# Five days before the Republican National Convention (hypothetical) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 30, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520 "2008-04-30T21:02:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/21 "2008-05-02T01:06:18Z")
[QUOTE=Simplicio] I believe most delegates are bound by the laws of their home states to vote for the candidate chosen by that states primary on the first ballot. … [/QUOTE] I very much doubt this. The two parties are not branches of government and the nominations are not elections to government positions. Federal and state governments have very little say in how the parties nominate their candidates. That’s why the the national committee can throw out the results of states votes, refuse to seat state delegations, and all kinds of other things. There is no way that state law would allow that Democratic delegates will be ordered to vote proportionally to the number of votes in the primary, and with Repulicans it will be winner take all. The parties can do pretty much whatever they please with their primaries and delegates. Hence the huge messes with Florida and Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/22 "2008-05-02T01:14:38Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] So long as McCain is still alive, he’ll be the candidate. If necessary, they will install servomechanisms to move his lips and jaws. [/QUOTE] It worked for his wife. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/23 "2008-05-02T01:26:46Z")
[QUOTE=Richard Parker] Interesting. If so, that would be news to a lot of political bloggers. Do you have a cite? [/QUOTE] Well, I was partly right. According to [this CNN article](http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/26/clinton.delegates/index.html) > [@](#): > > Some states require their delegates to support the candidate they are pledged to but most do not. So its true in some cases, but not “most” like I was thinking (in retrospect, I think I was getting confused with delegates sent to the electoral college, who are usually bound by law). It’s apparently pretty complicated, here’s an article [in which a Dem delegate from Pennsylvania](http://www.slate.com/id/2189568/pagenum/2) tries to find out if he can legally change his vote. He gets differing answers depending on which lawyers he asks. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/24 "2008-05-02T02:16:57Z")
[QUOTE=Simplicio] It’s apparently pretty complicated, here’s an article [in which a Dem delegate from Pennsylvania](http://www.slate.com/id/2189568/pagenum/2) tries to find out if he can legally change his vote. He gets differing answers depending on which lawyers he asks. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the cites! That’s really interesting. Maybe I’ll start a thread to debate the legality of such pledge contracts. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/25 "2008-05-02T04:56:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Presumably if the candidate withdraws or is deceased, they would be released, though if he’s merely in the hospital, it might be less clear. I’ve read that at least a few of Mitt Romney’s delegates have said that they are pledged to vote for him and are going to do so even though Romney himself has withdrawn his candidacy and endorsed McCain. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/26 "2008-05-02T11:24:18Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] The parties can do pretty much whatever they please with their primaries and delegates. Hence the huge messes with Florida and Michigan. [/QUOTE] Yes, and often the State Parties have rules that require national delegates to support their pledged candidate for the first ballot. Not a state law, but a party rule. There is also the effect of _peer pressure_. It’s fellow party members who elected you to be a national delegate for their candidate. If you double-cross them on this when you get to the national convention, they will never elect you to anything again. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/27 "2008-05-02T12:05:17Z")
If it was apparent that there was no way that McCain would be able to campaign in the fall, they’d vote to change the rules to free all the delegates. Then they’d vote among whoever gets their name placed in nomination. I’d bet on Romney. Whoever got it would say in his acceptance speech that if McCain recovered, he’d step down and let McCain reclaim the nomination. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/28 "2008-05-03T01:46:55Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] Whoever got it would say in his acceptance speech that if McCain recovered, he’d step down and let McCain reclaim the nomination. [/QUOTE] Is this possible, once the convention has nominated their candidate? At some point ballots have to be printed, right? ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/29 "2008-05-04T05:16:45Z")
I’m surprised no one has mentioned Giuliani. In an open convention, I think he would be in play. Especially since most of the delegates will be moderates. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/30 "2008-05-04T05:45:52Z")
I think Giuliani’s facing the same problem as Fred Thompson. As theoretical candidates they looked strong but when they actually ran they didn’t attract votes. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/31 "2008-05-04T06:03:34Z")
[QUOTE=PBear42] I’m surprised no one has mentioned Giuliani. In an open convention, I think he would be in play. Especially since most of the delegates will be moderates. [/QUOTE] Really? I sort of figure delegates were “the base” as it were, state level party functionaries that were really passionate about GOP issues. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/32 "2008-05-04T08:51:11Z")
With regard to Thompson, did he fade because he was too like McCain? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/33 "2008-05-04T13:11:04Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] With regard to Thompson, did he fade because he was too like McCain? [/QUOTE] He faded because he didn’t really run. He got in the race, but then he didn’t put much effort into campaigning, and his campaign just fell apart. ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520/34 "2008-05-05T02:58:47Z")
[QUOTE=Simplicio] Really? I sort of figure delegates were “the base” as it were, state level party functionaries that were really passionate about GOP issues. [/QUOTE] No, most of them are McCain supporters. Republicans, obviously, but not a random sample. I’m not saying it’s obvious they would plunk for Giuliani, but I think he would be considered. **Little Nemo’s** point is valid, but Rudy lost to McCain. For most McCain supporters, I thnk, Rudy would be preferable to Romney or Huckabee, both on the issues and because he would have a better chance of winning in November. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-days-before-the-republican-national-convention-hypothetical/447520.md?page=1)