Republican panel leaves anti-Trump move gasping for breath

[rooster59]

Republican panel leaves anti-Trump move gasping for breath

ALAN FRAM, Associated Press


CLEVELAND (AP) — The struggle by conservatives for an 11th-hour derailment of Donald Trump's drive for the Republican presidential nomination is gasping for breath, although a leader of the effort is promising to fight on — but is shifting her tactics.

Kendal Unruh, the Colorado delegate who authored the proposal to "unbind" delegates, said Friday she'll no longer try forcing a convention floor showdown on that plan. It would have explicitly allowed delegates to cast a vote of "conscience" and back the contender of their choice.

Unruh cited pressure tactics by Trump campaign and GOP officials for peeling away support for her proposal. But she said she and her allies, citing a belief that they already have a right to vote their conscience, will oppose Trump's nomination in the gathering's roll call next week.

"If they think they've quelled a rebellion, all they did is kick them in the shins," she said of the impact GOP leaders' actions had on her supporters.

The convention's rules committee, dominated by Trump backers and top national and state GOP officials, used a voice vote late Thursday to reject Unruh's proposal. A series of related votes underscored the 112-member panel's one-sided opposition to the conservatives' drive.

Unruh had previously said she would get the signatures of 28 rules committee members that are required to force a convention vote on her plan. But she said Friday she now believed she would fall short.

Trump backers said the effort to dump Trump is dead.

"It's over," GOP chairman Reince Priebus said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"It was never real, it was always overblown," said Ron Kaufman, a party leader from Massachusetts after Thursday's late-night vote. "They were never there."

The rules panel also approved a provision specifically stating that party rules allow delegates to be "bound" to candidates they were committed to by state primaries and caucuses.

Unruh's amendment became the focal point of furious lobbying that for weeks pitted conservatives against the Trump campaign and top leaders of the Republican Party.

In the end, she encountered overwhelming opposition from delegates arguing that it would be unthinkable for the party to abandon Trump after he overwhelmingly won GOP primaries and caucuses and garnered more than 13 million votes.

While on a path to near-certain victory, Trump has drawn bitter opposition from Republicans who say he's not conservative and others who predict he will be defeated.

Earlier Thursday, talks between top party officials and social conservatives broke down, which potentially increased the odds of nationally televised clashes next week on other GOP rules. But party leaders said Friday they expect to prevent those issues from blossoming into battles on the convention floor.

The failed talks focused on conservative proposals aimed at appealing to grassroots conservatives that would take power away from Priebus and the Republican National Committee.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-07-16

[TooPoopedToPop]

The dump Trump movement is faltering because his poll numbers are going up.

Another probable reason is that there is no real alternative to this buffoon.

This is the worst presidential election choice in my lifetime.

Trump wouldn't look good compared to anybody except maybe Hillary Clinton.

Edited July 16, 2016 by TooPoopedToPop

[thaibeachlovers]

The dump Trump movement is faltering because his poll numbers are going up.

Another probable reason is that there is no real alternative to this buffoon.

This is the worst presidential election choice in my lifetime.

Trump wouldn't look good compared to anybody except maybe Hillary Clinton.

[Pinot]

The dump Trump movement is faltering because his poll numbers are going up.

Another probable reason is that there is no real alternative to this buffoon.

This is the worst presidential election choice in my lifetime.

Trump wouldn't look good compared to anybody except maybe Hillary Clinton.

HRC is Jesus Christ compared to Trump.

I didn't want the dump Trump thingy to succeed. I want see the worst drubbing of candidate at the polls in history. Thank you GOP.

[sgtsabai]

Pinot, it's a toss up at the present, although the selection of Pence will probably encourage more women to vote for the neocon/neoliberal tool of Wall Street criminals/banksters and the military/spy/industrial/Congressional cabal, Clinton. The 2 most disliked candidates in history and Clinton continues to rise in disliked/distrusted. I've never seen worse choices in my life time and as much as I hate it, I'm no spring chicken. Not the lesser of, just a choice between 2 different evils. Many Bernie supporters have already gone to Jill Stein and her fund raising intake has increased significantly. Many more may stay home or vote the down ticket only. This is unfortunately a race to the bottom and appears to be a dead heat at present. How in hell anybody could be so stupid as to vote for the orange monster is beyond me. I can understand not voting for Clinton, I won't. I'll never vote for a Republican either and especially a proto-fascist like the Trump.

[dunroaming]

Whatever you do don't dump Trump. What would a cicus be without it's principal clown. There are so many terrible things happening at the moment in the world, this Trump show is the best light relief out there. We all need a good laugh and he supplies that on a daily basis

[louse1953]

Pinot, it's a toss up at the present, although the selection of Pence will probably encourage more women to vote for the neocon/neoliberal tool of Wall Street criminals/banksters and the military/spy/industrial/Congressional cabal, Clinton. The 2 most disliked candidates in history and Clinton continues to rise in disliked/distrusted. I've never seen worse choices in my life time and as much as I hate it, I'm no spring chicken. Not the lesser of, just a choice between 2 different evils. Many Bernie supporters have already gone to Jill Stein and her fund raising intake has increased significantly. Many more may stay home or vote the down ticket only. This is unfortunately a race to the bottom and appears to be a dead heat at present. How in hell anybody could be so stupid as to vote for the orange monster is beyond me. I can understand not voting for Clinton, I won't. I'll never vote for a Republican either and especially a proto-fascist like the Trump.

So you are irrelevant,not voting at all.

[sgtsabai]

I'm one of the many that has switched to Jill Stein. And I will vote down ticket for anybody but a libertarian, or Republican. I always vote, never for a Republican.

[sgtsabai]

Oh I forgot, wrote in Cesar Chavez once.

[Prbkk]

They tried the same thing, albeit under different rules, in 1964. But that was an election they were never going to win, regardless of the candidate. People are writing off Trump too early ( just as Reagan was written off early in the campaign against Carter).

[ilostmypassword]

Pinot, it's a toss up at the present, although the selection of Pence will probably encourage more women to vote for the neocon/neoliberal tool of Wall Street criminals/banksters and the military/spy/industrial/Congressional cabal, Clinton. The 2 most disliked candidates in history and Clinton continues to rise in disliked/distrusted. I've never seen worse choices in my life time and as much as I hate it, I'm no spring chicken. Not the lesser of, just a choice between 2 different evils. Many Bernie supporters have already gone to Jill Stein and her fund raising intake has increased significantly. Many more may stay home or vote the down ticket only. This is unfortunately a race to the bottom and appears to be a dead heat at present. How in hell anybody could be so stupid as to vote for the orange monster is beyond me. I can understand not voting for Clinton, I won't. I'll never vote for a Republican either and especially a proto-fascist like the Trump.

Words like "many" can mean pretty much whatever you want them to mean. What are the numbers? From what I've seen, no change at all in the polling. Certainly nothing to support the contention that there's been a major influx of Sanders supporters.

Edited July 16, 2016 by ilostmypassword

[NeverSure]

Words like "many" can mean pretty much whatever you want them to mean. What are the numbers? From what I've seen, no change at all in the polling. Certainly nothing to support the contention that there's been a major influx of Sanders supporters.

Many Sanders supporters hate Hillary Clinton. Their thinking dovetails more with Trump which is pissed about jobs sent overseas and cheap illegal labor competing with them etc.

Sanders promised his voters a free education if they followed him. Well, they got one, didn't they? LOL.

[blazes]

It's time to focus on what Trump represents, rather on the empty head he carries beneath his mop.

Trump represents all the pissed-off voters in many countries (see UK and, soon, France). Millions do not like him, but those same millions are glad he is doing such a good job of setting the cat amongst the pigeons.

He does the job of whistle-blowers everywhere, such as good patriots like Manning and Snowden. Whistle-blowers are hated, even though they perform a great cleansing job for all the rest of us, and the Establishment in all countries quickly move to either imprison the poor schmuck who has blown the whistle or threaten to imprison him if he (usually a "he") dares ever to set foot again in his home country. (Or, as with Assange, still stuck in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, they trump up false allegations against him and attempt to demonize him.)

The demonising of Donald Trump is a perfect illustration of what happens if you don't sing from the correct hymn-sheet.

[Buzzz]

It's time to focus on what Trump represents, rather on the empty head he carries beneath his mop.

Trump represents all the pissed-off voters in many countries (see UK and, soon, France). Millions do not like him, but those same millions are glad he is doing such a good job of setting the cat amongst the pigeons.

He does the job of whistle-blowers everywhere, such as good patriots like Manning and Snowden. Whistle-blowers are hated, even though they perform a great cleansing job for all the rest of us, and the Establishment in all countries quickly move to either imprison the poor schmuck who has blown the whistle or threaten to imprison him if he (usually a "he") dares ever to set foot again in his home country. (Or, as with Assange, still stuck in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, they trump up false allegations against him and attempt to demonize him.)

The demonising of Donald Trump is a perfect illustration of what happens if you don't sing from the correct hymn-sheet.

Why do they demonize the Clintons for 25 years then?

[johnnywishbone]

Clinton and Obama and Hanoi Jane Kerry all ate the Persian Prong.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BadBouy]

Oh I forgot, wrote in Cesar Chavez once.

This statement truly defines you. Venezuelans are just living the dream.

.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZrCzgprPT8

[ilostmypassword]

Oh I forgot, wrote in Cesar Chavez once.

This statement truly defines you. Venezuelans are just living the dream.

.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZrCzgprPT8

Did Hugo Chavez posthumously change his name to Cesar? I guess I was wrong in understanding that sgtsabai was referring to the deceased leader of the United Farm Workers Union. Silly me.

[Scott]

Off-topic post and replies removed.

[JHolmesJr]

Trump wouldn't look good compared to anybody except maybe Hillary Clinton.

Phewww…..what a coincidence then, that he is running against none other than……drrrrrrumrrrollllll…………. Hillary Clinton.

Even if he loses, Trump's greatest achievement will have been to soundly spank 11 seasoned career politicians in the Republican nominee contest.

That speaks volumes as to how the public perceives these scumbags…yet they never get the idea.

[thaibeachlovers]

The dump Trump movement is faltering because his poll numbers are going up.

Another probable reason is that there is no real alternative to this buffoon.

This is the worst presidential election choice in my lifetime.

Trump wouldn't look good compared to anybody except maybe Hillary Clinton.

HRC is Jesus Christ compared to Trump.

I didn't want the dump Trump thingy to succeed. I want see the worst drubbing of candidate at the polls in history. Thank you GOP.

Obviously you know nothing about the Christ.

The 1% ers of his time conspired to kill him because he opposed them. As HRC IS a 1% er, he would throw her down the steps of Wall St along with all the other crooks bankers.

[losworld]

The dump Trump movement is faltering because his poll numbers are going up.

Another probable reason is that there is no real alternative to this buffoon.

This is the worst presidential election choice in my lifetime.

Trump wouldn't look good compared to anybody except maybe Hillary Clinton.

And you just may be the worst voter ever in a Presidential eleciton but you, like many here, probably do not even live in the USA but continue to post with your panites in a knot.

[Andreas2]

It's time to focus on what Trump represents, rather on the empty head he carries beneath his mop.

Trump represents all the pissed-off voters in many countries (see UK and, soon, France). Millions do not like him, but those same millions are glad he is doing such a good job of setting the cat amongst the pigeons.

He does the job of whistle-blowers everywhere, such as good patriots like Manning and Snowden. Whistle-blowers are hated, even though they perform a great cleansing job for all the rest of us, and the Establishment in all countries quickly move to either imprison the poor schmuck who has blown the whistle or threaten to imprison him if he (usually a "he") dares ever to set foot again in his home country. (Or, as with Assange, still stuck in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, they trump up false allegations against him and attempt to demonize him.)

The demonising of Donald Trump is a perfect illustration of what happens if you don't sing from the correct hymn-sheet.

Great post, unfortunately spoilt by the second part of your first sentence. Sad.

Try to separate your thoughtful analysis from your "opinion" - Especially if it is such a cheap, wrong one ("empty head", do you really believe that? I honestly don't think so). It unnecessarily completely spoils the rest of your post with which I otherwise totally agree.

It's time to focus on what Trump represents, rather than how unconventionally (refreshing? entertaining? offensive?) he expresses his opinions and positions.

[sgtsabai]

I do believe I spelled it right. What's the matter right wingnuts, you can't handle the truth, oh wait you wouldn't know the truth if it crawled up your butt...........https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesar_Chavez........The orange monster represents racism, pure and simple. If one can't realize that, then one is a racist, pure and simple. Than "man" is not even qualified to be dawg catcher in a one dog town.

[sgtsabai]

I too was in VN, you with the service ribbon. USMC Sgt-VN 1966/67 and I too get 2 stars, means nothing. I was supposed to be on the trip with Jane, but declined because I was afraid I'd loose it and start killing Vietnamese. Nothing but lies that have been debunked over and over again and Jane has apologized several times for the very stupid photo. Barry Romo, Lt. USA, went along with a couple of other VN Vets. I knew John Kerry, was instrumental in getting him removed from VVAW. John was a good man back in those days but inclined to his future and not completely stopping the war with all that entailed. VVAW was far more to the left than John. Jane was a friend of all GI's, very supportive of VVAW and the GI movement. You know not of that which you speak.

[boomerangutang]

It says a lot for the paucity of leadership material in the GOP if the Dump Trump movement can't even put someone up as an alternative. Cruz is roundly disliked. Rubio is a robotron kid. Kasich is mildly ok, but Republicans don't want anyone reasonable. Who's left? Palin? Romney again? Captain Kangaroo with Mr. Green Jeans as his running mate? Oh sorry, they're deceased.

Republicans had a somewhat respectable leader in the form of Colin Powell, but Bush Jr. and Cheney torpedoed Powell's reputation & career when they put him in front of the UN to convince the world that Iraq had WMD (which was proved false). Powell was as close as the Republicans have had; to a sage leader in the past 25 years.

[mrwebb8825]

Just hide and watch. The anti-Trumpsters will all be begging for their place at the trough or crying in their beer soon enough. Clinton has the hard choice of picking someone who can help her win without making her look like the rich, crazy aunt that families invite to functions because they want to be in her will while secretly hoping she'll die soon.

Still my favorite Bill-Toon: http://prntscr.com/bu643e