Does a candidate need to win a majority of delegates to the convention to be the party nominee? The answer to that question has always been YES. It's a basic tenet of each of the political parties that only a majority wins the nomination. Despite that, this year Donald Trump is out there claiming that he should get the nomination if he has the most delegates even if his number is less than half. In fact, Trump says that it would be unfair were he not to get the nomination if he has the most delegates.
Let's be blunt: Trump's position is total BS. There's never been a convention where a candidate won with less than a majority. Every candidate knew that upon entering the race. Every candidate still knows that.
Trump points to a Bloomberg poll that found that nearly two thirds of voters said that the candidate with the most delegates ought to get the nomination. That poll, however, did not ask if a candidate who is unable to get a majority of the votes should be the nominee; it was vague on that point. That makes the poll worthless.
Donald Trump decided to run his campaign outside the normal channels in Republican politics. Trump does not have (or at least he did not have) consultants and advisors who were familiar with the rules that govern delegate selection and the conduct of the convention. Trump campaigned with big events and free television rather than with paid media and retail politics. That course has worked quite well for Trump, but it now seems to be hitting a wall. The small Trump campaign just does not seem to have the heft necessary to organize and claim the delegates at the convention. That campaign organization (or lack of it) was Trump's choice. He certainly could have built a larger and more skilled organization. If he now fails to win at the convention because of his chosen campaign strategy, that is NOT unfair. Indeed, nothing could be fairer. Trump took a chance on trying something new. If he cannot succeed, he only has himself to blame.
Let's be blunt: Trump's position is total BS. There's never been a convention where a candidate won with less than a majority. Every candidate knew that upon entering the race. Every candidate still knows that.
Trump points to a Bloomberg poll that found that nearly two thirds of voters said that the candidate with the most delegates ought to get the nomination. That poll, however, did not ask if a candidate who is unable to get a majority of the votes should be the nominee; it was vague on that point. That makes the poll worthless.
Donald Trump decided to run his campaign outside the normal channels in Republican politics. Trump does not have (or at least he did not have) consultants and advisors who were familiar with the rules that govern delegate selection and the conduct of the convention. Trump campaigned with big events and free television rather than with paid media and retail politics. That course has worked quite well for Trump, but it now seems to be hitting a wall. The small Trump campaign just does not seem to have the heft necessary to organize and claim the delegates at the convention. That campaign organization (or lack of it) was Trump's choice. He certainly could have built a larger and more skilled organization. If he now fails to win at the convention because of his chosen campaign strategy, that is NOT unfair. Indeed, nothing could be fairer. Trump took a chance on trying something new. If he cannot succeed, he only has himself to blame.
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