[h=6]- APRIL 22, 2016 -[/h][h=1]THE COMING DELEGATE REALITY SHOW: ‘YOU’RE DISQUALIFIED!’[/h]Bloomberg Politics
At the Republican National Committee meeting in Hollywood, Florida, this week, the GOP’s Rules Committee, charged with determining the party’s governing procedures, has been the focus of most of the attention.
Meanwhile, the secretive Contests Committee met behind closed doors. The party won’t even release the names of its members yet. But come mid-June, when skirmishing in advance of a possible contested convention will be at its height, the nine-member body will be at the center of the battle.
This is because the Contests Committee is the first stop in changing delegate counts post facto. It can, based on its view of irregularities in the selection process, advise that entire slates of delegates be sent home, expunging them from a candidate’s total. It’s where Donald Trump’s charges of unfairness in the delegation selection process will first be litigated. If Trump falls short of the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the presidential nomination, those delegate complaints, often referred to as “credentials challenges,” could be part of the New York mogul’s playbook for beating Ted Cruz on a second or third convention ballot.
If needed, the Contests Committee issues opinions on the delegate selection proceedings at events like the state GOP convention in Maine, which begins Friday. At Maine's 2012 GOP convention, Mitt Romney forces, aided by a Contests Committee recommendation on supposed balloting irregularities, discounted a slate of Ron Paul delegates—about half of the state’s entire delegation—even though Paul had won 21 out of 23 delegate slots. “From my experience with the process, it does seem to me that the facts of the case are far less important than who’s in the position to make the decision,” said Eric Brakey, a 2012 Maine delegate who was sent home shortly after arriving in Tampa.
The campaigns' preparations for this struggle are already well underway. This week, Paul Manafort, a veteran political operative who Trump recruited this month partly because of Manafort's contested-convention experience—he worked for Gerald Ford’s campaign in 1976—hired William McGinley, a Republican political attorney, to advise the campaign on possible challenges to the credentials of delegates.
“We’ll be filing protests,” Manafort said Sunday in an interview with ABC’s This Week. “Missouri, we’re going to be filing protests. Colorado, we’re going to be filing protests.”
The process by which national delegates are selected at local caucuses and conventions is a gauntlet of thorny bureaucratic hurdles that make clerical and procedural errors easy to make, especially in election years that draw first-time activists. The legitimacy of delegates can be challenged for any number of reasons, but most arise from voting irregularities at the state conventions—sloppy paperwork, miscounted ballots, a chair who ignores the rules, or any reason to doubt that people in the room selecting delegates were authorized to be there.
“We did dozens of interviews, going back to previous caucus and conventions to learn what happened, so we could have a process that is iron clad,” said Jason Savage, the executive director of the Maine GOP.
This year, states have to certify their delegates by June 13. All challenges must be filed with the RNC five days later, allowing the Cruz and Trump campaigns to see how the rest of the contest shakes out before starting legal proceedings. The RNC Contests Committee’s delegate recommendations will be considered in July by a convention credentials committee, made up of two delegates from each state and territory, the week before Cleveland. Whichever candidate has the most delegates on this committee will have the advantage, but ultimately, the final decision is made by a full convention floor vote.
Since challenges often result from human error, the states most susceptible to credentials challenges are those that do not hold statewide primaries, but instead make their presidential picks through more chaotic and unpredictable caucuses or conventions. There are 16 such states and territories, with more than 400 delegates between them. Trump has only won four, half as many as Cruz, making them ripe for challenges that could benefit the front-runner.
Credentialing fights have shaped presidential races before. At the 1952 Republican convention, neither Dwight Eisenhower or Robert Taft walked in with enough delegates to clinch the nomination. Eisenhower’s campaign, however, had challenged Taft’s delegates in several states. A convention-floor rules battle eventually blocked those questioned delegates from voting on their own credentials, ensuring an Eisenhower victory.
In 2012, Maine was one of several states where delegates were challenged, but it was by far the most dramatic. The trouble started when Paul’s campaign elected one of their supporters as chair of the state convention, frustrating state party leaders and the Romney campaign. From there, a series of floor fights and balloting problems dragged on throughout the convention. The complaint that booted Brakey and others from Tampa cited problems with lax floor security, ballot counting confusion, and concerns about an absence of a quorum when certain votes were taken. “One delegate was surprised to see someone wearing his wife’s credentials at the Convention, considering his wife never came to the convention,” said Romney's campaign challenge, which was upheld by an RNC Contests Committee and the national convention's Committee on Credentials.
In the end, 10 pro-Paul delegates, who had already booked airfare and hotel accommodations on their own dime, were replaced with Romney supporters, a decision that led Maine Governor Paul LePage to boycott the convention in protest.
Now the convention, starting Friday at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, is expected to be a struggle between Trump and Cruz. LePage was an early Trump endorser, and retains significant sway in the state’s politics. But Cruz has flexed more organizational muscles on the ground—he won the state caucuses on March 5 with about 46 percent the vote, giving him 12 of the state’s 23 delegates on the first ballot. Nine will vote for Trump; two go to Ohio Governor John Kasich for finishing third. A couple hundred people are expected to seek delegate positions for 20 spots this weekend in a fight that will pit grassroots verses the governor.
“People have their own convictions and the traditional coalitions haven’t really coalesced like they normally would,” said Savage, nodding to an air of unpredictability at the convention. “But if there’s one thing you can count on is people listen to the governor.”
Former rivals-turned-surrogates will be on hand. Carly Fiorina will be speaking from the convention stage for Cruz, and Trump supporter Ben Carson will give the keynote speech Friday night.
“I expect it will be pretty drama filled, as it has been in the past,” said Lance Dutson, a GOP strategist in the state. “The stakes are higher. It could be quite a show.”
Trump’s rage at the delegate-selection process—the “rigged system,” in his words—has been a prominent feature of his campaign in the past month. The Contests Committee will be where he first seeks redress.
“Post-New York primary, we’re more confident than ever that we’ll win on the first ballot, but we are going to keep our options open on these challenges,” said Barry Bennett, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, who said if Trump reaches 1,237 delegates then there’s no need to bother filing challenges. “We haven’t made any decisions yet, but we certainly have some legitimate beefs.”
In March, Trump threatened to lodge a formal complaint with the RNC over the delegate allocation process in Louisiana, where he won the popular vote but was out-hustled at the state convention by the Cruz campaign, which may receive more delegates than Trump in the state. Bennett said Trump’s team was left out of a closed meeting to select delegates to the convention committees that will write the party rules before Cleveland.
In Colorado, which held its convention earlier this month, Trump’s campaign blamed the state party for ballot misprints, among other issues, that they said made electing their delegates more difficult. Since Cruz won most of the delegates in Colorado, any changes to the slate would favor Trump.
“Whenever you have a contest as uncertain as this one is, it would be surprising if there weren't procedural disagreements and arguments that rules were not being adhered to,” said Thomas Balch, a parliamentarian who served at Maine’s 2012 state convention. This year, he’s been advising local party leaders on how to bulletproof their conventions so that delegations don’t get caught in the political crossfire.
Last weekend, Balch served as a parliamentarian at Virginia’s 10th Congressional District convention, where eight local delegates were deemed ineligible to move on to the national convention because they had supported independent candidates in a previous election, which under party rules disqualifies them from being a Republican delegate for a period of time.
“I was specifically told by the [convention] chair that in other years when it was clear who the nominee was going to be, they would have probably not been as rigorous in enforcing the rules,” Balch said. “But this year, it was specifically important to make sure that every thing was done in accordance of the rules out of fear of a challenge.”
Balch said parliamentarians are in high demand everywhere this cycle, as campaigns and party leaders look for someone to review local and state delegate selection meetings for any sign that rules had been violated. “It's extremely easy to make mistakes,” he said. “If you don't know the rules, someone who does can run circles around you.”
At the Republican National Committee meeting in Hollywood, Florida, this week, the GOP’s Rules Committee, charged with determining the party’s governing procedures, has been the focus of most of the attention.
Meanwhile, the secretive Contests Committee met behind closed doors. The party won’t even release the names of its members yet. But come mid-June, when skirmishing in advance of a possible contested convention will be at its height, the nine-member body will be at the center of the battle.
This is because the Contests Committee is the first stop in changing delegate counts post facto. It can, based on its view of irregularities in the selection process, advise that entire slates of delegates be sent home, expunging them from a candidate’s total. It’s where Donald Trump’s charges of unfairness in the delegation selection process will first be litigated. If Trump falls short of the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the presidential nomination, those delegate complaints, often referred to as “credentials challenges,” could be part of the New York mogul’s playbook for beating Ted Cruz on a second or third convention ballot.
If needed, the Contests Committee issues opinions on the delegate selection proceedings at events like the state GOP convention in Maine, which begins Friday. At Maine's 2012 GOP convention, Mitt Romney forces, aided by a Contests Committee recommendation on supposed balloting irregularities, discounted a slate of Ron Paul delegates—about half of the state’s entire delegation—even though Paul had won 21 out of 23 delegate slots. “From my experience with the process, it does seem to me that the facts of the case are far less important than who’s in the position to make the decision,” said Eric Brakey, a 2012 Maine delegate who was sent home shortly after arriving in Tampa.
The campaigns' preparations for this struggle are already well underway. This week, Paul Manafort, a veteran political operative who Trump recruited this month partly because of Manafort's contested-convention experience—he worked for Gerald Ford’s campaign in 1976—hired William McGinley, a Republican political attorney, to advise the campaign on possible challenges to the credentials of delegates.
“We’ll be filing protests,” Manafort said Sunday in an interview with ABC’s This Week. “Missouri, we’re going to be filing protests. Colorado, we’re going to be filing protests.”
The process by which national delegates are selected at local caucuses and conventions is a gauntlet of thorny bureaucratic hurdles that make clerical and procedural errors easy to make, especially in election years that draw first-time activists. The legitimacy of delegates can be challenged for any number of reasons, but most arise from voting irregularities at the state conventions—sloppy paperwork, miscounted ballots, a chair who ignores the rules, or any reason to doubt that people in the room selecting delegates were authorized to be there.
“We did dozens of interviews, going back to previous caucus and conventions to learn what happened, so we could have a process that is iron clad,” said Jason Savage, the executive director of the Maine GOP.
This year, states have to certify their delegates by June 13. All challenges must be filed with the RNC five days later, allowing the Cruz and Trump campaigns to see how the rest of the contest shakes out before starting legal proceedings. The RNC Contests Committee’s delegate recommendations will be considered in July by a convention credentials committee, made up of two delegates from each state and territory, the week before Cleveland. Whichever candidate has the most delegates on this committee will have the advantage, but ultimately, the final decision is made by a full convention floor vote.
Since challenges often result from human error, the states most susceptible to credentials challenges are those that do not hold statewide primaries, but instead make their presidential picks through more chaotic and unpredictable caucuses or conventions. There are 16 such states and territories, with more than 400 delegates between them. Trump has only won four, half as many as Cruz, making them ripe for challenges that could benefit the front-runner.
Credentialing fights have shaped presidential races before. At the 1952 Republican convention, neither Dwight Eisenhower or Robert Taft walked in with enough delegates to clinch the nomination. Eisenhower’s campaign, however, had challenged Taft’s delegates in several states. A convention-floor rules battle eventually blocked those questioned delegates from voting on their own credentials, ensuring an Eisenhower victory.
In 2012, Maine was one of several states where delegates were challenged, but it was by far the most dramatic. The trouble started when Paul’s campaign elected one of their supporters as chair of the state convention, frustrating state party leaders and the Romney campaign. From there, a series of floor fights and balloting problems dragged on throughout the convention. The complaint that booted Brakey and others from Tampa cited problems with lax floor security, ballot counting confusion, and concerns about an absence of a quorum when certain votes were taken. “One delegate was surprised to see someone wearing his wife’s credentials at the Convention, considering his wife never came to the convention,” said Romney's campaign challenge, which was upheld by an RNC Contests Committee and the national convention's Committee on Credentials.
In the end, 10 pro-Paul delegates, who had already booked airfare and hotel accommodations on their own dime, were replaced with Romney supporters, a decision that led Maine Governor Paul LePage to boycott the convention in protest.
Now the convention, starting Friday at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, is expected to be a struggle between Trump and Cruz. LePage was an early Trump endorser, and retains significant sway in the state’s politics. But Cruz has flexed more organizational muscles on the ground—he won the state caucuses on March 5 with about 46 percent the vote, giving him 12 of the state’s 23 delegates on the first ballot. Nine will vote for Trump; two go to Ohio Governor John Kasich for finishing third. A couple hundred people are expected to seek delegate positions for 20 spots this weekend in a fight that will pit grassroots verses the governor.
“People have their own convictions and the traditional coalitions haven’t really coalesced like they normally would,” said Savage, nodding to an air of unpredictability at the convention. “But if there’s one thing you can count on is people listen to the governor.”
Former rivals-turned-surrogates will be on hand. Carly Fiorina will be speaking from the convention stage for Cruz, and Trump supporter Ben Carson will give the keynote speech Friday night.
“I expect it will be pretty drama filled, as it has been in the past,” said Lance Dutson, a GOP strategist in the state. “The stakes are higher. It could be quite a show.”
Trump’s rage at the delegate-selection process—the “rigged system,” in his words—has been a prominent feature of his campaign in the past month. The Contests Committee will be where he first seeks redress.
“Post-New York primary, we’re more confident than ever that we’ll win on the first ballot, but we are going to keep our options open on these challenges,” said Barry Bennett, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, who said if Trump reaches 1,237 delegates then there’s no need to bother filing challenges. “We haven’t made any decisions yet, but we certainly have some legitimate beefs.”
In March, Trump threatened to lodge a formal complaint with the RNC over the delegate allocation process in Louisiana, where he won the popular vote but was out-hustled at the state convention by the Cruz campaign, which may receive more delegates than Trump in the state. Bennett said Trump’s team was left out of a closed meeting to select delegates to the convention committees that will write the party rules before Cleveland.
In Colorado, which held its convention earlier this month, Trump’s campaign blamed the state party for ballot misprints, among other issues, that they said made electing their delegates more difficult. Since Cruz won most of the delegates in Colorado, any changes to the slate would favor Trump.
“Whenever you have a contest as uncertain as this one is, it would be surprising if there weren't procedural disagreements and arguments that rules were not being adhered to,” said Thomas Balch, a parliamentarian who served at Maine’s 2012 state convention. This year, he’s been advising local party leaders on how to bulletproof their conventions so that delegations don’t get caught in the political crossfire.
Last weekend, Balch served as a parliamentarian at Virginia’s 10th Congressional District convention, where eight local delegates were deemed ineligible to move on to the national convention because they had supported independent candidates in a previous election, which under party rules disqualifies them from being a Republican delegate for a period of time.
“I was specifically told by the [convention] chair that in other years when it was clear who the nominee was going to be, they would have probably not been as rigorous in enforcing the rules,” Balch said. “But this year, it was specifically important to make sure that every thing was done in accordance of the rules out of fear of a challenge.”
Balch said parliamentarians are in high demand everywhere this cycle, as campaigns and party leaders look for someone to review local and state delegate selection meetings for any sign that rules had been violated. “It's extremely easy to make mistakes,” he said. “If you don't know the rules, someone who does can run circles around you.”
Trump outplays the RNC. Reince Priebus finally submits.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus wants Republicans to unite around the eventual nominee, disregarding the sentiment expressed by the coalition of conservatives who have vowed to never support Donald Trump.
“It is essential to victory in November that we all support our candidate,” Priebus said during his address to the RNC’s Spring Meeting in Florida this morning. “Politics is a team sport and we can’t win unless we rally around whoever becomes our nominee.”
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus wants Republicans to unite around the eventual nominee, disregarding the sentiment expressed by the coalition of conservatives who have vowed to never support Donald Trump.
“It is essential to victory in November that we all support our candidate,” Priebus said during his address to the RNC’s Spring Meeting in Florida this morning. “Politics is a team sport and we can’t win unless we rally around whoever becomes our nominee.”
You just can’t stop The Donald!
Pope Frances disses Trump and his popularity rises.
The Pope’s harsh words for Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump last February seem not to have hurt the candidate’s popularity among Catholics, which actually increased by more than 20% since the pontiff’s unfortunate remarks.
According to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, during the 50 days prior to the Pope’s suggestion on Feb. 18 that Trump is “not a Christian,” his popularity among Catholic Republicans averaged just 39.8 percent, whereas in the 50 days since that date his support has shot up to an average of 47.9 percent, an increase of 20.4 percent.
Pope Frances disses Trump and his popularity rises.
The Pope’s harsh words for Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump last February seem not to have hurt the candidate’s popularity among Catholics, which actually increased by more than 20% since the pontiff’s unfortunate remarks.
According to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, during the 50 days prior to the Pope’s suggestion on Feb. 18 that Trump is “not a Christian,” his popularity among Catholic Republicans averaged just 39.8 percent, whereas in the 50 days since that date his support has shot up to an average of 47.9 percent, an increase of 20.4 percent.
Capitalism bets Socialism every time.
Self-identifying socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders spent $9 per vote in the New York Democratic primary, while Republican businessman Donald Trump only spent 13 cents per vote, according to the New York Post.
Trump shelled out roughly $67,000 on radio campaign advertisements in the Empire state, while Sanders spent more than $6.8 million on radio and television advertisements.
Hillary Clinton, who defeated Sanders in New York, spent roughly $3.8 million on advertisements, averaging about $3.82 per vote.
Will it matter to his mindless sheep? Not one bit. Cult members never see things as they are, only how they've been brainwashed to see them:
Trump Aide: Candidate Is Playing a Part
Rival Ted Cruz says comments prove that it's all an act by the GOP front-runner.
[COLOR=#999999 !important]By Kenneth T. Walsh | Contributor April 22, 2016, at 7:34 a.m.[/COLOR]
Trump Aide: Candidate Is Playing a Part
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop in Buffalo, N.Y., on April 18, 2016. John Minchillo/AP
RELATED CONTENT
The Trump Persona
Donald Trump has been playing "a part" as a boisterous, angry, insult-spewing outsider but he will soften his persona for the general electorate if he wins the Republican presidential nomination, says a top adviser to Trump.
Longtime Republican strategist Paul Manafort's comments were designed to assure GOP party leaders, meeting in Hollywood, Florida, that Trump won't continue to alienate key blocs of voters. Manafort's immediate concern is anti-Trump feeling among Republican party leaders and activists whom the real-estate developer has repeatedly attacked for supposedly rigging the delegate-selection system to deny him the nomination.
Manafort, a longtime GOP strategist and lobbyist who was recently hired as a senior Trump adviser, told members of the Republican National Committee Thursday night that Trump realizes he needs to change his persona. "That's what's important for you to understand: That he gets it, and that the part he's been playing is evolving," Manafort said.
However, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Trump, the GOP front-runner, was still playing the tough-guy part. He told a rally Thursday that the delegate-selection system is "rigged" and "crooked," according to CNN. And he declared that he was capable of acting more "presidential" but "I just don't know if I want to do it yet."
[OPINION: Republican Party May Hate Ted Cruz More Than They Fear Donald Trump]
There are serious problems with Manafort's "two Trumps" explanation. He has given Trump critics another issue to bludgeon him with--that he is a phony. His critics say he isn't a genuine conservative; he can't be trusted to hold consistent positions, and he is only saying and doing what he thinks will propel his candidacy. This fits in with a critique of Trump which opposition Democrats are expected to underscore, that as a former reality television star (host of "The Apprentice") he is basing his campaign largely on a cult of personality and not firm or reliable stands on the issues.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Trump's main rival for the nomination, jumped on Manafort's comments. Cruz said on "The Mark Levin Show" Thursday night, "He's telling us he's lying to us. What his campaign manager says – you look at what his campaign manager is telling us: This is just an act. This is just a show. ... When he talks about anything, it's all an act and a show."
"Donald is a New York liberal who is pretending to be a conservative to try to fool Republican primary voters, "Cruz added.
RELATED CONTENT
The New Donald
Manafort said, "The negatives are going to come down, the image is going to change, but [Democratic front-runner Hillary] Clintonis still going to be crooked Hillary." He said Clinton's negative ratings with the public are caused by "character" issues while Trump's are caused by "personality" concerns, which are more easily fixed.
Manafort made his comments in private but an attendee taped him and shared the recording with The New York Times. The Associated Press, Washington Post and NBC News also obtained audio recordings.
NBC reported that Manafort said of Trump, "When he's sitting in a room, he's talking business, he's talking politics in a private room, it's a different persona. When he's out on the stage, when he's talking about the kinds of things he's talking about on the stump, he's projecting an image that's for that purpose."
[DECISION 2016: U.S. News Covers the Race to the White House]
He also said Trump will now work with the same establishment Republican forces he has been attacking for installing a "corrupt" nominating system. "He gave us the mandate to bring together a team of professionals that could finish the job for him, but could also then begin to link in with the establishment institutions that are part of our party, what you represent, what the state parties represent," Manafort told the RNC members. "We've started all those conversations. ... He cares about the united team."
Trump surrogates told RNC members that Trump would be a strong general election candidate and be competitive in states that Republican presidential candidates have lost in recent years, such as Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota and Delaware, and in swing states such as Florida and Colorado.
Trump Aide: Candidate Is Playing a Part
Rival Ted Cruz says comments prove that it's all an act by the GOP front-runner.
[COLOR=#999999 !important]By Kenneth T. Walsh | Contributor April 22, 2016, at 7:34 a.m.[/COLOR]
Trump Aide: Candidate Is Playing a Part
RELATED CONTENT
The Trump PersonaDonald Trump has been playing "a part" as a boisterous, angry, insult-spewing outsider but he will soften his persona for the general electorate if he wins the Republican presidential nomination, says a top adviser to Trump.
Longtime Republican strategist Paul Manafort's comments were designed to assure GOP party leaders, meeting in Hollywood, Florida, that Trump won't continue to alienate key blocs of voters. Manafort's immediate concern is anti-Trump feeling among Republican party leaders and activists whom the real-estate developer has repeatedly attacked for supposedly rigging the delegate-selection system to deny him the nomination.
Manafort, a longtime GOP strategist and lobbyist who was recently hired as a senior Trump adviser, told members of the Republican National Committee Thursday night that Trump realizes he needs to change his persona. "That's what's important for you to understand: That he gets it, and that the part he's been playing is evolving," Manafort said.
However, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Trump, the GOP front-runner, was still playing the tough-guy part. He told a rally Thursday that the delegate-selection system is "rigged" and "crooked," according to CNN. And he declared that he was capable of acting more "presidential" but "I just don't know if I want to do it yet."
[OPINION: Republican Party May Hate Ted Cruz More Than They Fear Donald Trump]
There are serious problems with Manafort's "two Trumps" explanation. He has given Trump critics another issue to bludgeon him with--that he is a phony. His critics say he isn't a genuine conservative; he can't be trusted to hold consistent positions, and he is only saying and doing what he thinks will propel his candidacy. This fits in with a critique of Trump which opposition Democrats are expected to underscore, that as a former reality television star (host of "The Apprentice") he is basing his campaign largely on a cult of personality and not firm or reliable stands on the issues.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Trump's main rival for the nomination, jumped on Manafort's comments. Cruz said on "The Mark Levin Show" Thursday night, "He's telling us he's lying to us. What his campaign manager says – you look at what his campaign manager is telling us: This is just an act. This is just a show. ... When he talks about anything, it's all an act and a show."
"Donald is a New York liberal who is pretending to be a conservative to try to fool Republican primary voters, "Cruz added.
RELATED CONTENT
The New DonaldManafort said, "The negatives are going to come down, the image is going to change, but [Democratic front-runner Hillary] Clintonis still going to be crooked Hillary." He said Clinton's negative ratings with the public are caused by "character" issues while Trump's are caused by "personality" concerns, which are more easily fixed.
Manafort made his comments in private but an attendee taped him and shared the recording with The New York Times. The Associated Press, Washington Post and NBC News also obtained audio recordings.
NBC reported that Manafort said of Trump, "When he's sitting in a room, he's talking business, he's talking politics in a private room, it's a different persona. When he's out on the stage, when he's talking about the kinds of things he's talking about on the stump, he's projecting an image that's for that purpose."
[DECISION 2016: U.S. News Covers the Race to the White House]
He also said Trump will now work with the same establishment Republican forces he has been attacking for installing a "corrupt" nominating system. "He gave us the mandate to bring together a team of professionals that could finish the job for him, but could also then begin to link in with the establishment institutions that are part of our party, what you represent, what the state parties represent," Manafort told the RNC members. "We've started all those conversations. ... He cares about the united team."
Trump surrogates told RNC members that Trump would be a strong general election candidate and be competitive in states that Republican presidential candidates have lost in recent years, such as Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota and Delaware, and in swing states such as Florida and Colorado.
Will it matter to his mindless sheep? Not one bit. Cult members never see things as they are, only how they've been brainwashed to see them:
Trump Aide: Candidate Is Playing a Part
Rival Ted Cruz says comments prove that it's all an act by the GOP front-runner.
[COLOR=#999999 !important]By Kenneth T. Walsh | Contributor April 22, 2016, at 7:34 a.m.[/COLOR]
Trump Aide: Candidate Is Playing a Part
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop in Buffalo, N.Y., on April 18, 2016. John Minchillo/AP
RELATED CONTENT
Donald Trump has been playing "a part" as a boisterous, angry, insult-spewing outsider but he will soften his persona for the general electorate if he wins the Republican presidential nomination, says a top adviser to Trump.
Longtime Republican strategist Paul Manafort's comments were designed to assure GOP party leaders, meeting in Hollywood, Florida, that Trump won't continue to alienate key blocs of voters. Manafort's immediate concern is anti-Trump feeling among Republican party leaders and activists whom the real-estate developer has repeatedly attacked for supposedly rigging the delegate-selection system to deny him the nomination.
Manafort, a longtime GOP strategist and lobbyist who was recently hired as a senior Trump adviser, told members of the Republican National Committee Thursday night that Trump realizes he needs to change his persona. "That's what's important for you to understand: That he gets it, and that the part he's been playing is evolving," Manafort said.
However, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Trump, the GOP front-runner, was still playing the tough-guy part. He told a rally Thursday that the delegate-selection system is "rigged" and "crooked," according to CNN. And he declared that he was capable of acting more "presidential" but "I just don't know if I want to do it yet."
[OPINION: Republican Party May Hate Ted Cruz More Than They Fear Donald Trump]
There are serious problems with Manafort's "two Trumps" explanation. He has given Trump critics another issue to bludgeon him with--that he is a phony. His critics say he isn't a genuine conservative; he can't be trusted to hold consistent positions, and he is only saying and doing what he thinks will propel his candidacy. This fits in with a critique of Trump which opposition Democrats are expected to underscore, that as a former reality television star (host of "The Apprentice") he is basing his campaign largely on a cult of personality and not firm or reliable stands on the issues.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Trump's main rival for the nomination, jumped on Manafort's comments. Cruz said on "The Mark Levin Show" Thursday night, "He's telling us he's lying to us. What his campaign manager says – you look at what his campaign manager is telling us: This is just an act. This is just a show. ... When he talks about anything, it's all an act and a show."
"Donald is a New York liberal who is pretending to be a conservative to try to fool Republican primary voters, "Cruz added.
RELATED CONTENT
Manafort said, "The negatives are going to come down, the image is going to change, but [Democratic front-runner Hillary] Clintonis still going to be crooked Hillary." He said Clinton's negative ratings with the public are caused by "character" issues while Trump's are caused by "personality" concerns, which are more easily fixed.
Manafort made his comments in private but an attendee taped him and shared the recording with The New York Times. The Associated Press, Washington Post and NBC News also obtained audio recordings.
NBC reported that Manafort said of Trump, "When he's sitting in a room, he's talking business, he's talking politics in a private room, it's a different persona. When he's out on the stage, when he's talking about the kinds of things he's talking about on the stump, he's projecting an image that's for that purpose."
[DECISION 2016: U.S. News Covers the Race to the White House]
He also said Trump will now work with the same establishment Republican forces he has been attacking for installing a "corrupt" nominating system. "He gave us the mandate to bring together a team of professionals that could finish the job for him, but could also then begin to link in with the establishment institutions that are part of our party, what you represent, what the state parties represent," Manafort told the RNC members. "We've started all those conversations. ... He cares about the united team."
Trump surrogates told RNC members that Trump would be a strong general election candidate and be competitive in states that Republican presidential candidates have lost in recent years, such as Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota and Delaware, and in swing states such as Florida and Colorado.
Ahhh, it was all an ACT! So, what you're saying, Donald, is that you're not really an obnoxious, bigoted, lunatic, you've just been lying through your teeth to appear as one. Waaay better. Glad you cleared that up...
ointer:cheersgifWe like our obnoxious bigoted lunatic....Shows character....Next President of US....I think your just jealous Duhfinch...If youre so perfect why dont you run unamerican lowlife dumbphuck?Ahhh, it was all an ACT! So, what you're saying, Donald, is that you're not really an obnoxious, bigoted, lunatic, you've just been lying through your teeth to appear as one. Waaay better. Glad you cleared that up...
:laughingb:Countdown[h=6]- APRIL 22, 2016 -[/h][h=1]DONALD J. TRUMP TO SPEAK ON FOREIGN POLICY AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB IN WASHINGTON, D.C.[/h](New York, NY) April 22 – Today Donald J. Trump announced he has accepted an invitation from The National Interest Magazine, and its parent institution, The Center for the National Interest, to address the organization at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, April 27 at 12:00 p.m.
Mr. Trump stated, “I am honored to be invited to speak at an organization founded by former President Richard Nixon, and look forward to sharing my views on the many serious foreign policy issues facing our country and our allies around the world. Trade, immigration and security policies are critical concerns of all Americans, and we must develop a clear, consistent long-term foreign policy for making America safe and prosperous.”
Mr. Dimitri Simes, the President of the Center for the National Interest and Publisher of the magazine commented, “We are delighted to have Mr. Trump share his views on key global policies at such an important time during the 2016 presidential race. Engaging the foreign policy community and top experts is essential for the United States to develop an effective foreign policy agenda, and we applaud Mr. Trump for his commitment to this important arena.”
The Center was established by former President Richard Nixon to serve as a voice for strategic realism in U.S. foreign policy. The Center seeks to stimulate debate and promote public understanding of U.S. foreign policy and international affairs.
Mr. Trump’s speech will focus on several critical foreign policy issues facing our nation including global trade, and economic and national security policies. The event will be presided over by The Honorable Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Afghanistan and Iraq, and an Advisory Council Member of the Center for the National Interest.
Mr. Trump stated, “I am honored to be invited to speak at an organization founded by former President Richard Nixon, and look forward to sharing my views on the many serious foreign policy issues facing our country and our allies around the world. Trade, immigration and security policies are critical concerns of all Americans, and we must develop a clear, consistent long-term foreign policy for making America safe and prosperous.”
Mr. Dimitri Simes, the President of the Center for the National Interest and Publisher of the magazine commented, “We are delighted to have Mr. Trump share his views on key global policies at such an important time during the 2016 presidential race. Engaging the foreign policy community and top experts is essential for the United States to develop an effective foreign policy agenda, and we applaud Mr. Trump for his commitment to this important arena.”
The Center was established by former President Richard Nixon to serve as a voice for strategic realism in U.S. foreign policy. The Center seeks to stimulate debate and promote public understanding of U.S. foreign policy and international affairs.
Mr. Trump’s speech will focus on several critical foreign policy issues facing our nation including global trade, and economic and national security policies. The event will be presided over by The Honorable Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Afghanistan and Iraq, and an Advisory Council Member of the Center for the National Interest.
Pennsylvania Primary Delegate Guide
Posted Thursday, April 21st 2016 @ 3pm by Hannity.com Staff
Pennsylvania is rarely a factor in the GOP presidential primary race considering it's late date in the primary season. However, due to the close nature of this year's delegate count the commonwealth is poised to play a critical roll in deciding who will carry the Republican standard into the election.
A total of 71 delegates will be sent to the convention in July, three unbound delegates for each of Pennsylvania's 18 congressional districts, as well as 17 extra delegates—including the state party chairman, Rob Gleason, Pennsylvania's two national GOP committee members and 14 picked in May by party leaders—who are required to vote for the winner of Pennsylvania's statewide primary election on the first convention ballot.
Since only 17 of the 71 delegates are required to vote for the winner of the statewide vote, the statewide vote is largely meaningless.
On a district level, a total of 162 people who are running to be a GOP convention delegate will be on Pennsylvania's primary ballot. They are unbound and, in many cases, fairly anonymous individuals. Without having done research ahead of time, it is possible for a Pennsylvania voter to vote for Ted Cruz in the state-wide election, and vote for delegates who will vote for Trump or Kasich at the convention.
As a public service, Hannity.com is providing a guide for Pennsylvania voters. Find your district below to learn who each delegate candidate plans on supporting.
—Note: We have not been able to reach every delegate candidate. We will update this list as we receive new information.
1st District – Philadelphia
Uncommitted: Christopher Vogler, Seth Kaufer
Could not be reached: Dave Hackett
2nd District – Philadelphia
Ted Cruz: Aldrik Gessa
Uncommitted: Calvin Tucker
Whoever wins district: Elizabeth Havey
Could not be reached: Aaron Cohen
3rd District – Erie to Butler County
Donald Trump: Jim Keffalas, Dan Vete, Lynne Ryan
Whoever wins district: Gale Measel, Robert Yates
Uncommitted: Phil English, Louis J. Aliota
Could not be reached: Michele Mustello, Brian Ellis, Mike Baker, Daryl Metcalfe
4th District – York County
Ted Cruz: Marilyn Gillispie, G Edwin Matthias
Donald Trump: Matthew Jansen, Marc Scaringi, Joe Sacco
Whoever wins district: Charlie Gerow, Alexander Shorb, Andrew Ritter, Greg Rothman, Stan Saylor, Tim Barker
Statewide winner: Scott Burford, Betsy Hower
Withdrew: Ana Puig
Could not be reached: Amy Sarah Brennan
5th District – Northwestern Pennsylvania
Ted Cruz: Rick Chura, Lyle Stewart, Barry Kroeker
Donald Trump: James Klein, Arnold McClure, Ash Khare
Whoever wins district: Joyce Haas, Sheila Sterrett, Scott Schreffler
6th District – Chester County
Ted Cruz: Mary Wert, Bob Wert
Donald Trump: Wayne Backwater, Vicki Lightcap
Whoever wins district: Ryan Costello, Michelle Kichline, Doug Hager
Statewide: Larry Stohler
Could not be reached: Vicki Lightcap
7th District – Delaware County
Donald Trump: Ralph Wike III, Jan Ting
Whoever wins district: Michael Puppio
Could not be reached: Robert Willert, Joan Miller
8th District – Bucks County
Ted Cruz: Deborah Evangelou
Donald Trump: Barry Casper, Jim Worthington, Sean Shute
Uncommitted: Gene DiGirolamo, Robert Loughery
Could not be reached: Marguerite Quinn
9th District – Blair County
Ted Cruz: Lois Kaneshiki, David Show
Donald Trump: Cody Knotts, Debbie Taylor, Joseph Lamantia
Whoever wins district: Judy Ward
Uncommitted: Bill Shuster, Bob Thomas
10th District – Williamsport/Northeastern Pennsylvania
Ted Cruz: Elizabeth Greenaway (Write-in)
Donald Trump: Carol Sides, Ryan Belz, Tina Pickett, John Wells, Mario Scavello, Mark Stoicheff
Whoever wins district: Charles Brewer, Mark J. Harris, Nancy Schrader, Krystle Bristol
Uncommitted: Mark Holt, Jonathan Hayes, Dave Huffman
Could not be reached: Pat Saylor
11th District – Luzerne County to Dauphin County
Ted Cruz: Dan Mosel, Richard Adams, Carol Drewniak, Lowman Henry, Tom Pyne
Donald Trump: Rick Morelli, David McElwee, Marlene Loose, Andrew Shecktor (will review that position if neither the district nor state selects Trump)
Uncommitted: Philip Bear (leaning Cruz)
Whoever wins district: Sue Helm
Could not be reached: Jeff Haste (both listed on Cruz slate), Rebecca Warren, Don Sherwood, Bill Urbanski
12th District – Johnstown to Beaver County
Ted Cruz: Jeff Steigerwald, Bruce Keeler, Larry Borland
Donald Trump: Gabriel Keller, Joseph Sernell, James Vasilko, Monica Morrill
Whoever wins district: Sam Miclot, Mike McMullen, Robert Howard, Dave Majernik, Jill Cooper.
Could not be reached: L Roger Valente, Christopher Fromme, Michele Trevorrow
13th District – Montgomery County/Northeast Philly
Ted Cruz: Michael McMonagle
Donald Trump: Gilbert Cox, Lauren Casper, Tom Ellis
Whoever wins district: Shannon Oscar
Uncommitted: Pam Levy
Could not be reached: Alan Apt
14th District - Pittsburgh
Uncommitted: Mike DeVanney, Cameron Linton, Mary Ann Meloy
15th District – Lehigh County/Parts of Northampton County
Ted Cruz: Mark Hoffman, Malcolm Cole, Dean Browning, Christian Leinbach
Donald Trump: John K. Reber Sr., Patrick Kerwin, Scott Uehlinger
Whoever wins district: William Heydt
Uncommitted: Robert E Smith Jr., Ryan Mackenzie
16th District – Lancaster County
Ted Cruz: Doug Brubaker
Donald Trump: Marc Lemon
Whoever wins district: David Dumeyer, Terry Christopher
Uncommitted: Gordon Denlinger
Could not be reached: Thomas Chiomento
17th District – Scranton to Schuylkill County
Ted Cruz: Ron Boltz, Joel Underwood (Write-in)
Donald Trump: T Lynette Villano, George Blauer, Gloria Lee Snover, Carolyn Bonkoski, Theresa Gaffney
Whoever wins district: Robert Ames, George Halcovage, Thomas Whitehead
Uncommitted: Mary Beth Dougherty, Charlie Kirkwood (soliciting responses from district residents on hiswebsite to guide his decision)
18th District – Southwestern Pennsylvania
Ted Cruz: Sue Means, Jim Means
Donald Trump: Justin DePlato, John Petrarca, Thomas Uram
Whoever wins district: Scott Avolio, Rick Saccone, Mary Jo Silvis, Al Quaye
Could not be reached: Virginia Strain, Chuck Konkus
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Posted Thursday, April 21st 2016 @ 3pm by Hannity.com Staff
Pennsylvania is rarely a factor in the GOP presidential primary race considering it's late date in the primary season. However, due to the close nature of this year's delegate count the commonwealth is poised to play a critical roll in deciding who will carry the Republican standard into the election.
A total of 71 delegates will be sent to the convention in July, three unbound delegates for each of Pennsylvania's 18 congressional districts, as well as 17 extra delegates—including the state party chairman, Rob Gleason, Pennsylvania's two national GOP committee members and 14 picked in May by party leaders—who are required to vote for the winner of Pennsylvania's statewide primary election on the first convention ballot.
Since only 17 of the 71 delegates are required to vote for the winner of the statewide vote, the statewide vote is largely meaningless.
On a district level, a total of 162 people who are running to be a GOP convention delegate will be on Pennsylvania's primary ballot. They are unbound and, in many cases, fairly anonymous individuals. Without having done research ahead of time, it is possible for a Pennsylvania voter to vote for Ted Cruz in the state-wide election, and vote for delegates who will vote for Trump or Kasich at the convention.
As a public service, Hannity.com is providing a guide for Pennsylvania voters. Find your district below to learn who each delegate candidate plans on supporting.
—Note: We have not been able to reach every delegate candidate. We will update this list as we receive new information.
1st District – Philadelphia
Uncommitted: Christopher Vogler, Seth Kaufer
Could not be reached: Dave Hackett
2nd District – Philadelphia
Ted Cruz: Aldrik Gessa
Uncommitted: Calvin Tucker
Whoever wins district: Elizabeth Havey
Could not be reached: Aaron Cohen
3rd District – Erie to Butler County
Donald Trump: Jim Keffalas, Dan Vete, Lynne Ryan
Whoever wins district: Gale Measel, Robert Yates
Uncommitted: Phil English, Louis J. Aliota
Could not be reached: Michele Mustello, Brian Ellis, Mike Baker, Daryl Metcalfe
4th District – York County
Ted Cruz: Marilyn Gillispie, G Edwin Matthias
Donald Trump: Matthew Jansen, Marc Scaringi, Joe Sacco
Whoever wins district: Charlie Gerow, Alexander Shorb, Andrew Ritter, Greg Rothman, Stan Saylor, Tim Barker
Statewide winner: Scott Burford, Betsy Hower
Withdrew: Ana Puig
Could not be reached: Amy Sarah Brennan
5th District – Northwestern Pennsylvania
Ted Cruz: Rick Chura, Lyle Stewart, Barry Kroeker
Donald Trump: James Klein, Arnold McClure, Ash Khare
Whoever wins district: Joyce Haas, Sheila Sterrett, Scott Schreffler
6th District – Chester County
Ted Cruz: Mary Wert, Bob Wert
Donald Trump: Wayne Backwater, Vicki Lightcap
Whoever wins district: Ryan Costello, Michelle Kichline, Doug Hager
Statewide: Larry Stohler
Could not be reached: Vicki Lightcap
7th District – Delaware County
Donald Trump: Ralph Wike III, Jan Ting
Whoever wins district: Michael Puppio
Could not be reached: Robert Willert, Joan Miller
8th District – Bucks County
Ted Cruz: Deborah Evangelou
Donald Trump: Barry Casper, Jim Worthington, Sean Shute
Uncommitted: Gene DiGirolamo, Robert Loughery
Could not be reached: Marguerite Quinn
9th District – Blair County
Ted Cruz: Lois Kaneshiki, David Show
Donald Trump: Cody Knotts, Debbie Taylor, Joseph Lamantia
Whoever wins district: Judy Ward
Uncommitted: Bill Shuster, Bob Thomas
10th District – Williamsport/Northeastern Pennsylvania
Ted Cruz: Elizabeth Greenaway (Write-in)
Donald Trump: Carol Sides, Ryan Belz, Tina Pickett, John Wells, Mario Scavello, Mark Stoicheff
Whoever wins district: Charles Brewer, Mark J. Harris, Nancy Schrader, Krystle Bristol
Uncommitted: Mark Holt, Jonathan Hayes, Dave Huffman
Could not be reached: Pat Saylor
11th District – Luzerne County to Dauphin County
Ted Cruz: Dan Mosel, Richard Adams, Carol Drewniak, Lowman Henry, Tom Pyne
Donald Trump: Rick Morelli, David McElwee, Marlene Loose, Andrew Shecktor (will review that position if neither the district nor state selects Trump)
Uncommitted: Philip Bear (leaning Cruz)
Whoever wins district: Sue Helm
Could not be reached: Jeff Haste (both listed on Cruz slate), Rebecca Warren, Don Sherwood, Bill Urbanski
12th District – Johnstown to Beaver County
Ted Cruz: Jeff Steigerwald, Bruce Keeler, Larry Borland
Donald Trump: Gabriel Keller, Joseph Sernell, James Vasilko, Monica Morrill
Whoever wins district: Sam Miclot, Mike McMullen, Robert Howard, Dave Majernik, Jill Cooper.
Could not be reached: L Roger Valente, Christopher Fromme, Michele Trevorrow
13th District – Montgomery County/Northeast Philly
Ted Cruz: Michael McMonagle
Donald Trump: Gilbert Cox, Lauren Casper, Tom Ellis
Whoever wins district: Shannon Oscar
Uncommitted: Pam Levy
Could not be reached: Alan Apt
14th District - Pittsburgh
Uncommitted: Mike DeVanney, Cameron Linton, Mary Ann Meloy
15th District – Lehigh County/Parts of Northampton County
Ted Cruz: Mark Hoffman, Malcolm Cole, Dean Browning, Christian Leinbach
Donald Trump: John K. Reber Sr., Patrick Kerwin, Scott Uehlinger
Whoever wins district: William Heydt
Uncommitted: Robert E Smith Jr., Ryan Mackenzie
16th District – Lancaster County
Ted Cruz: Doug Brubaker
Donald Trump: Marc Lemon
Whoever wins district: David Dumeyer, Terry Christopher
Uncommitted: Gordon Denlinger
Could not be reached: Thomas Chiomento
17th District – Scranton to Schuylkill County
Ted Cruz: Ron Boltz, Joel Underwood (Write-in)
Donald Trump: T Lynette Villano, George Blauer, Gloria Lee Snover, Carolyn Bonkoski, Theresa Gaffney
Whoever wins district: Robert Ames, George Halcovage, Thomas Whitehead
Uncommitted: Mary Beth Dougherty, Charlie Kirkwood (soliciting responses from district residents on hiswebsite to guide his decision)
18th District – Southwestern Pennsylvania
Ted Cruz: Sue Means, Jim Means
Donald Trump: Justin DePlato, John Petrarca, Thomas Uram
Whoever wins district: Scott Avolio, Rick Saccone, Mary Jo Silvis, Al Quaye
Could not be reached: Virginia Strain, Chuck Konkus
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