“Totally incorrect. There is no federal law binding delegates to vote a particular way and state laws are unenforceable at a national political party’s convention. The binding of delegates happens through mutual agreement between state parties and the national party.
The delegates to the national convention can do whatever they want. It’s their convention. They vote on a new set of rules to govern the convention. If they choose to disregard the mutual agreement for binding delegates, they are free to do so, period. The courts have ruled repeatedly that political parties have a constitutional right to freedom of association and can write and enforce their own rules. States cannot interfere in that process.”
I agree with every word you’re saying, and I know personally a Cruz delegate here in MN who is going to Cleveland and would love to blow up Rule 16B, unbind the delegates, and give Cruz the nomination.
As a practical matter, however, I just don’t think it’s gonna happen. My friend acknowledges that he’s in the minority — while a great many delegates would like to blow the whole thing up, they know this would be the political equivalent of a nuclear explosion. It could lead to riots in Cleveland, and there would never be party unity in the aftermath. I don’t even think Cruz would want to run under those circumstances.
There won’t be any shenannigans, but if the delegates wanted shennanigans, they’d have full authority to commence shennanigans.
That most people don’t realize that political parties are not agencies of the state flabbergasts me.