CPUd
Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2012
- Messages
- 22,978
That would have actually cracked up the Republican party faster than anything Trump is being accused of potentially doing. The legitimacy of the system had already taken enough of a high profile hit from the way Paul and Paul delegates had been ripped off in 2012. Robbing the presumptive nominee himself would have been theft in full daylight, so they had to back off.
Note the leadership couldn't have even done that in '64 with Goldwater, let alone now in the era of 24 hour news and Internet. So, the establishment can be beaten. Otherwise, are you saying that if Ron had managed to win the nomination, that it's only because the elite allowed it, and "got the guy they wanted?"
The party is already destroyed. The elites did that when they shut out grassroots conservatives and joined with a NYC liberal who calls himself a Republican. This is 4 years after they tried to push a MA liberal who calls himself a Republican.
They had a shot to get behind Cruz after the WI primary. If he won IN and the remaining caucus states, and did well in WA, OR, CA, there would be an open convention. Even if Cruz or Kasich went in there and lost, the delegates would have felt like they had their say and ultimately gotten behind the establishment favorite Trump. Instead, there is now a conservative faction in the GOP who will not vote Trump and will not help GOTV, which cancels out what's left of the sanders people who won't vote Clinton.