I find it interesting that you assume it would be the Cruz people that would provide people with golf memberships, resort vacations, etc. It would be easier (and cheaper) for Mr. Trump’s people to do that. (”Mr. Jones - I have a suite at the Trump Palace - how would you like a free room whenever you’re in town?”)
Mr. Trump also has experience with donations to people like Clinton, Coumo, Schumer, etc. in order to gain favor. “Hey, I’m in business.”
And a lot of claims you make. But it does make me wonder how much of that goes on. Of course it would only happen with the unbound delegates in most years. And delegates that if they switched their votes, probably won’t last long in the political process back home.
I was specifically responding to someone who asked “how” is Cruz stealing votes. So my entire diatribe (whew, that was long!) was written as if it is Cruz’s campaign that is doing the stealing. But yes, of course, any campaign can engage in these activities because they are legal. (Something I hope gets changed!)
By now I would hope you are aware that Cruz has #NeverTrump SuperPAC money behind him, and they have spent over $500 million in negative ads and other efforts to stop Trump. Trump is trying to run his campaign the way he thinks government should be run — as if the money matters. So yes, Trump could bribe people, but he had naively believed (like 99.99% of America) that people’s votes matter.
People on this forum and in the media (Amanda Carpenter-I-hate-Trump, for example) have complained that Trump should have spent more money to win more delegates. I can’t believe Conservatives are arguing that a politician should spend more money on the election process. I can’t believe Conservatives are arguing that a politician should have bribed more people. I can’t believe Conservatives are arguing that the completely complicated and convoluted election process should be applauded and that anyone (Trump AND his supporters) who doesn’t “understand” the process is dumb, uneducated, etc., when the reality is that 99.99% of the population believes our vote matters. On that point, I guess 99.99% of us are in fact ignorant, and that is not limited to just Trump supporters.
As for how much of this bribery goes on.... The little bribes can happen a lot: dinner with the candidate, a party at Trump Tower, etc. But if a candidate has only 1200 delegates locked up, then the bigger bribes only need to happen with a few dozen key people - those are the King-makers.
On the other hand, SuperPAC could spend $50,000 each on 1237 delegates and it would “only” cost $62 million to buy the nomination!! That’s 1/8 as much as they have spend on negative ads already!!
AND THIS IS LEGAL, ACCEPTABLE TO THOSE WHO ARE INSIDE THE GAME, AND IGNORED BY THE #NEVERTRUMP PEOPLE — WITH GLEE.
And while the #NeverTrump people scream, “You Trump-supporters and Trump are too dumb to know the rules, but our guy Cruz is brilliant!!”
The Trump supporters and Trump scream, “THE SYSTEM IS CROOKED AND IT’S UNFAIR TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE !!!”