It is anybody’s guess what will occur at the Republican National Convention.
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“That effort has been hijacked at the last stages tonight by those who may use it for divisive purposes or for an agenda”, Matheson said.
Allied with other groups like Free the Delegates, they face a GOP establishment determined to prevent a toppling of the presumptive nominee – or any embarrassing, nationally televised showdowns during the four-day convention.
Besides a growing “whip” vote-counting operation, one official said the Trump campaign has assigned sympathetic delegates to ride herd on specific rebels in an effort to communicate and keep tabs on them.
“A primary vote is not a primary vote, and I’m sorry that you’ve had school curriculum that taught that”, she said.
Delegates and operatives working with the American Unity Fund, a pro-LGBT GOP issues advocacy group with the support of billionaire Paul Singer, were circulating petitions here in an effort to convince at least 28 members of the convention Platform Committee to sign off on a so-called “minority report” – a maneuver that would guarantee floor time for debate at the full convention next week. If they allow themselves to be compromised and deny him the candidacy, they not only will hand over the presidency to Hillary Clinton but also will all but guarantee the demise of the Republican Party.
Priebus spoke the afternoon before the party’s Rules Committee is set to meet starting Thursday.
“This is going in only one direction, so that the platform committee of the GOP hasn’t caught up with it yet is unfortunate”, Dickerson told CNN. Since it became clear that Trump had secured enough delegates to win the nomination, there have been concerns about the potential for violent clashes between his supporters and groups in opposition during the convention.
The dissidents say they’ve enrolled parliamentarians and lawyers to help demand roll call votes, recounts of how delegates are voting and other steps that might turn the convention into an embarrassing, televised battle.
But Ryan has also argued that, for all his faults, Trump would be a better President than Clinton as he tries to fight off Democrats hoping to seize back the Senate and winnow away his House majority.
If they do, said Unruh, “It will be on worldwide TV that they ignored” the rebels and their interpretation of party rules.
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A remark from Dickerson about returning to the “21st century” prompted 22-year-old Virginia delegate Tommy Valentine to fire back.
