If the DNC can . . .

[Papatex]

If the DNC at their National Conference can replace Obama or Hillary as their Presidential candidate because they are 'unelectable', then can?

The RNC at their National Conference replace McCain as their Presidential candidate because he ignores and insults the backbone of the Republican voters?

Just a thought . . .

[MEGoody]

If the DNC at their National Conference can replace Obama or Hillary as their Presidential candidate because they are 'unelectable'. . .

The DNC isn't going to do that. Either Hillary or Obama will get the nomination.

[cripplecreek]

It’s not gonna happen. The GOP is going to have to learn that lesson the hard way.

[sr4402]

Theoretically both could do it. If the candidates outraged their parties, both national parties could reject them. A vote would be proposed and if accepted, the delegates themselves would begin the process of selection.

Funny how we always think that everything should go smoothly as in the past and that our institutions like party conventions and electoral colleges are useless. But now when we get such fatally flawed candidates, we can only pray our parties wake up and give us better.

Will it happen? Obama's pastor is doing him in. Hillary and Bill have been so immoral that they deserve a vote to exclude them. McCain, pitiful though he is, hasn't done anything yet to Obama's or Hillary's level. So I doubt the GOP would go for the nuclear option and eject their candidate.

Perhaps they will if McCain sticks his foot much more in his mouth. One can only pray.

[The Worthless Miracle]

I’m not understanding why we aren’t at the very least - absolutely demanding that our primary process is revamped. We can’t afford to have a few idiots selecting people like Grampa Simpson Mccain anymore. THere’s just no need for that system. We live in the internet/communication age. We don’t have to give the candidates months to tour the country. Let’s modernize the process instead of sticking to this gimmicky, clunky ineffective one we have now.

[Polybius]

The Democrats, who hypocritically like to say "every vote counts" have a system of so-called "Super-delegates" who are Party hacks who can, at their whim, overturn the will of the majority of the primary voters.

The Republican Party has no such system.

"Conservatives", as the word is defined on Free Republic, are a distinct minority in 21st Century America. After eight years of a less than stellar Presidential performance by George W. Bush, the majority of America voters want, yes, "Change".

For the Democrat primary voters, "Change" meant choosing the most left-wing candidate that has ever been poised to be the candidate in the general election.

For the Republican primary voters, "Change" meant choosing a slightly right-of-center Moderate.

I am not saying that the majority of American primary voters are correct in their desires for "Change", any ""Change". As Winston Churchill once said, "The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter." I'm just saying is that is the way the Tribe voted and, this time around, conservatives candidates were voted off the island.

You can go Third Party or stay home in November if you want to but, whether you like it or not, that majority of average American voters will be choosing between a far left-wing President and a slightly right-of-center President in November.

I will be voting to ensure that Barack Obama does not become President of the United States and cause irreparable harm to America.

"But how can you vote for McCain?", many on FR will ask. "Don't you realize how much two broken legs hurt?"

Yes, I do. But two broken legs are far preferable to being burned to death in a second story apartment. Given the choice, I will jump out the second story window and galdly accept my two broken legs.

Barack Obama's Houston Campaign Office

[GulfBreeze]

No. The deomcrats would be able to do that only after the first round of caucusing does not produce a delegate majority winner. John McCain has a majority in hand already. Their votes can only be cast for John McCain in the first round and that means he will become the nominee in the first round of caucusing.

That being said. Can we just get on with things? Elections are not wish lists. They are choices and in America on presidential general elections they are choices between TWO people.

I cried the day Ronald Reagan past away. But he ain’t coming back and he won’t be on the ballot.

So, while McCain is certainly not everything I wished he was and there are several problem areas that he has failed us on. The fact is, he is head and shoulders above ANYTHING the democrats have to offer.

There are hundreds of reasons to vote for McCain and push him as opposed to the other candidate. Here are a few:
McCain will tax less...
McCain will hold the line on terror better...
McCain will do better on borders...
McCain doesn’t hate the military...
McCain will do more to protect the unborn...
McCain will spend less...
McCain will have more respect from foreign leaders both friend and foe...
McCain will do more to keep the death tax suspended...
McCain has a more attractive spouse...
McCain will hold the line on communist expansion in South America better...
McCain is LESS succored in re: global warming...
McCain will appoint better judges...
McCain will give more respect to the right to keep and bear arms...
McCain will give more respect to free speech...

[Robert DeLong]

For the Republican primary voters, "Change" meant choosing a slightly right-of-center Moderate.

Well then what you are saying is that Republicans voted for no change, as Bush would definitely be classified as slightly right-of-center moderate. Matter of fact I do not see much difference between the two on the issues of illegal immigration, global warming and the war.

[RonF]

The DNC can do no such thing; at least, not by any mechanism that’s been publicly announced. The appointed delegates (as opposed to the ones elected in the primaries) can vote for who they please, but that person won’t get nominated unless there are also a sufficient number of elected delegates who vote for them as well.

If you are aware of a mechanism by which the DNC can replace BOTH Clinton and Obama, I’d be interested in hearing it.

[Owen]

McCain got the most votes and the most delegates. The rules say he must be nominated.

Given that, he should be.

There has always been a very awkward question that looms in these months of an election year.

Suppose the presumptive nominee dies?

If a VP selection has been made, that VP nominee runs. But before the selection, the question is a big one for both parties.

[FewsOrange]

The Democrats, who hypocritically like to say "every vote counts" have a system of so-called "Super-delegates" who are Party hacks who can, at their whim, overturn the will of the majority of the primary voters.

The Republican Party has no such system.

There are super delegates to the Republican convention, just not as many as the Dems and with the winner take all nature of Rep primaries they are less likely to be decisive.

[Polybius]

For the Republican primary voters, "Change" meant choosing a slightly right-of-center Moderate.

Well then what you are saying is that Republicans voted for no change, as Bush would definitely be classified as slightly right-of-center moderate. Matter of fact I do not see much difference between the two on the issues of illegal immigration, global warming and the war.

I don't see much difference either but, by golly, the perception is there, isn't it?

How many people on FR were threatening to stay home, voted third party or work to get Kerry elected "to teach the Republican Party a lesson" when Bush was running in 2004?

As far as the war, Bush knows he has to win (vast improvement over Obama) but had no idea how to go about it. McCain did know how to win and championed the Surge strategy back in 2006 when Rumsfeld was dead set against it and Bush was meekly going along with Rumsfeld.

[Liberty2007]

I hate to say it, I rather hillary win, no I am not voting for her. We need to hand a failing economy off to her, she will make it worse, she will only do 4 years. If Mccain wins the media will start in on him, hillary will be back for 2012. I know it will be a tough 4 years but we need to silience the witch for good. Unless of cours the GOP decideds to nominate a really good conservative.

[Liberty2007]

There are hundreds of reasons to vote for McCain and push him as opposed to the other candidate. Here are a few:

McCain will tax less... He is wanting a globul warming tax

McCain will hold the line on terror better...

McCain will do better on borders... of course when they are all instant citizens we dont need the border

McCain doesn’t hate the military... yeah, he is good with that

McCain will do more to protect the unborn... probably

McCain will spend less... I see no evidence

McCain will have more respect from foreign leaders both friend and foe... um, no. But then I could care less about what other countries think about our leaders, didnt they love the slickster

McCain will do more to keep the death tax suspended... evidence?

McCain has a more attractive spouse... debateable, Huma looks pretty hot

McCain will hold the line on communist expansion in South America better... is there anything he cant do?

McCain is LESS succored in re: global warming... yeah he is creating a globul warning tax

McCain will appoint better judges... yeah, right, quit scaring us with the supreme court boogie man. we do however need to find a way to counter them because it will be hard to even find conservatives to nominate for the supreme court

McCain will give more respect to the right to keep and bear arms... since when

McCain will give more respect to free speech... hello? campaign finance reform!!!

[GulfBreeze]

Wake up! The November choice will be between McCain and Clinton or McCain and Obama.

Not McCain and YOU.

Not McCain and ME.

And sure as h*ll not McCain and whoever you wanted to get the nomination.

You compare McCain to the eventual Democrat nominee on any one of the issues I listed and hundreds of others and he is the better. Don't b!tch about whether I think supreme court nominees are important or not (boogie man my butt) just make your own list of what is important in a president and compare McCain against the eventual DEMOCRAT nominee instead of some phantom candidate who isn't out there. You'll see that with grown up eyes the choice is clear.

I promise you. Whoever you “wished” would have become the GOP nominee, is now supporting John McCain for president. (Except that complete bumbling fool idiot Ron Paul if that was choice, IF that is...)