Monday, July 11, 2016

The July Surprise: Could Republicans really Dump Trump in Cleveland?

Donald Trump, a showman and untested political leader, appears to have the Republican presidential nomination sewn up. How does that make us feel? To quote Trump on Twitter: Sad!
But don't rule out a surprise twist in what has been the most confounding and discouraging campaign season of our time. There remains a chance Republican delegates to the convention in Cleveland will be freed of their obligation to support Trump and permitted — as conservative writer William Kristol put it — to vote their conscience. How are we feeling now? Slightly hopeful.
Thursday's Wall Street Journal reported in detail on the movement among some Republican leaders to change the rules and open the convention to a new nominating contest, even though Trump secured enough delegates to win in the first round. It's all about persuading party faithful to recognize that Trump's divisive political style and worrisomely unorthodox approach to running for president require a second vetting. From the Journal's news story: "It's a long shot, but by some counts (the anti-Trump forces) are remarkably close to getting past the first hurdle next week in Cleveland."
The process would work this way: When the party rules committee meets ahead of the July 18-21 convention, Trump dissenters and skeptics will seek a vote on a change that would allow Trump-committed delegates to support whomever they want. The measure would need the support of 28 rules committee members — that's one-quarter the total of 112 — to pass. The Journal says it found 20 members ready to consider the idea, plus 33 more whose views could not be determined. Other sources cited by the Journal say there are as few as 15 or possibly more than 30 members who like the idea of unshackling delegates.
Reat the rest of this Chicago Tribune editorial HERE.

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