Anti-Trump Forces Unleash Plan to Pick Vice President at Convention

[CPUd]

Anti-Trump Forces Unleash Plan to Pick Vice President at Convention

The anti-Trump forces have unleashed a back-up plan in case their efforts to deny Donald Trump the Republican nomination fail: Give delegates in Cleveland the power to chose his vice president.

It's a last-ditch effort, with the thought being if they can't get rid of Trump, then they can force at least one major concession.

The proposal is being distributed by the executive director of the group "Free the Delegates," Regina Thomson, and it would change "rule 40," a party bylaw that guides how delegates choose the nomination of both the president and vice president.

The anti-Trump rebels' proposals to alter rule 40 would give delegates the power to have a say in Trump's running mate.

"It would make it so that it would be more clear and easier for the convention body to assert itself in making the nomination," said a delegate on the rules committee sympathetic to the anti-Trump effort.

The nominee's running mate is still technically decided by an independent delegate vote and delegates have no obligation to support the nominee's choice.

That scenario has recent precedent. When Sen. John McCain seriously considered then Sen. Joe Lieberman as a running mate in 2008, many delegates viewed Lieberman's abortion record as so unacceptable, they threatened to vote him down in a floor fight if nominated.

The proposals to alter rule 40, expected to be debated in rules committee meetings in Cleveland this week ahead of the Republican National Convention, is considered a safety valve in the instance that Trump were to nominate a Democrat or a moderate considered unacceptable to the Republican activists.

Perhaps foreshadowing that fight, just on Sunday it was reported that potential Trump veep choice retired Army Lt. Gen Michael T. Flynn had some relatively liberal views on abortion and gay marriage.

By its nature of governing the nomination, rule 40 is often a source of contention. During the 2012 convention, it made it more difficult for a candidate to win the nomination because it requires that the nominee win a majority of delegates in eight states. It raised the victory threshold for the nominee to prevent Ron Paul from being eligible for the nomination, which is something that his supporters angled for four years ago.

Related: Three Ways Republicans Could Dump Trump in Cleveland

One of the proposals to alter it this week would insist that the vice presidential candidate has the support of the delegates from at least three states.

Another proposed change would attempt diminish the vice presidential preference of the presidential nominee.

"The preference of any candidate seeking nomination for president of the United States shall have no bearing upon the submission of names for nomination for vice president of the United States nor the recording of votes for the same," the proposal reads.

A final proposal would require that the vice presidential candidate receive the support of two-thirds delegates on the first round of voting. If he or she doesn't, subsequent rounds are required.

Opponents to Trump are planning a multi-pronged effort in Cleveland.

In addition to these proposals, they are also working to convince delegates to support a rule that would "codify" what they say is delegates' responsibility to vote their conscience instead of how their state voted in the primary.

They have a whip operation to persuade delegates and plan to run television ads in Cleveland during the convention.

A supporter of the effort, lobbyist Jack Burkman, held a fundraiser in Northern Virginia Friday night. He said 500 people attended and he raised at least $500,000. Burkman is working to raise $1 million by Wednesday, the day before the rules committee convenes. That's in addition to the $3 million anti-Trump groups said they had leading up to Cleveland.

Fundraising "is going way better than I even expected," Burkman said.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/201...orces-unleash-plan-pick-vp-convention-n606716

 

[Petar]

Nice plan on behalf of the establishment.

I'm sure that you support it 100%.

 

[CPUd]

They shouldn't need to make a rule change to nominate a VP, just motion for a roll call vote instead of nominating by acclamation.

 

[69360]

Why bother? The VP has no power anyway. Either dump Trump or don't.

 

[Jesse James]

Why bother? The VP has no power anyway. Either dump Trump or don't.

I agree with this

 

[Petar]

They shouldn't need to make a rule change to nominate a VP, just motion for a roll call vote instead of nominating by acclamation.

Maybe it's better that the establishment does not have the power to pick their surrogate.

 

[CPUd]

Why bother? The VP has no power anyway. Either dump Trump or don't.

This one would:
Trump Adviser: Trump Will Outsource Being President to His VP

 

[69360]

This one would:
Trump Adviser: Trump Will Outsource Being President to His VP

If that's the case why bother running? They should just dump Trump then if he's not going to do the job.

 

[CPUd]

If that's the case why bother running? They should just dump Trump then if he's not going to do the job.

He needed to make sure his friend Hillary gets elected, then to prevent another 8 years of the House calling for impeachment, fuck the downballot races so hard that Congress has a Democrat majority.

 

[LibertyEagle]

He needed to make sure his friend Hillary gets elected, then to prevent another 8 years of the House calling for impeachment, $#@! the downballot races so hard that Congress has a Democrat majority.

For me, I want every single one of the neocons and Rockefeller-Republicans to lose their reelection bids. Good riddance.

 

[LibertyEagle]

This one would:
Trump Adviser: Trump Will Outsource Being President to His VP

Every President in this country for a very long time has had a handler above them. In the scenario that you give, they would be considered the Chairman of the Board; with the President merely executing the day-to-day operations as they carry out the plan dictated to them by the COB.

So, the fact that someone says that Trump plans to be the Chairman of the Board makes me smile. Although, I wouldn't think that would end up being too healthy for him in terms of longevity. We'll just have to see. But, Chairman of the Board? I say, FANTASTIC!!

 

[cindy25]

Lincoln did not even meet Hannibal Hamlin until after he was nominated. and in the original constitution VP was the person who came in second. many states elect the lieutenant gov separately as do many countries do with VP. there is no reason why president should pick VP.
e

 

[CPUd]

Their problem will be finding someone who is up for it. Most of the names the Trump campaign have been floating around have come out and said either "hell no", or "thanks, but no thanks".

 

[LibertyEagle]

Their problem will be finding someone who is up for it. Most of the names the Trump campaign have been floating around have come out and said either "hell no", or "thanks, but no thanks".

The neocons and the Rockefeller-Republicans, yes. You may want one of those, CPU, but I don't.

Jeff Sessions would do it in a heart beat and with him, Trump wouldn't need to be watching for a dagger to be stabbed in his back. They also agree on the illegal alien invasion of our country and the Trans Pacific Partnership. Of the choices I've seen mentioned, he would be one of the better ones, in my opinion.

And by the way, I'm not holding my breath, but I will be thrilled to death if John McCain and Paul Ryan lose their reelection bids.

 

[CPUd]

The neocons and the Rockefeller-Republicans, yes. You may want one of those, CPU, but I don't.

Jeff Sessions would do it in a heart beat and with him, Trump wouldn't need to be watching for a dagger to be stabbed in his back. They also agree on the illegal alien invasion of our country and the Trans Pacific Partnership. Of the choices I've seen mentioned, he would be one of the better ones, in my opinion.

And by the way, I'm not holding my breath, but I will be thrilled to death if John McCain and Paul Ryan lose their reelection bids.

Are Mike Lee, Tom Cotton and Susana Martinez Rockefeller Republicans or neocons?

 

[Petar]

He needed to make sure his friend Hillary gets elected, then to prevent another 8 years of the House calling for impeachment, $#@! the downballot races so hard that Congress has a Democrat majority.

Nice dumb "theory" that you don't actually even believe.

 

[openfire]

Nice dumb "theory" that you don't actually even believe.

The question is, are they intentionally deceiving, or are they that dumb that believe their own bullsh*t? Not sure which, but leaning to the former.

 

[CPUd]

This would surely end his reelection chances, but he may have enough delegates on board to nominate him:

Pence has ‘95 percent’ chance of being Trump’s VP pick


CLEVELAND — Scrambling among Indiana politicians has reached the point where Republican Party insiders are convinced that presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump will pick Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate.

Constitutional lawyer James Bopp, an Indiana delegate to the Republican National Convention who is close the governor, told The Washington Times that Indiana House Speaker Brian C. Bosma, 58, a conservative Republican, had sought advice from him on running for governor.

“He wanted my counsel on what he needed to do to set himself up to run for governor, because he expects Pence to step down as governor in order to be Trump’s running mate,” Mr. Bopp said in an interview.

The Trump election team boosted the Pence speculation Sunday by suddenly adding a campaign rally in Indianapolis to a fundraiser planned for Tuesday featuring Mr. Trump and Mr. Pence.

Several Republicans close to the campaign and to the governor have told The Times over the last 24 hours that they are now convinced it’ll be Mr. Pence.

Mr. Bopp, also a member of the convention’s rules committee, told The Times that the “rally made it a 95 percent probability it’s Pence.”

Indiana Republican Party Chairman Jeff Cardwell said that Sunday’s sudden addition of a Trump rally after the fundraising event was a complete change from Mr. Trump’s original schedule, which had called for a quick appearance at the fundraiser and equally quick exit from Indiana.

Mr. Pence, who is little known nationally but highly admired in conservative circles, also made a telling private call to Mr. Cardwell, according to a Republican close to both men.

In the call the governor told Mr. Cardwell to delay his planned Tuesday departure to Cleveland for a Republican National Committee meeting, saying Mr. Cardwell needed to be sure to attend an Indianapolis fundraiser featuring Mr. Trump and Mr. Pence.

The Trump-Pence fundraiser already was a big deal, with tickets are going from $2,700 to $250,000. But its scheduled date falling so close to the July 18-21 Republican National Convention here was being interpreted by some political observers as ideal for a possible VP announcement by the party’s presumptive presidential nominee.

But Mr. Cardwell also said the request to delay his departure for Cleveland came from the RNC, not the governor, and had nothing to do with “Trump announcing Pence as his running mate.”

Until now, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was the most probable vice presidential pick in most press accounts and in the minds of many GOP activists. But Republicans close to the action began to have doubts when Mr. Trump, at a rally with Mr. Gingrich last week, assured the crowd that the Georgian would definitely serve in some capacity in a Trump administration.

Those assurances seemed designed to gently let down loyalists Mr. Gingrich, 73, has accumulated over his 36 years in politics and public life, during which he is credited with planning the GOP’s stunning 1994 takeover of the U.S. House after 40 years in the minority.

Mr. Gingrich has traveled with Mr. Trump on campaign stops and has won kudos from even Trump skeptics for explaining the hows and whys of the Trump phenomenon at this point in American political history better than anyone else, including Mr. Trump himself.

Mr. Gingrich has been a national figure in politics virtually from the day he first won election to the U.S. House in 1977 and has made political enemies for his brashness and unorthodox ideas.

According to campaign insiders, Mr. Trump genuinely likes Mr. Gingrich but some in the Trump family, especially his adult children, aren’t great Gingrich fans.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/10/donald-trump-likely-choose-indiana-gov-mike-pence-/

 

[notsure]

Regina Thomson is a Cruzbot. I'm sure they're working to get Lyin' Ted the VP spot. Their backup plan if they can't outright replace Donald with Ted at the convention. This seems like Cruzbots last ditch effort to keep their guy in gov't and public service, because I highly doubt Ted Cruz will win re election of his Senate seat in 2018.