"Strategy call on Tuesday"

[Guinevere]

The best way to STOP TRUMP is to vote for HRC


You're seriously going to take steps to disenfranchise the republican primary voters -- your core, your base -- who came out and cast a majority of their votes for the Trumpanzee? Many of u get how loathsome he is, but by taking that step, aren't you further destroying your party?

Guin, people will sometimes make mistakes — like supporting a blathering demagogue who is full of sound bites and showmanship but little else.  However, once they realize they've made a mistake, intelligent persons will admit it and attempt to rectify their error.  So it's better the Republicans do whatever it takes to deny Trump the nomination — even if it means going against "the will of the people" (as expressed three or more months ago) — rather than let the whole party, like so many lemmings, blindly follow him over the cliff that he is headed for.

-"BB"-

Disagree. This isn't a "ooops" moment. This is the core voters of the Republican party choosing who they want as its nominee, in accordance with the rules of said party. An attempt to undo what's been done is disenfranchising those voters in a way that, I believe, creates a serious problem.

How many times have we said around this place -- "we don't regulate stupid." The Republican Party has a huge case of the stupids and is going to have to figure out how to live with that (or not survive at all, or morph into several parties, etc.)

[Bicycle Bill]

By your party's rules, he is the guy, and you're stuck with him. Changing the rules now, not selecting him, is only going to do more damage, not less.

Let him get shellacked by HRC and he goes away (as much as he can go away).

No.  Absolutely not.  Look around you —

In plain terms, if Trump is nominated I do not trust the average American (and you saw one of them in action yourself!) to do the right thing in November.  Trump must not be given any chance to possibly win this election, and if it takes finagling with the rules of the Republican convention with the aim of freeing the delegates from their obligation to vote for him, then so be it.

-"BB"-

[Lord Jim]

I want to see a rules fight at the convention!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...

I believe it's important for the long term health of the GOP that the American public see that the whole Republican Party is NOT united behind Donald Trump. And I want that message driven home to Trump as well.


The best way to do that is with a floor fight. If it doesn't succeed, it's still worth doing. I hope hundreds of delegates get up and walk out. If they stay, I hope they boo his acceptance speech.

It feels really weird to be saying these things, but these are really weird times...

I believe HRC could have beaten any of the clowns in your race

That's funny because she was trailing all of them in the polls, including Ted Cruz...

And that was before this FBI report disaster...

Come on, Hillary really drew the long straw with Trump as the nominee...

The one major political figure in America with even higher negative ratings than she has...

The only candidate so unbelievably flawed that his behavior is going to be the main issue rather than hers...

No doubt about it, Fate really smiled on Slick Hillie by delivering her the gift of Donald Trump....

Christmas came early to Chappaqua...

[Lord Jim]

Anti-Donald Trump Forces See Convention Coup as Within Reach

Months after Donald Trump appeared to seal the Republican nomination for president, anti-Trump forces are making one last push to force a vote on the party’s convention floor that would throw open the GOP contest again.

It’s a long shot, but by some counts they are remarkably close to getting past the first hurdle next week in Cleveland.

Mr. Trump’s intraparty foes, led by a group of rogue delegates, are waging an intense behind-the-scenes effort to push the Republican National Convention’s Rules Committee for a vote on freeing delegates to back whomever they wish, rather than being bound to Mr. Trump.

The presumptive nominee’s team is fighting back just as vehemently, with an organized campaign of dozens of aides and volunteers. It’s a power struggle that has prompted threats of reprisals and left many Republicans anxious that it could hurt the party’s prospects in November.

The anti-Trump camp needs the backing of 28, or one-quarter, of 112 Convention Rules Committee members to place the issue before the full convention. A Wall Street Journal survey suggests it could be close.

In interviews, 20 members said they are willing to consider allowing delegates to be unbound, while 59 support Mr. Trump. The other 33 panelists couldn’t be reached or didn’t respond to repeated messages.

Others counting votes have their own tallies. Internal surveys of the Rules Committee conducted by RNC member Randy Evans of Georgia, who is trying to help Mr. Trump fend off the insurrection, found at least 18 committee members open to voting to unbind. The Trump campaign’s count shows about 15 leaning toward unbinding, according to people familiar with the campaign.

Kendal Unruh, a Colorado teacher on the committee leading part of the anti-Trump movement, said she has private commitments from more than 30 committee members, but that many aren’t willing to admit so publicly.

All involved in counting votes say those numbers fluctuate day-to-day. If the provision gets the necessary committee votes when the panel meets beginning next Wednesday, it would place the issue before the convention, where it would need 1,237 votes—half the delegates—to pass.

Though a majority of the convention delegates are bound to support Mr. Trump, Mr. Evans’s count shows just about 890 delegates are personally loyal to the New Yorker. Another 680 oppose Mr. Trump. That leaves 900 delegates who are presumed to be “in play,” he said. The stop-Trump forces would have to take nearly two-thirds of them to block his nomination.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/anti-donald ... ?mg=id-wsj

[Guinevere]

You'll be happy to know I'm sharing some of your "free the delegates" posts and info to our local political page. Mostly to annoy someone who is starting a MA for Trump superpac, but also because there are some interesting questions at play.

[Bicycle Bill]

Don't know if you were posting specifically to LJ or if this was to all and sundry, but if you feel any of my posts are suitable for that purpose, go ahead and use them with my blessings.

-"BB"-

[BoSoxGal]

I am very torn about this, to be honest.

On the one hand I very much agree with Guin that the undermining of the Republican primary voters is something that seems very extreme - if I were a Trump voter, I'd be enraged if that happened.

On the other hand, I am terrified at even the slimmest prospect of a Trump presidency - and it seems clear that the ugly Republicans in Congress intend to go after her with all the usual venom regarding 'emailgate', despite the very reasonable and appropriate recommendation of 25 career FBI investigators that she NOT be prosecuted. Apparently they have no respect for the judgment of those civil servants, or FBI Director Comey's judgment either.

We live in interesting times!

Hey, for those of you who enjoy podcasts, please check out Slate's Trumpcast, I just stumbled on it the other day looking for things to listen to while weeding. I started back at episode 1 and even though it was 'old news', the guests interviewed and the humorous bits were well worth hearing. It's a short podcast, great for your commute or lunchtime walk or whatever.

[Big RR]

BSG--I am torn a bit as well, but then I reason that it is the republicans' party, not mine, and their rules are their rules. There is no law that says they must be democratic (small d) in the selection of a candidate (if there were, I don't think the dems could have the anti-democratic superdelegate system, even though it prevents a takeover of the party like this), and I do fear a Trump presidency more than I fear a republican meltdown at the convention).

[Lord Jim]

You'll be happy to know I'm sharing some of your "free the delegates" posts and info to our local political page. Mostly to annoy someone who is starting a MA for Trump superpac, but also because there are some interesting questions at play.

Spread the good word!

[Lord Jim]

I am very torn about this, to be honest.

Oh, so am I...

(Though probably not for the same reasons... )

As I said before, rewriting the nominating rules after the fact, is certainly NOT a habit that a major political party would want to get in to, and a huge political price (at least in terms of the next election) will be paid for doing it...

But I am convinced that an even larger strategic political price will be paid by my party if we have this weaselheaded fucknugget serving as the GOP Presidential standard bearer...

And even if at the end of the day it's not possible to prevent that from happening, it is in the best interest of the GOP that the effort be publicly and loudly made...

We don't have Good Choices here...

Good Choices left the building, hailed a cab, went to the airport and jumped on a plane bound for Parts Unknown long ago in this process...

[Sue U]

So Trump met with Representatives and Senators today and seems to be getting the grudging backing of party leadership (even if Ben Sasse's statement described this election as a "dumpster fire," lols, and Trump threatened to start campaigning against Jeff Flake, who isn't even up for reelection for another two years, double lols). In light of the evident congealing (or coalescing, whatever) of party support for The Presumptive Nominee Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken, where do you really think you're going with this little revolt, Jim?

ETA: After seeing his speech in Cincinnati yesterday, I think the Never-Trumpers would have a legitimate shot at getting him DQ'ed on medical grounds, as he genuinely appears to be suffering some kind of dementia. Sad!

[Econoline]

if I were a Trump voter, I'd be enraged if that happened.

OTOH, the typical Trump supporter is already enraged 24/7 about everyone and everything, so it wouldn't change anything if that happened...

[RayThom]

Psychosis feeds upon itself. Let's hope Drumpf's mind remains hungry for a few more months.

The three warning symptoms:
* Hallucinations
* Disordered thinking
* Delusions

I'm feeling the Donald is struggling with all of the above.

Oh, Mr. Trump, your room is ready.

[Lord Jim]

I have never seen so many tepid, (no, strike that, "ice cold") endorsements of the Party Presidential Nominee in my life time...

Not including the party luminaries that have refused to endorse him at all...(The Governor of Ohio won't be making a traditional Welcoming Speech at the convention even though it's taking place in his state...he's not even going to attend the Convention...maybe Trump can give Mike Tyson his speaking slot... )

And all those who don't want to be seen at his convention...(Including four of the last five Republican Presidential nominees going back to Bush 41...)

Even going back to George McGovern in 1972, I don't think I've ever seen this level of political disownment...

And every time he shows up to make a speech, all the local GOP office holders, (The Governor, the Senator, the Congressman in the District...even lower ranking elected officials...) with rare exceptions, all seem to have some "prior engagement" requiring that they be somewhere else...

[Gob]

That's what you get for having such a loopy candidate selection method.

Your system is...

Now that Conservative MPs have chosen their two leadership candidates, Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom, the party’s members will decide who will be the UK’s next prime minister.

Each of the 150,000 members will have a vote, with the candidates campaigning over the summer.

The result will be announced by 9 September, in time for the Conservative party conference on 2 October, the date David Cameron gave for his successor to be in place when he resigned after the vote to leave the EU.

[Lord Jim]

Regina Thomson, Free the Delegates <updates@freethedelegates.com> Jul 7 at 8:01 AM

Final national conference call!

Jim,

The RNC Convention is quickly approaching. Only ten days until the delegate welcome party kicks off on the Cleveland waterfront.

Join Free The Delegates and Delegates Unbound on Sunday, July 10th at 8:00 pm EDT for our final national conference call.

You'll get updates and breaking news.

Regina Thomson
Executive Director, Free the Delegates

I believe I'll dial in for that...

[RayThom]

FREE THE DELEGATES -- This just in:
Trump loses key court battle!
"This afternoon, in a groundbreaking decision, the courts overturned a Virginia state law that bound delegates to cast their convention votes for the winner of the state's primary."

I wonder how much momentum this will generate between now and next week when the RNC convention gets underway. Keep hope alive.
http://www.freethedelegates.com/trump_l ... edelegates

[Gob]

"This afternoon, in a groundbreaking decision, the courts overturned a Virginia state law that bound delegates to cast their convention votes for the winner of the state's primary."

So you vote, and then the some other people decide who will represent you.

That's democracy folks!!

[oldr_n_wsr]

"This afternoon, in a groundbreaking decision, the courts overturned a Virginia state law that bound delegates to cast their convention votes for the winner of the state's primary."

So you vote, and then the some other people decide who will represent you.

That's democracy folks!!

Both parties are insiders clubs. Both bow to the same "masters" and they are not the American people.