RUSH: I got an e-mail today from friend who said I need to… (interruption) What’s that? You talk about the establishment, the convention and all that?
I think people might think you’re talking about the delegates, and it’s a good point. Let me see if I can… I don’t know there’s anything straight now, but let me clarify something. In the past couple of weeks I have rolled up my sleeves and I have gotten pretty intense in my discussion of Trump opponents within the Republican establishment and what their motivations are, and many people have come under the incorrect assumption I’m talking about them. The delegates to the Republican National Convention — just the standard, ordinary, everyday delegates — are just like you and me, folks. They are elected, nominated, whatever.
They win the honor at the state level. The delegates are not part of anything. When we talk about a contested convention and the establishment getting together and choosing whoever would be the nominee maybe in defiance of the popular vote, in defiance of democratic principles and so forth, I’m not talking about the delegates except as to point out that the delegates on the first ballot are committed. They’re pledged to vote however the people their state voted. After that, they can do whatever they want.
But when we get into in-depth discussions here of the establishment and their motives, I’m not talking about delegates in any way, shape, manner, or form. The delegates are, in fact, the focus of attention with all the horse trading. The delegates are people in some cases who can be told what to do, depending on the structure of the Republican Party from the state they representing as delegates. But it’s… If anybody has concluded that in my discussions here of the quote/unquote “establishment” and actions that may or may not be taken at the convention…
If that involves delegates — people in the smoke-filled rooms, the powerbrokers pulling the levers, doing what they can to deny the expressed will of the people. Delegates are not part of that discussion. As an example, in a Reuters story: “Meet a Man Who Will Help Determine Trump’s Fate in the 2016 Election.” It’s actually accuse a strange story for Reuters. “Mark Strang spends his days delivering farm equipment, listening to politics on the radio during cross-country drives. But in July, the 63-year-old could have an outsized voice in choosing the Republican nominee for president of the United States.
“For the first time in 40 years, Republicans could arrive at their national convention in Cleveland without a nominee. If front-runner Donald Trump fails to lock up the nomination before then, as some pollsters are predicting, Strang will have a chance to make history. Strang, from Illinois, is one of 2,472 delegates to the convention who will ultimately determine the party’s choice for the White House this November. In recent elections, the delegates have simply rubberstamped the presumptive nominee. But this year the convention could become a brutal fight in which every delegate vote will count.”
Trump currently at 673 delegates, short of the 1,237. “There is some doubt among election number crunchers that he can hit it.” By the way, there’s more on that today. Another best guess scenario has Trump 60 short. And then the question: “Well, what do we do then?” Anyway, if nobody gets 1,237, says Reuters, “that’s when Strang will step into the spotlight. After filling roles in local Republican politics, Strang was selected by Illinois voters to serve as a delegate for Republican candidate US Senator Ted Cruz, of Texas.” Oh, he’s a Cruz delegate.
He’s pledged to Cruz on the first ballot, and he can stay if there is more than one ballot. He can stay with Cruz as long as he wants. It’s his vote. Now, he’s also… Like every other delegate, if it goes beyond the first ballot, all kinds of people are gonna be coming to these delegates and making trades, using whatever tools at their disposal to persuade them to vote the way whoever’s approaching them wants them to vote. But Mark Strang “likes Cruz for his position on guns and immigration. But if the convention becomes a fight because no candidate has the needed 1,237 delegates … most of the delegates would eventually be released,” meaning after that first ballot.
My point is, folks, this guy is just like you or me. He happens to be a delegate to the convention. And the people that are selected as delegates or win the right, it’s an honor to them. It’s a big, big deal. But they are not necessarily, and I don’t want anybody being unnecessarily confused. They are not the quote/unquote establishment. They are not locked in. At least as we talk about the establishment here, that is not who they are. There was also one other bit of confusion on the program yesterday. It happened in the last hour of the program.
I was in the midst of an explanation about why some in the establishment so oppose Trump, and I stated it’s because they look at how Trump is winning without their services, and I was speaking of consultants and pollsters and any number of other people who traditionally are part of every candidate’s team or apparatus. And the point that I was… I’ve gone to great lengths here trying to explain to people who can’t understand it why people are supporting Trump. And I’ve also gone to great pains to try to explain to you, the people in this audience, why the opponents of Trump explain him and what the various possible motivations for it are.
Well, many people yesterday assumed I was talking about them when I was actually talking about 10 people or however many professional consultants there are. I don’t like naming names here because it’s… It probably would be better if I did. I just don’t like going there. But the consultants I was talking about are the people who take on candidates and promise victory. These are the guys that forever have been telling Republican candidates, “I’m the guy that can get you the independent vote.
“I’m the guy that can get you the 20% of the vote that you need to win,” and that has led to Republican candidates ignoring the base, taking it for grant and going out and sounding like squishy independents, like McCain or Romney. But a lot of people who are opposed to Trump in the blogosphere think I was talking about them. And I was not. I’m under the impression falsely that people know my definition of terms when I’m talking about consultants, pollsters, and so forth. Anyway I’m up against it on time here.