# Possible GOP nominees in case of brokered convention **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 1, 2016, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-gop-nominees-in-case-of-brokered-convention/747588 "2016-03-01T01:35:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-gop-nominees-in-case-of-brokered-convention/747588/21 "2016-03-01T20:55:23Z")
The only candidate I can think of who could credibly create a 3rd party with crossover appeal between Democrats and Republicans is Michael Bloomberg, but he won’t run against Hillary. I believe he had already said that if Sanders and Trump won, he would seriously consider mounting a 3rd party campaign. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-gop-nominees-in-case-of-brokered-convention/747588/22 "2016-03-01T21:01:55Z")
> [@rsa](#): > > Due to [rule 40](https://cdn.gop.com/docs/2012_RULES_Adopted.pdf) enacted in 2012, a nominee must win a majority in at least 8 states to have a brokered convention. It’s unlikely that anyone other than Trump can accomplish that. > > Much more likely is a “contested” convention where no candidate has a simple majority of over 50% of the delegates. Whoo! The GOP hasn’t had one of those since 1976 – and that one got **ugly!** (You can read the story in [_The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan,_](http://www.amazon.com/The-Invisible-Bridge-Nixon-Reagan/dp/1491534737) by Rick Perlstein.) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-gop-nominees-in-case-of-brokered-convention/747588/23 "2016-03-01T21:03:54Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > The only candidate I can think of who could credibly create a 3rd party . . . I think we should have learned from the Ross Perot experience: Candidates do not create parties. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-gop-nominees-in-case-of-brokered-convention/747588/24 "2016-03-01T21:24:50Z")
A third party won’t happen this year, at least not the kind you’re thinking, where Republicans support an alternative to Trump. However, there WILL be a primary challenge in 2020 should Trump win the election. It’s also possible that a new party could be formed out of Republicans in the Bush/Ryan/Rubio/Kasich mold, along with Blue Dog Democrats and Olympia Snowe Republicans. Democrats are doing their best to shoo their conservatives out the door and even many of their liberals if they are “wrong” about issues like Iran, as Chuck Schumer and Bob Menendez found out. Let’s welcome them to the new party too, why not? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-gop-nominees-in-case-of-brokered-convention/747588/25 "2016-03-01T21:28:43Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I predict a very troubled summer, disruptions at the conventions, and many surprises yet to come. Cleveland police clubbing down establishment Republicans in the streets. Tea Party Republicans attempting to place Pigasus in nomination. The smell of tear gas and marijuana wafting through the convention hall. Pat Boone and Johnny Mathis performing revolutionary songs in the coffee houses. The whole world is watching! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-gop-nominees-in-case-of-brokered-convention/747588/26 "2016-03-01T21:29:51Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Whoo! The GOP hasn’t had one of those since 1976 – and that one got **ugly!** (You can read the story in [_The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan,_](http://www.amazon.com/The-Invisible-Bridge-Nixon-Reagan/dp/1491534737) by Rick Perlstein.) [The Doonesbury version](http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/1976/08/18): Interviewer: “And just how long does it take a man to completely renounce everything he’s always stood for?” Schweiker: “At least 36 hours - the paperwork’s incredible!” ---
**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:** [March 1, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-gop-nominees-in-case-of-brokered-convention/747588/27 "2016-03-01T21:38:09Z")
What are the odds that there won’t be a second ballot – that Trump will have enough committed delegates to take it all on the first? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-gop-nominees-in-case-of-brokered-convention/747588/28 "2016-03-01T21:44:11Z")
Depends on what happens today. Rubio needs to upset Trump in a couple of states and Cruz needs 50% in Texas to win all of Texas’ delegates. Both of those events occurring, even if Trump won most of the states, would make it harder for him to ensure a majority on the first ballot. And Kasich still has a shot to deny Trump any Ohio delegates. If Rubio can just hold Florida, maybe… ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-gop-nominees-in-case-of-brokered-convention/747588/29 "2016-03-07T00:17:34Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Nikki Haley is not a possibility – she offended the GOP voter base too badly by supporting the removal of the treason rag from the state capitol grounds. … > [@](#): > > [South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), who according to one recent poll enjoys a towering 81 percent approval rating among South Carolina Republicans and an 84 percent approval rating among South Carolina Tea Party supporters …](http://thehill.com/opinion/brent-budowsky/266359-brent-budowsky-nikki-haleys-date-with-destiny) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-gop-nominees-in-case-of-brokered-convention/747588.md?page=1)