By Sal Bommarito
Surprise! Donald Trump and his minions are adamantly opposed to a contested convention because they say it will be unfair to the leading primary candidate (who will probably be Trump).
Too bad for the Trump people, the current rules of the Republican Convention require the winner to garner 1,237 delegates in the first ballot. If no candidate can reach this level, most delegates will probably be free to vote for whomever they wish in subsequent ballots.
Trump advocates are claiming that the GOP will collapse if the ultimate nominee is not someone currently competing in the primaries. This is clearly nonsense. Abraham Lincoln won the Republican nomination in 1860 at a contested convention. That worked out pretty well for America, and didn’t hurt the Republican Party. Hubert Humphrey was nominated in a contested convention in 1968. He lost the election, but the Democratic Party survived.
Trump has been saying there would be a backlash at a contested convention. Say what? Is Trump threatening to sabotage the GOP by running as an independent, if he is denied ? Or, will he encourage his loyal delegates to riot at the convention and threaten delegates who vote for others?
This is precisely the reason why Trump is unfit to be our president. He can’t deal with anyone who disagrees with his perspectives, and anyone who refuses to kiss his you know what. What’s going to happen when a head of state tells Trump to take a hike? Will Trump put our military on high alert and threaten an invasion?
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. In case you haven’t read the newspaper for the past ten months, there are many organizations and important individuals that are freaking out at the thought of a Trump administration. Some are speaking out publicly and supporting efforts to denigrate Trump.
Wealthy people of all political persuasions are donating millions trying to stymie Trump as he continues to round up more delegates across the country. It could be too little, too late. Some of the conservative PACs include Our Principles PAC and Veterans Against the Deal. Liberal groups that protested in Chicago include the Illinois Coalition of Immigrants and Refugee Rights and La Raza.
Prominent conservatives, such as Erik Erickson, are calling for a Unity Ticket that might include Cruz and Kasich .
Marco Rubio, after suspending his campaign, said that Trump’s nomination “would fracture the party and be damaging to the conservative movement.”
Paul Singer, hedge fund manager, and the Ricketts family said “the real Donald Trump had not been unmasked to the American public.”
Meg Whitman, CEO of Hewlett Packard said “[Trump] was driving an agenda of hate and intolerance.”
And, of course, there is Mitt Romney who said, “Trump belongs on 3 a.m. infomercials, not here (image of the White House).” He also accused Trump of being a fraud.
For anyone who gives a crap about what celebrities say, the list of those that are offended by Trump’s tactics and comments is exhaustive, not surprising because most are ultra-liberals. It includes Jerry Seinfeld, David Letterman, Bob Schieffer (CBS News), Robert DeNiro and Whoopi Goldberg. Corporations that have reacted to Trump include: Univision, Macy*s, NBC and the City of New York.
Donald Trump’s rise to power is a result of a perfect storm. The U.S. economy collapsed. Huge deficits resulted from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The Tea Party arose in 2009-2010. Americans have grown to hate Congress more each year. Terrorist activity has accelerated. Generally, Americans feel like they have lost control of their lives.
Along comes Donald Trump, and he plays upon America’s vulnerability. He declares that he alone can make America great again. But, what’s this based upon? His experience? No. His diplomacy? No. His demeanor and ability to relate to others? No. You just gotta believe him without reservation. How many suckers have believed Trump in the past? Plenty, I’ll bet.
The situation has reached DEFCON 1. Trump is going to get the Republican nomination unless Americans voting in the upcoming primaries stand up and fight back. If this does not happen, the best we can hope for is that Trump loses in November. The worst outcome is that he becomes president for four years.