Republican establishment rigs rules to get its candidate for president

[Coolidge/Dawes '24]

Article here.

The Republican establishment, which gets so many things wrong, is trying to manipulate the party rules to make sure it gets the presidential candidate it wants in 2016. The party chiefs put it another way, of course: They're just trying to make sure that the party nominates a "respectable" candidate who won't be mortally wounded before it's time to fight Democrats. Some of what Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, wants to put into place makes sense, but many of the suggestions from other quarters don't.

Mr. Priebus has been working to reduce the number of debates and to reform those left, and to eliminate "moderators" trying to force the candidates to talk about the issues they learned at politically correct moderator school, and little about what voters were really interested in.

What doesn't make sense is rigging the system to cook the primaries to get the result the establishment wants. A number of the contributors with gilt-edged checkbooks, who yearn for a rerun of the Romney campaign or who think that America is crying for a third President Bush, want to find a way to silence pesky primary and caucus voters who have wishes and wants of their own.

The Republican establishment doesn't get it, and neither do the big donors, who got rich and imagine that guarantees success in politics. Nominating a president is messy if it's done right, which is why Democrats have so much fun. Republicans don't like to make scenes. Nevertheless, it’s the "scenes" that gives the folks who make up the party faithful a chance to nominate a candidate who reflects their views, not those of the elites.

The long road to the nomination educates the candidates, developing their insights into the diversity of America. Ours is a large country and it exerts heavy pressures on candidates. The messy route to the nomination gives voters the needed opportunity to measure and judge the men and women who offer themselves to lead.

There's always the temptation to tinker with the system, sometimes for good and usually for ill. The party establishment worked feverishly in 1976 to jigger the rules to stop Ronald Reagan, by preventing his mounting a strong campaign against Gerald Ford, the incumbent president. Mr. Reagan’s manager, John Sears, finally cried out in frustration and exasperation: "Just tell us the rules of the game so we can play."Jerry Ford prevailed, but in November so did Jimmy Carter.

John Sears was correct. The rules may not be perfect, but they're all that imposes order on the chase. Victory goes to the candidate who plays by them as best he can.

 

[Primbs]

Then Reagan came back and won two landslide elections. People must like freedom loving candidates. Don't think that the donor class is all pro establishment. Many wealthy donors are for liberty.

 

[Mr.NoSmile]

Then Reagan came back and won two landslide elections. People must like freedom loving candidates. Don't think that the donor class is all pro establishment. Many wealthy donors are for liberty.

Are they? Well, they were conspicuously absent during the 2012 election.

 

[philipped]

Are they? Well, they were conspicuously absent during the 2012 election.

And now with 2016 around the corner, Rand is the only candidate considered as of now that has a potential network that could go toe to toe with anyone in a GOP primary thanks to 2008 and 2012. RNC2016 is gonna be a MOVIE.

 

[acptulsa]

Are they? Well, they were conspicuously absent during the 2012 election.

It has been quite some while since anyone had a chance to get filthy rich in any manner other than playing dirty.

And now with 2016 around the corner, Rand is the only candidate considered as of now that has a potential network that could go toe to toe with anyone in a GOP primary thanks to 2008 and 2012. RNC2016 is gonna be a MOVIE.

With the filthy rich now unfettered in their ability to finance dawn-to-dusk commercials for the establishment candidates, there will be some mighty bloody battles along the road to it.

 

[euphemia]

This is not news.

 

[devil21]

This is an effort that the grassroots will have to work on to overturn these rules. It's also why there's divide and conquer tactics at work on RPF like the Collins garbage. The grassroots can win this thing for Rand before it even gets serious, if during the convention process all Rand fans show up at local and then state conventions and decide to not take no for an answer. Rules are meant to be changed. People are too.

 

[Mr.NoSmile]

This is an effort that the grassroots will have to work on to overturn these rules. It's also why there's divide and conquer tactics at work on RPF like the Collins garbage. The grassroots can win this thing for Rand before it even gets serious, if during the convention process all Rand fans show up at local and then state conventions and decide to not take no for an answer. Rules are meant to be changed. People are too.

Not if they aren't in charge. They can show up in force at the state conventions if they want, but if they aren't the decision makers, chairs and such, they would just be ignored, escorted out, the like.

 

[devil21]

Not if they aren't in charge. They can show up in force at the state conventions if they want, but if they aren't the decision makers, chairs and such, they would just be ignored, escorted out, the like.

Depends on the turnout numbers. Besides, most of our people that are attending conventions are now familiar with the games the establishment folks play. Not to say we should stoop to their level but taking the high road and getting shafted again isn't a good plan either. Convention chairs are elected at the conventions btw. Rules can be changed. etc.

Changing the bs RNC rules needs to be a high priority for all convention goers. Adding in resolutions to repeal them in local and state party platforms, for example. Delegate election conventions too. This lets everyone attending know what kind of shenanigans the RNC is up to. They want to shut out the grassroots, regardless of which candidate a convention member supports. It is important to let other convention goers, even those that support other candidates, know that the RNC is trying to push them out of the process and handpick their own chosen candidate! Let other people know that their convention attendance is a sham and a waste of time if those RNC rules stay in place!

It's also why we have grassroots demoralization attempts on RPF by collins and his ilk. They do not want another grassroots insurgence during the convention process. That messes up their plans....

 

[RonZeplin]

Republican establishment rigs rules to get its candidate for president

This could be from 2007. The D&R party's commitment to tyranny is rock solid.

 

[euphemia]

It's also why there's divide and conquer tactics at work on RPF like the Collins garbage.

We were delegates and present at the meeting where open violations of the rules took place, including ballots being torn up. We have it on video. At that meeting, the party committee thought it would be a good idea to divide the delegates so that Matt's folks were in the far parts of the room. They made a big mistake seating our very underserved district right up where all the action was. I was the one who went to the county chair to share what we saw. It wasn't until we got home that we realized we had not recorded Matt's speech at all, but the underhanded shenanigans of the executive committee, including the new chair.

 

[devil21]

 

[Ronin Truth]

Don't they always?

"If voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it." -- Mark Twain

 

[Voluntarist]

xxxxx

 

[Michael Landon]

If Rand gets the nomination in 2016, it'll be Goldwater in '64 all over again. The wealthy liberal Republicans will throw their money behind Clinton or whoever the Democrat is, to guarantee that Rand doesn't win the election. And if by chance Rand does win the Presidency, like Reagan, they'll try to assassinate him, also like Reagan, in order to get him to fall in line with their agenda. President Reagan is a far cry from Pre-President Reagan, read Ron Paul's resignation letter to the GOP to see where Reagan's views flipped after the assassination attempts.

- ML