Booting Trump at the convention would be ‘blacker mark’ against Republicans

The Republican National Convention in Cleveland is less than two weeks away and Donald Trump has more than enough delegates to win the nomination as the party’s candidate for president. But that doesn’t mean it’s a done deal.

We know the rules and regulations in which conventions operate are established by the people who are there. The federal government has no oversight in that. KIRO Radio’s John Curley described the process as if “you were to set up some sort of volleyball club, you could determine whatever your rules to be.”

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Once all 1,237 delegates arrive, the lobbying will begin. And that’s where “Tom and Curley” think the fireworks could start.

“Before they call for the vote, they’re going to get these guys all liquored up and say, ‘Listen, guys, let’s change one of the big rules we have here which is, let’s unbound you. That way you don’t have to necessarily vote for Trump,'” Curley said. “Because they’re afraid that first vote might come through and put enough in his basket that he ends up winning. So if they start from the very beginning by changing the rules, and unbounding them, then we can have our white knight come in.”

This would be a two-step process. Co-host Tom Tangney explained that there are 112 convention rules committee members. The anti-Trump campaign would need 28 people (one-quarter) to agree to allow the vote to go to the entire convention. The whole convention could then decide on whether to have bound or unbound delegates. If the majority decides that the Trump-bound delegates are free to pick any nominee, then Tangney says, “all hell breaks loose.”

The Wall Street Journal has taken this possibility seriously. The publican says it is aware of nearly 28 rules-committee members – and possibly more who aren’t willing to go on the record – who would vote to bring the vote to the broader convention. The Journal says it knows of 890 Trump-committed delegates, while 680 oppose him no matter what. That leaves 900 delegates in play. The anti’s would need about two-thirds of those 900 to actually open up the convention.

“So it’s a longshot, but it’s within reason to think they could get a full voice vote on this,” Tangney said. “And that would be exciting news. I still think it’s unlikely.”

Curley then posed this quandary: What is the first question that needs to be asked by the undecided Republicans?

Tom Tangney: “How is this going to help us, the Republican Party?”

John Curley: “No. The first question is: Who? If not Trump, then who? You don’t want me to vote for him, who do you have? We got Matt Romney, we got this guy – they have to have a who.”

TT: “But they don’t want to have a who, because once you announce the who, you’re not going to have all the people who hate Trump rallying around you. So the longer you can hold off the better. All they have to do is say anybody can vote for anybody and then you can introduce whoever you’d like to.”

Tangney than asked Curley: As much you think Trump will be bad for the Party, wouldn’t they do even worse if they deprive him of their legitimately garnered delegates?

JC: “Well, you have to decide: Are there enough people to vote for Donald Trump once he gets out of Cleveland? If you quickly do a headcount and say there’s not enough, we’ve got to blow this whole thing up and start from zero.”

TT: “But I think that would be an even blacker mark against the Republican Party than if Trump got the nomination.”

JC: “Oh certainly. The turnout – all those people would just go away.”

TT: “It’s fool’s gold they are going after.”

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