Rand Paul asks Kentucky GOP leaders for a presidential caucus in 2016

[anaconda]

Wait, lets go back to this again. Why would the dummy candidate need to be on the KY primary ballot for President to be on the general election ballot? If Rand won the GOP nomination, why couldn't he just choose not to file for the Presidential ballot in Kentucky and have Kelly file instead? Does the law require that the person who actually wins the GOP nomination has to be the one on the ballot in the Presidential race? Even if that were the case, that would mean that it also wouldn't work for Rand to have Kelly on the ballot in the primary election either.

I'm assuming that the reason for "dummy" candidates is so that Rand can stay off the ballot for that particular race but collect the delegates at the convention(s). If Rand doesn't have a stand-in for the primary he can't collect primary delegates. If he doesn't have a stand-in for the general election he can't collect general election delegates. Kelley might have to run for POTUS in both the primary and the general. I'm assuming you are correct about your inference that Rand would need to stay off of the presidential general election ballot in Kentucky since he would have presumably not filed in that state (but I'm talking over my pay grade here..I don't recall that primary winners need to file a second time - I think they file just once before the primaries begin, no?..). I think the best approach is for Rand to get on the ballot in KY for Senate and mount an aggressive write-in campaign for POTUS in KY. Then it will look like he's fully committed and serious. Everyone will try to attack him as being not committed but he should be able to spin that away quite easily. Rand could say his attackers are inferring that Kentuckians are too stupid to write his name in the ballot booth and object to their condescending indignity. Might be a great approach.

 

[r3volution 3.0]

So, if this passes, the KY presidential primary will be in March and the KY senatorial primary will be in May.

By May, it will be 100% clear whether or not Rand is going to be the GOP nominee for president.

If he is, then he can drop out of the senate primary and endorse someone else (an ally who will have been planted in advance), who will take his senate seat no matter what happens to Rand in the presidential general election.

If he's not, then he stays in the senate primary and keeps his seat.

 

[anaconda]

So, if this passes, the KY presidential primary will be in March and the KY senatorial primary will be in May.

By May, it will be 100% clear whether or not Rand is going to be the GOP nominee for president.

If he is, then he can drop out of the senate primary and endorse someone else (an ally who will have been planted in advance), who will take his senate seat no matter what happens to Rand in the presidential general election.

If he's not, then he stays in the senate primary and keeps his seat.

Can we confirm that these events would transpire before filing deadlines? I'm thinking not...I believe Ron filed in early 2007, for example, for 2008.

 

[r3volution 3.0]

Can we confirm that these events would transpire before filing deadlines? I'm thinking not...I believe Ron filed in early 2007, for example, for 2008.

IIRC the filing deadline for both Kentucky primaries is in January 2016.

So, if the plan is as I laid out, Rand would file for both, and his chosen replacement would file for senate only.

Then Rand would be on the ballot in every state in the presidential primary.

By May when the KY senate primary comes along, Rand can drop out and endorse his replacement (if he's winning the presidential primary), or his replacement can drop out and endorse him (if he's not).

 

[JJ2]

IIRC the filing deadline for both Kentucky primaries is in January 2016.

So, if the plan is as I laid out, Rand would file for both, and his chosen replacement would file for senate only.

Then Rand would be on the ballot in every state in the presidential primary.

By May when the KY senate primary comes along, Rand can drop out and endorse his replacement (if he's winning the presidential primary), or his replacement can drop out and endorse him (if he's not).

Sounds like a good idea and that way the GOP doesn't have to worry about losing a Senate seat by nominating Rand.

 

[eleganz]

IIRC the filing deadline for both Kentucky primaries is in January 2016.

So, if the plan is as I laid out, Rand would file for both, and his chosen replacement would file for senate only.

Then Rand would be on the ballot in every state in the presidential primary.

By May when the KY senate primary comes along, Rand can drop out and endorse his replacement (if he's winning the presidential primary), or his replacement can drop out and endorse him (if he's not).

Yea but it seems like Rand wants KY GOP to move their caucus to before Super Tuesday?

 

[NoOneButPaul]

I think this is a huge issue that needs to be resolved...

 

[cindy25]

He would still face a big problem in the general election. He would lose Kentucky's 8 electoral votes in the general election if he couldn't get a court to strike down the law.

people don't vote for president, they vote for electors. you can , if you ask, even split your vote for electors on a write in ballot. so just run uncommitted Republican electors.

 

[cindy25]

Sounds like a good idea and that way the GOP doesn't have to worry about losing a Senate seat by nominating Rand.

the problem with this scenario is that Massie should be next in line, and would have to give up his house seat just to be a stand in. picking a 2nd level candidate could cost the senate seat anyway.