Kendal Unruh, delegate to the convention from Colorado, a member of the Convention Rules Committee, and a leader in the movement to unbind the delegates, says she has the votes to bring a minority report to the floor of the convention. She only needs 28 votes in the Rules Committee to approve a minority report to unbind the delegates. The report would then by presented to the whole convention and would be passed with a simple majority. Unruh said,
” (We) have the 28 votes required for the minority report,” continuing, “Not everyone who is with us is willing to be public yet, due in part to the threats being made by Trump’s campaign and the RNC itself.”
Unruh believes it is the duty of a responsible delegate is to vote to unbind themselves,
It is the duty of the delegates to represent the best interests of their states and to select a Republican candidate who actually represents our party and who can beat Hillary in November. That’s not Donald Trump. We don’t live in a straight democracy, where majority rule has the absolute say. We have a measured, representative form of government that allows time for discussion, fact-finding, and wisdom before our elected representatives make the final decision. Many new facts have come out since the early primaries that should disqualify Trump, and the delegates have historically always been the final stop-gate through which our party’s nominee must pass. Trump didn’t even get the vote of a majority of Republicans, and over 50% agree that he should not be our nominee. In fact, he would be the first Republican nominee to receive the nomination with more votes cast against him in the primaries than for him.
Unruh urges all delegates to contact their representatives on the rules committee to encourage them to support the report to unbind the delegates. In Virginia that would be Morton Blackwell and Anne Gentry.
Unruh’s explanation for his opposition to Trump:
“Simply put, he doesn’t represent our party and he can’t win in November. Not only do the moral objections to his candidacy run deep, but his positions are also absolutely untrustworthy. He speaks by the seat of his pants and floats ideas out into thin air only to retract them the next day when they are ill-received. Republicans deserve a candidate who is grounded – in morals, in policy, and in constitutional truths. It’s not that Trump isn’t our preferred candidate or that we’re sore losers because our guy didn’t win. Donald Trump has only – conveniently – become a Republican in recent years, and even after switching his registration, he’s continued his personal donations to corrupt, liberal Democrats. How can he run against Hillary when he’s funded her? When he spoke to Bill Clinton on the phone prior to announcing his candidacy? Trump can’t win against Hillary in November because people don’t trust him either. The American citizens will continue to catch on to the fact that Trump is an entertainer who knows how to tickle ears and elicit enthusiasm. But ear-bait quickly turns into into insanity, as we’ve already seen, and Trump is already losing so badly to Hillary that it would be nearly impossible for him to recover by November. The delegates need to be free to choose a different nominee so that we can win in November and set the Supreme Court on the right side of the future.
Looks like the convention will be rocky and contentious. So what’s new? That’s how this whole year has been for the Republican party.
More on the story here.
56 comments
Part of being a political wheeler-dealer is being able to count snouts correctly. How many votes did he have again or how many votes on the rules committee did Team Ken lose?
[…] Kendal Unruh’s proposed rule change to free the delegates to vote their conscience failed to make it out of the committee and will not be reported to the convention as a whole. This was the proposal that lost, and lost big: […]
It isn’t going to happen. Even if the delegates are unbound, Trump is still going to be nominated, which will put an end to this myth that the majority of Republicans oppose him. All this drama over bound and unbound delegates is just desperate hope stirred up from the cadre of anti-Trump zealots. I’d actually look forward to seeing them all unbound, just to demonstrate that Republicans are supporting the nominee without being compelled to do so.
The results would be influential, so yes, everybody should favor unbinding the delegates. Good idea.
Oh yes indeed it is influential. One of two charities is going to be getting a check for $100. The Eric Trump Foundation will be very grateful for your donation after Trump is nominated. And if I am wrong, The Marine Corps Law Enforcement Association will get a $100 donation from me, and I’ll be happy to provide it. Though I’d be sad for what that means for the Republican party, and the USA too, considering our election prospects are nil if Trump is denied the nomination.
The rules are the rules. The delegates knew the first ballot requirement BEFORE they became a delegate. All of you supporting unbound delegates are as lawless as Obama, Clinton, Comey and Lynch. Grow up and play by the rules.
Wish I could like your comment more than once. This will have to do for now.
Um.. Trump has a piece of paper which the GOP is the Contractural Participant. Something about not doing a 3rd Party?
Signs of trouble…
Good.
Micheal Jackson eating popcorn gif goes here.
He, Kendal Unruh, is a she…. http://www.ora.tv/politicking/2016/7/5/kendal-unruh-discusses-free-the-delegate-effort
ROFL
And has been her whole life, wondering how long it was going to take for someone to catch that. lol
Thank you! I assume Kendal was a woman but other sources said a man. I’ll edit my post right now.
if this delegate is concerned about nominating a winner, I wish he would become involved in RPV’s conventions.
If this is done it will be THE END of the GOP and Hillary will win. Period.
That this possibilty of unbinding delegates has even reached this is a GIFT to the Democrats; they’ll have a field day with it!
It’s BS. In my opinion, these blogs are controlled by the establishment.
Who finances them?
Some are for sure.
Bearing Drift has a banner on their page flat-out telling you its financed by Ed Gillespie’s PAC. No conflict of interest there LOL.
But I seriously doubt this particular blog gets any establishment $$. There’s a wide variety of views and opinions and I haven’t seen any major censoring of comments.
No one finances us. Anyone can pay to run an ad, but they do not finance the blog or influence our reporting.
Sounds eerily familiar to “I did not have sexual relation with that woman” or more recently “I never sent or received classified information on my server” You don’t get to subvert the will of the people because the guy you wanted lost. And the dishonest “he would be the first Republican nominee to receive the nomination with more votes cast against him in the primaries than for him.” crap exposes you as no better than a liberal liar. That assertion holds true for every single GOP candidate this year does it not?
So here we go with potential chaos. Unruh is entitled to his opinion of Trump, I am entitled to mine, and his lofty, principled-sounding arguments just don’t wash. The logical conclusion of this move to unbundle delegates is to make primaries irrelevant. Why did we go through the effort and the cost, with Trump receiving more votes than any Republican candidate in history, only to give the delegates the freedom to essentially replace the primaries with their own, mini-primary. Does he want electors to vote their conscience, too. Two final things. I believe that Trump is the only one who can win in November, and is actually the only one who can slow down our slide into globalism and the influence of the ruling class of both parties. Second, if Unruh and company are successful in usurping the will of the people, this lifelong Republican will be done with the GOP.
This election is like no other in my lifetime. I’ve certainly been driven to read more history of American politics than ever!
Readers of TBE have exprested their take on the issue of unbinding repeatedly, using the same set of facts. One side says Trump is a maverick. The other says he is nothing but words. One side says he has a historic number of votes. The other says he has a historic number of votes against him. One side says they will leave the GOP if he is not selected as the cansidate. The other says they refuse to vote for him (I haven’t noticed as many threats to leave from the anti-Trump group, which may be worth a look.)
We all need to do a better job of listening to one another. So I’m not going to rehash the Trump-related facts I’ve posted on TBE in the past. I for one hear and understand the logic of pro-Trump voters, and I’m not about to insult the voters or their logic.
Instead, I want to put forward questions for consideration by all of the pro-Trump and anti-Trump voters here on TBE. The answers to the first three questions altered my view of presidential elections. An honest answer to the fourth question (the answer is “nobody knows for sure”) explains why this controversial issue wasn’t ended months ago.
1. Were direct elections possible in 1789?
2. Why were delegates used?
3. When and why were binding primaries adopted?
4. Will the selection of Trump or the non-selection of Trump motivate more voters to leave or at least cast their votes outside of the GOP?
I think Michael your questions are interesting. Regardless of the answers the voters today have different means of obtaining information and that information is almost instantaneous. If a record breaking number of voters, many first time voters, are disenfranchised should this ill fated coup achieve success, I will not stand by and stand with the party. Any party that allows this type of subversion and arrogance on the part of those who believe they know better than the voters is not my party.
I find it very interesting indeed when reading the short term goals of Black Lives Matter are: Paint Trump as racist, disrupt the GOP National Convention, then oust Trump, and to see that their goals are exactly the same as this “NeverTrump” group. When our GOP goals are the same as a group that is known to be funded by Soros, then I bail from them wondering who is actually pulling their strings and if they are being duped by like many in the Black Lives Matter camp are who think they know the best way to circumvent the system for their agenda.
We either have primaries and votes or we don’t. Changing now when so many came out to express their intent is death to the GOP.
K Schu, thanks for your consideration. I’m beginning to get the idea that the procedures for voter enfranchisement have been changing since the election of George Washington, and that binding primaries weren’t adopted until 1969. Apparently, those were championed by George McGovern.
The question the GOP — and we — must ask, is how to get past this point. If the Trump voters get their candidate, a substantial number of Republicans who object to him will then vote for another candidate. Given that Trump did not earn a majority of GOP votes in the primaries (including open primaries in which Democrats reportedly voted for him to spoil the GOP’s chances of a win), the majority of the GOP could possibly take their votes elsewhere.
Instead of asking how Trump opponents could be so (your choice — immature, rash, nonsensical… I’ve seen too many derogatiry adjectives to count), Trump’s original advocates should at least pause to ask why so many people, most of whom (by the odds) are smart enough to walk & chew gum, are looking to such uncommon procedures as unbinding?
Trump, through the reckless (and often incoherent) exposition of his “policies” has given many of us to wonder what he really does believe. When over 50% of Republicans are not behind their party’s candidate, there is a problem, and it’s not with the party. And Greg, if you leave the party … and it’s belief in fiscal responsibility and Constitutionally limited government … where will you go?
Sailblazer, I appreciate the thoughts. I will never abandon my belief in limited government or fiscal responsibility, but I will not be a part of a group that seeks to subvert the will of the people because a bunch of conservative insiders got elected as delegates. All these Republicans saying that Trump can’t win. Did they really think Dole, or McCain, or even Romney was going to win? We both know of many politicians who are very articulate in expressing their positions and core beliefs, only to cave after they attain an elected position. My passion for Trump right now is that we are so hopelessly going down the wrong path, I honestly believe he is the only one who has a chance to set an anchor down to slow us down from going over the precipice. The fact remains that we had Republican primaries across this country, and Trump was the resounding victor. When it was just Trump, Cruz and Kasich, Trump got 60% of the vote. What Trump has done is awaken folks who have not been involved at all in politics, but who know we are in trouble, and they see Trump as a way to stem that tide. So what the die-hard conservatives, who did not prevail in the primaries, should be doing, is working to educate these newcomers and Trump himself. But to dismiss him and the followers because they are not pure enough or articulate enough is to fail to capitalize on these new voters who can be educated more in our direction. So where would I go? I don’t know long-term, but if insiders pull off this effort to derail Trump, and he goes third party, that’s where I’ll be this time around for sure. You know we are new to the process. While I am a realist, I confess to being an idealist. What I saw at the recent state and district conventions, even from our conservative comrades, was enough to show me that even the so-called “principled folks” at the end of of the day will work the levers of power they have access to preserve their own power or to get their way. These “oh so pure” delegates that say they are the guardians that will protect the people from themselves, and seek to override the votes of the people, is pure arrogance. The disdain and rage of those who voted for Trump, but who then see insiders, even if they are conservative insiders, work to overcome their expressed will, would be no different than our dissatisfaction with those we elected who gained the majority, and then caved almost totally to Obama and the Democrats. So again, where would I go? I don’t know. But I do know this – I won’t support a group that would do this or allow this.
I’m with you Gregg. I’ve been voting for almost 44 yrs. for Republicans, but not anymore ,if they pull this off.
If only our Republican party believed in limited government and fiscal responsibility. Ted Cruz said our bumper stickers should say “Vote Republican. We spend slightly less than Democrats”. He’s right. It’s disgusting but I don’t see Trump changing that.
Let’s be honest here Jeanine. You’re not really looking at anything. You have your mind made up, and nothing can change it. So stop pretending there is anything that could sway you. Your candidate was defeaTED and now you want to take your ball and go home.
My mind made up about what?
About who you want as the nominee. Makes no difference what Trump says or does not say. You want defeaTED full stop.
In the 10th district of Virginia we elected three delegates and one alternate to vote for Ted Cruz. If they are all forced to vote for Trump they aren’t following our wishes.
The delegates were not elected to vote for anyone. They may have their own leanings but they are bound currently on the first ballot to rep the VA primary voter’s vote. You are misleading with this.
No I’m not. We realize they are bound but should they become unbound my district voted for the delegates who would support Cruz.
Why was the nominating process not a problem until Trump won?
Jeanine, the way I understood it in the 5th, which also voted for a majority of Cruz supporters (even somewhat arrogantly as it was presented by Ken Cucinelli), the intent was for them to vote for Cruz if it came to a second ballot. If delegates are unbound from the get go, then the primary elections were a waste of time, and the voters across the country who gaveTrump resounding wins over and over again, will have been disenfranchised by party insiders, even if they are conservative, Cruz supporting insiders.
Yes, that is correct. If the delegates are unbound on the first ballot they are free to vote their conscience which could mean Cruz, or someone else. We are damned if we do and damned if we don’t. Trump can’t win against Hillary because too many Republicans will not support him. But if he’s replaced by another candidate we lose all the Trumpsters and can’t win.
Which is why the party needs to get behind its nominee, the one that got he most votes (ever) in a Republican primary, and to quit all of this divisive stuff trying to subvert the will of the people. Remember, too, that many of those Trumpsters are new voters to the process, people we should be glad to have on board so we can work to positively influence them – not deride them for lack of purity or Constitutional scholarship. I get it that Cruz was the dream candidate for many. But he lost – decisively. Early on, when there were 17 candidates, Trump opponents were saying 70% of Republicans wanted someone other than Trump. Never mind that 30% plus, with 17 candidates, was astounding. By the same logic, whatever Cruz had – 12%, even 20%- meant that a much higher percentage of Republicans didn’t want him. And when it came down to Trump, Cruz and Kasich, I noticed folks quit talking the 70% thing, because close to 70 was going for him. If Cruz had won in the primary, I’d have voted for him and worked for him. But he lost -big- and now his supporters and conservative Elitists want to steal it from Trump. Unconscionable in my book.
My understanding is that the Trumpster types didn’t get behind Romney in 12′.
What goes around comes around.
Reinhardt, See, that’s the thing. There is no stereotypical Trump supporter except, perhaps, in the minds of the detractors of him and his followers. I know a bunch of us are lifelong, Conservative Republican voters, who always vote Republican, and supported Romney. Another good portion of them are new voters who are frustrated to tears with the status quo, and see Trump as hope for change and to stem the tide.
Well that’s a very adult way to look at things. Are you going to stick your thumbs in your ears, tongue out and say nanny nanny boo boo when you vote also? People did not get behind Romney because he is a Mormon. You can deny it all you want, but it’s the same nonsense here. Only this time Trump is not conservative enough.
YOU got that RIGHT!!!!!
Have a look here.
http://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/virginia
You seem to think that the Republican Party can exist without people who work the ground, contribute their efforts and money, and are willing to stand up for the principals that are presumably espoused via the Republican creed. Greg doesn’t have to go anywhere, he can just refuse to help and only vote.
Like most Republicans will do this year if Trump is the nominee. Over 50% of Republicans do not want Trump for our nominee and they won’t lift a finger to help him.
I have a friend who recently wrote “winning ugly”. If I can get him through the draft stage, I will ask him to send it along. The basic point is that the Republican Party has become too used to the idea that “graceful losing” is better than “ugly winning”. The epitome of “graceful losing” is Romney while Trump represents the hope of winning no matter how ugly it appears to be at this moment. The article makes a very compelling argument for Trump.
Where do you get these figures? Please give sources rather than saying this with no back up. This does not match the info I see.
Where is your info?
Do you call 19+ T in debt = fiscal responsibility & Constitutionally limited government. GOP has power of the purse since 2014 and they have voted to give Obama every penny he wants and more. They did not do what they promise they would do if we the voters would give them the House & senate. At lease , Trump is talking about trying to stop this mess.
Is Trump saying he’ll stop this and make Congress do something else? Like what? He supports Planned Parenthood so that will continue to be funded. The House holds the purse strings and they are willing to do anything to curb spending. How does Trump overcome that? How will he do it?
How does defeaTED do it since everyone in congress can’t stand the guy?
And you think they will embrace bombastic Trump?
Sooner than they will defeaTED. Do you think using a word like bombastic makes your candidate look more appealing? Congress has called Trump to speak many times regarding the economy. People like Romney, and McCain and other all went to him for his endorsement and his money when they were running. But suddenly he’s bombastic? Seems legit. lol
You didn’t answer the question.
As if you can believe any politician. You act as if previous GOP selections said what they meant, and meant what they said. They lied just like the left did to get elected. Tell me, how much does it cost to feed that high horse you ride?