NYC went bankrupt? Think about that on a national scale, only with WW III completely on and red hot while she plays a double game as always, and you will understand how this is not about you or the Republican Party.

If the only way to save the United States and the world from that fate is to nominate Donald Trump, so be it. Thus far, you continue to turn me off, and I started out wanting you for the top job. You turn me off with your crass egotism, with your use through intermediaries of rhetoric that should be off limits, well past the bright red line of simple decency. And you turn me off because you don’t know how to lose graciously. I’m done with you, Ted.

[Salamander]

The dude has gone full guano.

You never go full guano.

[rodguy911]

you are not alone.

[jobim]

You are not using this quote accurately, in my interpretation. I'm in for Trump a long time
now, and I saw your headline and was expecting to be really angered. But then I went to
the Face the Nation transcription, and when you read it in context, it's not how it appears
in this thread. It appears to me that he means Trump supporters in an uproar against the
delegates, not that other riot of Soros mobs against all things good and decent. Hyperbole,
in other words, but perhaps intended both ways, but we can't be sure.

DICKERSON: But if, in Cleveland, your scenario were to go forward, the person who has
millions more votes -- that won't change. He will go to the convention, Donald Trump
will, with millions more human being votes, real people, regular folks supporting him.
And you are hoping to overthrow that with more delegates.

In a situation where delegates over people, won't that lead to riots?

CRUZ: No, it won't, although Donald may do everything he can to encourage riots.

You know, overthrow is such a loaded spin word as to bring nothing but chuckles. I can
tell you, the last contested convention we had, 1976, Ronald Reagan had a million more
votes than Gerald Ford. But Gerald Ford got the votes of the majority of the delegates.

[mkjessup]

Your excessively large fonts and multi-colored screaming don’t lend any additional credence to your post.

And you still haven’t answered the most relevant question ‘Race’:

After you pulled your monthly contribution last night, why are you still here on FR? Do you think anyone is paying attention to you?

You’ve become a disrupter troll. Why don’t you just Opus out?

[RaceBannon]

I am waiting around to gloat

I will gloat when trump either loses or wins, it does not matter

trump will do something so liberal and democrat supporting that none of you, well, maybe 10% of you will still defend him, but 90% of the rest of you will be sick to your stomach

you will realize you forged your own chains

you will relize that despite the lies and slander told about him, Cruz really should have been the guy to unite behind, instead of the lifelong democrat supporter

Funny, so many of you defend his donations as HE IS A BUSINESSMAN!!

Just what business was he in with Pelosi? Schumer? Reid? Clinton? Boehner?
Hmmm?

[mkjessup]

I am waiting around to gloat
I will gloat when trump either loses or wins, it does not matter

Sounds like you ain't got much of a life.

Maybe you could take up needlepoint or something.

[COUNTrecount]

LOL!

[EODGUY]

“No, it won’t, although Donald may do everything he can to encourage riots,”

Just a recommendation to a desperate man......why not focus your hypotheses on those who have actually perpetrated violence and riots?

Perhaps Ted is auditioning for an anchor spot on MSNBC....the network that never allows the facts to spoil a good story.

EODGUY

[disndat]

Maybe you could take up needlepoint or something.

No. I don't think Race should be around sharp objects. Someone could lose an eye. NICE rant Race.

Trump isn't going to destroy this country, Race.

But the Uniparty has been and surely will if we continue to let them.

I see Cruz as just another cog in their great big wheel.

Take a couple of deep breaths. And RELAX. It is up to you and me and every other citizen who loves this country to stand up and defend her. To defend ourselves.