Former Cruz campaign officials push for delegate coup at GOP convention
From the Washington Examiner article above:
“Bob Vander Plaats, a former national co-chair of Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign, told NBC that “everything’s got to be on the table” when it comes to exempting delegates from supporting Donald Trump at the convention.”
As our senior editor DLH commented — “Kasich, Tom Ridge, the Wall Street Journal, Bill Kristol, and Iowa’s own Bob Vander Plaats…with “conservative friends” like this, we don’t need Democrat enemies…we’re going to need a bigger asylum!”
As previously stated I am open to a third-party conservative alternative to the Republican brand, but I think a concerted serious takeover of the Republican Party would be easier and less risky. That can start at the 2016 Republican National Convention but not with an eye to dumping Trump. Faced with the precipice we are at, and given the particular support Trump has achieved, dumping Trump would not be likely at the convention, but if it did happen, it would likely be politically harmful in the hinterlands. Conservatives should work on the platform, injecting teeth into it, it is the Republican Party Platform after all, it needn’t be Trump’s. Other mechanism of assuring conservatism in the party can and should be initiated or enhanced.
I have also advocated a fail-safe approach of ongoing planning, laying the groundwork and structuring an alternative party that provides conservatives a place to go. That could be through the present Constitution Party or other existing conservative entity, invigorating one or the other and creating a viable place to go even if only existing in the wings.
But as to 2016, with so much to consider including the need of a unified well-established party effort, there is no candidate who has come forward who can overcome the resultant ill-will and achieve sufficient Trump devotees support, who has a better chance to defeat Hillary. I do not buy that Trump is the best to defeat Hillary, only that he can. Other Republican candidates in their own way would have been able to. That is presuming Trump supporters would accede to the primary results had another accumulated Trump’s level of initial delegate vote.
Nor this late in the season is there an existing conservative alternative party entity, that can defeat Hillary or any Democrat nominee for the presidency. Given the discipline of Democrats and the electoral college make-up, other than a unified Republican Party will hand the presidency to the Democrats.
Given the division on the Supreme Court, the Republic is at risk depending on that presidential outcome. Hillary or ANY Democrat will appoint liberal justices. Trump I believe will likely nominate conservative justices, perhaps not assuredly, but with a Democrat the opposite is a 100% sure thing, and aggressively so. Other extremely important matters would absolutely not go our way under a Democrat. With Trump I believe there will be improvement over Obama in many or most important matters. That is not to say that I think the crony capitalist nature of our government will be turned around under him but the thoroughly anti-life socialist abyss will not be irretrievably imminent.
Trying to achieve an alternative to Trump now, whether under the rules of the Republican Party or via a third-party will not eliminate Trump from the picture. He will either be in the running as a Republican or a third-party or a write-in candidate with a substantial and seriously disgruntled following either voting for him no matter what or staying away. If the latter, his followers not only risk a race that will be close in key electoral college states it also risks the Senate, which will be a tough battle in its own right.
The idea that the rules of the Republican National Convention do not obligate delegates is irrelevant. Political reality does unless something blows up with Trump that is not as yet evident and not matched by the potential blow-ups the Democrats are faced with. The recent controversy over Trump’s comments about the Hispanic judge dealing with the law-suit against his Trump University scandal are a tempest in a tea-pot as to Trump. That is unless Republicans are that incapable (again) of firing back against presumptive nominee Hillary for her greater atrocities.
Many of the delegates pledged to their state conventions that they would vote the state’s results. Trump “won” more states. The delegates have been sent forth accordingly with adequate knowledge of Trump’s negatives existing. I believe rules allowing plurality winners in the presidential primaries to accumulate more than their percentage share of delegates, as some states provide for, are ridiculous, and arguably resulted in Trump. But as they say, them’s the rules.
I agree we are not talking about a happy situation with Trump, but show me the path this election, with all that is at risk, to defeating any Democrat nominee and I will listen.
R Mall
