God in Heaven help us unite and win this election.
The Republicans could not care less if they win the presidency. They want to protect their place of privilege within the closed two party system. They can’t do that if they lose control of their party.
I think Trump has the support, from voters of both parties to go third party and win. Hopefully it’d kill the Republican party (as we know it).
thegreenpapers.com shows Trump with 752 delegates.
It is difficult to get an accurate count because of the different ways some delegates are allowed in various states.
Ted Cruz is an anti-establishment candidate? The one who started out as a Bushie, and now has Jeb’s cronies on his staff? Who voted for TPA to ensure the eventual passage of TPP? Who’s wife is a Goldman-Sachs bigwig, and is on the CFR? Who is a willing placeholder for the GOPe to stop Trump so they can name one of their own? That’s one of the most absurd...
Oh. It’s April fools day. Good one.
Ted wouldn’t be in this spot had he not taken the South for granted. He thought he had us in his back pocket. He didn’t. Shame on him
Oh, dear Jeff, IMHO, if the nomination process is to be decided at the convention, I'm afraid it's too late. It's already a done deal by then -- GOPe will do everything in its power, including rewriting convention rules at the drop of a hat, to stop Trump. But my suspicion is, they would just as soon be rid of Cruz, as well. They detest Cruz nearly as much as they detest Trump. What GOPe is likely to do is to nominate someone who didn't even run in the primaries, by hook or by crook. Say a Mitt Romney or a Paul Ryan or a Jeb Bush. Which is so laughable -- I mean we started the nominating process with 17 candidates, all of whom were regarded as well-qualified to run. The survivors of that winnowing process -- Trump, Cruz, and even Kasich -- are all unacceptable to GOPe. So we the people get totally stiffed.???
The only way to preempt this development, which looks pretty inevitable to me, would be for Trump and Cruz to combine right now. Announce a Trump/Cruz ticket, and have the latter appeal to his followers to vote Trump. If Trump has a lock on 1237+ delegates before the convention, the GOPe plan totally fizzles.
But I strongly doubt that would ever happen. Cruz is in it to win it, come hell or high water; and he thinks he can prevail in a brokered convention if he fails to have 1237 delegates on the first ballot. At least that seems to be his bet.
If the GOPe subverts the will of the people as you so capably describe, then I am going to have to go back on my pledge to vote for the GOP nominee, whoever it is. But what the heck, everybody seems to be going back on his pledge these days.
I would have to vote for a third-party candidate. I hope that would be Trump. I look at it this way:
I discern that what this election is truly about is the answer to the question: Is American government a system of, by, and for the people? Or is it a system of, by, and for the "expert" political class? (Of both parties.)
I note that Donald Trump is the only candidate of either party who is not a bought-and-paid-for creature of the political class. He is vociferous about the abject failures of this political class, foreign and domestic; and when he speaks, he speaks for millions of middle Americans who share his concerns.
All of which is deeply disturbing to those cocooned in the political class. They view Trump as an existential threat to themselves and their interests. They would dearly love to make him go "bye-bye."
To me, the GOPe is simply suicidal. But in their arrogance, they think they can pull off their strategy and get the president they want. And American democracy be damned.
God help us.
Thanks so very much, dear Jeff, for your outstanding analysis.