A brokered convention won't happen simply because it's too good to be true. That said, it would be madness if it happened. It would be utter chaos, with nobody truly in charge. Even if Paul teams up with Romney, Gingrich and Santorum could run off with all their delegates and claim that they're the TRUE Republican Party, and Romney's delegates are simply a bunch of RINO's. Considering the current state of the GOP, and how hardline their right-wingers are with their insistence that you're either 100% pure conservative or else you're a RINO, just imagine how heated things would get at that point.

Romney + Paul's delegates = No brokered convention?

Yeah, but where's the lulz in that?

Uchiha_Cycliste: quatchi: Romney + Paul's delegates = No brokered convention?

Yeah, but where's the lulz in that?

general election debates

Good point, well taken.

Loves me some General election debates. Been watching them for years and they just keep getting funnier.

miss diminutive: Can it just be some guy who happens to show up looking well dressed and who can smooth talk and sleaze his way into the job, 80s style?



He's got a golden voice, he's a minority, and he has an uplifting personal tale!

Ted 2012: At Least He's Not Bullshiatting You

A Romney / Paul ticket would be awfully interesting. Emphasis on the 'awful' part. That might give Obama real problems with all the young people flocking toward Paultardation.

EnviroDude: Seeing as how the democrats circumvented this process last go around with the super-delegates, I don't see why there are so many attacks on the RNC for considering it.

Yeah, it's the Democrats' fault!

Ah...an image of romney and paul engaged in heavy petting is not the image I needed this time of the morning...or any time

EnviroDude: Seeing as how the democrats circumvented this process last go around with the super-delegates, I don't see why there are so many attacks on the RNC for considering it.

Who is attacking the RNC here? Not TFA, that's for sure, and not anyone in the thread so far.

Victim much?

Don't you get it yet? Republican voters want this. When Santorum talks about banning birth control, he gets more popular. When the candidates fall over each other to say Obama is a Kenyan usurper, the base gets more excited.

Why do you think the GOP did so well in 2010 under the Tea Party brand? Why do you think all those Bush voters re-elected him?

This isn't a cluster-fark. It never was. This is high quality Republicanism! Declaring the GOP to be in chaos is like declaring a Miles Davis album in chaos. It's supposed to sound like that! That's what people want!

When you say Santorum belongs in the fourteenth century, Republican voters say, thanks! When Gingrich leers and grins on stage, Republican voters say, give us more of that! To a man, the Republican base wants this!

It's not a sick joke! It's actually happening, and if they get power, we're going to go to war again, outlaw the Internet, and impose Christian fundamentalism on the nation, because Republicans want that!

miss diminutive: So let me get this straight. If the Republicans can't agree on a candidate, regardless of how unlikely that may be, they might pick a "white knight" from their ranks to appear on the ballot even though this person will have spent zero time and zero money campaigning for said position? What are the qualifications for being a "white knight"? Do they have hold some form of elected office? Do they have to belong to the upper echelon of the Republican Party? Can it just be some guy who happens to show up looking well dressed and who can smooth talk and sleaze his way into the job, 80s style?

I think they make a call to Harvey Keitel, who shows up dressed as The Wolf and fixes the situation.

Why won't it happen? Because when it comes down to it, Republicans will choose trying to win over principles.

miss diminutive: RexTalionis: miss diminutive: So let me get this straight. If the Republicans can't agree on a candidate, regardless of how unlikely that may be, they might pick a "white knight" from their ranks to appear on the ballot even though this person will have spent zero time and zero money campaigning for said position? What are the qualifications for being a "white knight"? Do they have hold some form of elected office? Do they have to belong to the upper echelon of the Republican Party? Can it just be some guy who happens to show up looking well dressed and who can smooth talk and sleaze his way into the job, 80s style?

[webnv.net image 184x184]

Yeah, that guy.

/he grows the brand

Don't you worry about Romney's growing unfavorables, let me worry about Romney's growing unfavorables.

DarnoKonrad: A Romney / Paul ticket would be awfully interesting. Emphasis on the 'awful' part. That might give Obama real problems with all the young people flocking toward Paultardation.

If they vote for a Romney ticket just because RON PAUL is on it, it would reveal them for the narcissistic hypocrites I already believe them to be. They're just disgruntled Republicans who want to be able to spew some derp while claiming not to be partisan.

keylock71: Terrified Asexual Forcemeat: When you say Santorum belongs in the fourteenth century, Republican voters say, thanks! When Gingrich leers and grins on stage, Republican voters say, give us more of that! To a man, the Republican base wants this!

Exactly... These candidates are exactly what the GOP based asked for - Plutocrats, religious fascists, far right nut jobs, and colossal hypocrites.

Funny thing is each Republican candidate is all of those things, just in different ways. I just love that they had serious candidates. Wouldn't let one run, wouldn't support the other. Reagan let all the crazy people out of the insane asylums, to pay him back, they've voted republican ever since.

TFA: Indeed, Paul's recently released TV ad in the state of Michigan takes aim not at Romney, but at Santorum, who is ahead of the former Massachusetts governor in state polls. The commercial questions Santorum's record as a fiscal conservative, saying he voted to raise the debt ceiling five times.

Jesus, that might be the only sensible, non-evil thing Santorum ever did as a senator, and Paul is using it to smear him? To think many liberals view him as the "sane" republican.

/you really don't want to smear santorum on things. It's hell to clean up

threedingers: EnviroDude: Seeing as how the democrats circumvented this process last go around with the super-delegates, I don't see why there are so many attacks on the RNC for considering it.

Who is attacking the RNC here? Not TFA, that's for sure, and not anyone in the thread so far.

Victim much?

it's always the Democrats or the liberals fault when the GOP screws up.

If a conservative ever took responsibility for a single damn thing, ever, the universe would implode and we'd all be sucked into a massive black hole.

keylock71: Terrified Asexual Forcemeat: When you say Santorum belongs in the fourteenth century, Republican voters say, thanks! When Gingrich leers and grins on stage, Republican voters say, give us more of that! To a man, the Republican base wants this!

Exactly... These candidates are exactly what the GOP based asked for - Plutocrats, religious fascists, far right nut jobs, and colossal hypocrites.

We want Barabas!!! We want Barabas!!! We want Barabas!!! We want Barabas!!!

Zerochance: DarnoKonrad: A Romney / Paul ticket would be awfully interesting. Emphasis on the 'awful' part. That might give Obama real problems with all the young people flocking toward Paultardation.

If they vote for a Romney ticket just because RON PAUL is on it, it would reveal them for the narcissistic hypocrites I already believe them to be. They're just disgruntled Republicans who want to be able to spew some derp while claiming not to be partisan.


Maybe. But it could be greatly mitigated by Democrats inserting some common sense into their platform this year that appeals to these voters -- like marriage equity and the decriminalization of pot.

poot_rootbeer: Why won't it happen? Because when it comes down to it, Republicans will choose trying to win over principles.

You sure about that? Because you're talking about the same group of people who are considering giving the nomination to Jeb Bush or Sarah Palin if there is a brokered convention. That they're even preparing for a brokered convention is telling, much the same way as in September 2007 when the Mets went from "coasting to the NL East pennant" to "preparing for a 5-way tie for the NL Wild Card" in about a week.

They said the reason John McCain lost to Barack Obama (the liberalest liberal who ever liberalled, if they are to be believed) is because McCain was not conservative enough, and this belief was reinforced with the Tea Party's wins in 2010. All the candidates on the GOP primary ballot this year except Paul are much more conservative than the choices from 2008, including Romney.

Hmm... Will anybody care about the convention when Iran nukes Tel Aviv while gas prices top $6/gallon and Greece starts printing their own currency while the price of gold plummets on the realization that central banks have been supporting the price and no one can afford to buy bread because pesticide resistant locusts have swarmed the countryside.

quatchi: miss diminutive: RexTalionis: miss diminutive: So let me get this straight. If the Republicans can't agree on a candidate, regardless of how unlikely that may be, they might pick a "white knight" from their ranks to appear on the ballot even though this person will have spent zero time and zero money campaigning for said position? What are the qualifications for being a "white knight"? Do they have hold some form of elected office? Do they have to belong to the upper echelon of the Republican Party? Can it just be some guy who happens to show up looking well dressed and who can smooth talk and sleaze his way into the job, 80s style?

[webnv.net image 184x184]

Yeah, that guy.

/he grows the brand

Don't you worry about Romney's growing unfavorables, let me worry about Romney's growing unfavorables.

BONEITIS!

DarnoKonrad: Zerochance: DarnoKonrad: A Romney / Paul ticket would be awfully interesting. Emphasis on the 'awful' part. That might give Obama real problems with all the young people flocking toward Paultardation.

If they vote for a Romney ticket just because RON PAUL is on it, it would reveal them for the narcissistic hypocrites I already believe them to be. They're just disgruntled Republicans who want to be able to spew some derp while claiming not to be partisan.


Maybe. But it could be greatly mitigated by Democrats inserting some common sense into their platform this year that appeals to these voters -- like marriage equity and the decriminalization of pot.

Except that both Obama and RON PAUL believe gay marriage to be a States Rights issue, so their positions are virtually identical. And the decriminalization of pot is simply not strong enough of an issue to sway an election. It's just not.

Also, RON PAUL hasn't exactly ingratiated himself to minority voters. Sure, the "misunderstood geniuses" that support RON PAUL will turn out in droves, regardless that he'd be playing second banana to a guy that is exponentially less principled than he, but they're not the "silent majority" they think themselves to be.

wildcardjack: Hmm... Will anybody care about the convention when Iran nukes Tel Aviv while gas prices top $6/gallon and Greece starts printing their own currency while the price of gold plummets on the realization that central banks have been supporting the price and no one can afford to buy bread because pesticide resistant locusts have swarmed the countryside.

Will anybody vote for a Republican in this regard, knowing that we'll be stuck in another ten year war while everybody in the country suffers? Events like that usually empower the people in power, not their opponents. Given that Obama was the one who finally killed Bin Laden, it will make the Republican obstructionism look even more unpalatable.

That said, who do you think would be the Republican White Knight at this point in time? I can't imagine anybody wanting to throw away their ambitions simply because most Republican voters can't release their deathgrip on 'their party.'

Zerochance: Except that both Obama and RON PAUL believe gay marriage to be a States Rights issue,

Obama is 'evolving.' But that's really irrelevant. If it's in the party platform, he'll support it, and right now there is some push for its inclusion. I hope it is.

Zerochance: nd the decriminalization of pot is simply not strong enough of an issue to sway an election. It's just not.

This past year, for the first time ever, a plurality of people support some from of legalization or decriminalization. And most of the Paul supporters I know on are (erroneously) supporting Paul because of it. The real question is if it's a net gain or loss of votes to support this position -- I think of recent, it's trending toward a gain.

I think the electorate is changing in subtle but important ways.

Guntram Shatterhand: That said, who do you think would be the Republican White Knight at this point in time? I can't imagine anybody wanting to throw away their ambitions simply because most Republican voters can't release their deathgrip on 'their party.'

Never underestimate the ego of a politician. They don't get power by having a well balanced sense of reality. They all tend to think the world in on way or another is attracted to their gravity.

Zerochance: Except that both Obama and RON PAUL believe gay marriage to be a States Rights issue, so their positions are virtually identical. And the decriminalization of pot is simply not strong enough of an issue to sway an election. It's just not.

Ron Paul is against same sex marriage. He just wants the individual States to ban it instead of the Federal Government. And Obama position on same sex marriage is complicated at best. Once it becomes politically viable to get behind it - he will come out with full support at the federal level. I doubt it won't happen until after the election.

One of the few areas where Ron Paul is right is on pot. The Obama administration has been abysmal on this subject and his administration pursued pot cases at the expense of states rights. I expected Obama to govern as a centrist but this is one area where he has failed miserably.

Brokered or Contested, either way, I think it would be great.

Just imagine a situation where Romney has 30%, Santorum 35%, and then RON PAUL sends his 22% to Romney

The TeaStorm(tm) would be incredible to see.

What happens if nobody has enough delegates to get the nomination?

Death match? Rock-paper-scissors?

Jake Havechek: What happens if nobody has enough delegates to get the nomination?

Death match? Rock-paper-scissors?

Ummm... Kinda the whole point of the article was to answer that question.

Answer is: Thumb War

bravian: One of the few areas where Ron Paul is right is on pot.

No, he's wrong on that too. I'd much rather have the Federal Government making national policy on drugs than the local corrupt sheriff that will only arrest his competitors.

Jake Havechek: What happens if nobody has enough delegates to get the nomination?

The delegates are freed from their commitments to a particular candidate and can support whoever they want. Which would make things all sorts of fun.

magores: Just imagine a situation where Romney has 30%, Santorum 35%, and then RON PAUL sends his 22% to Romney

I wouldn't bank on Paul giving his delegates to Romney.

DarnoKonrad: I think the electorate is changing in subtle but important ways.

I do agree with this though. I think there still is - understandably - a huge amount of cynicism leftover from the Bush years between liberals and independents, maybe even some moderate Republicans, which causes people to believe that Santorum somehow has a good chance of becoming President if he gets the nomination.

He doesn't. He's effectively declared war on women, and for that reason alone, he'd get crushed in a general election. Contraception and gender roles may be an issue for out-of-touch baby boomer evangelicals, but that generation is obviously not going to multiply. People are increasingly less concerned with what you do in your bedroom or what you put in your body, and Santorum has made those his central issues.

threedingers: EnviroDude: Seeing as how the democrats circumvented this process last go around with the super-delegates, I don't see why there are so many attacks on the RNC for considering it.

Who is attacking the RNC here? Not TFA, that's for sure, and not anyone in the thread so far.

Victim much?

Not to mention that the RNC has superdelegates too.

WhyteRaven74: Jake Havechek: What happens if nobody has enough delegates to get the nomination?

The delegates are freed from their commitments to a particular candidate and can support whoever they want. Which would make things all sorts of fun.

magores: Just imagine a situation where Romney has 30%, Santorum 35%, and then RON PAUL sends his 22% to Romney

I wouldn't bank on Paul giving his delegates to Romney.

He could in exchange for a VP spot. He knows he's not getting any younger, and this could be his last chance. And who knows, perhaps he thinks Romney's malleable enough that he might get some of his policies enacted simply by being in his ear.