# Trump's Republican primary campaign **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 3, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828 "2015-09-03T18:00:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 186
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3705 "2016-04-15T15:35:37Z")
> [@Hank\_Beecher](#): > > They are certainly far more likely to commit the crime of illegally crossing the border. That should not disqualify them from a path to citizenship (for those who even want it). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3706 "2016-04-15T15:40:18Z")
[Trump Uses Eric Garner’s Dying Words To Mock Mitt Romney; His Supporters Roar With Laughter](http://www.addictinginfo.org/2016/04/13/trump-uses-eric-garners-dying-words-to-mock-mitt-romney-his-supporters-roar-with-laughter/). ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3707 "2016-04-15T16:02:21Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Yet Trump (or whichever surrogate wrote that tract and Trump approved) explicitly stated that one million Republican voters were disenfranchised. Yes we were since selecting delegates involved multiple layers on indirect voting and at no point did we actual say who we wanted for President. Of course the delegates elected were lifetime party workers so I really question whether their loyalties were to the voters or to the Party. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3708 "2016-04-15T16:46:23Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I’m not personally convinced by Trump’s WSJ argument (I’m also fine with Democratic super delegates, the electoral college, etc) but I can see how it’s a convincing one. And it makes his argument that the system is “unfair” and makes it about the American voter where the RNC can only defend with rules written by party elites. It’s very difficult to frame “The rules we wrote say that we don’t have to listen to you” as a positive to people who feel like they’re being ignored or disenfranchised. 538 makes the point that it’s ‘unfair,’ but in a different sense: [http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trumps-right-that-the-gop-primary-is-unfair-it-favors-him/](http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trumps-right-that-the-gop-primary-is-unfair-it-favors-him/) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3709 "2016-04-15T16:50:05Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Yes we were since selecting delegates involved multiple layers on indirect voting and at no point did we actual say who we wanted for President. Of course the delegates elected were lifetime party workers so I really question whether their loyalties were to the voters or to the Party. Please show figures which bear out his/his surrogate’s numbers, which is the point I made. Guess what? You can’t. They’re not reported. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3710 "2016-04-15T17:03:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Please show figures which bear out his/his surrogate’s numbers, which is the point I made. Guess what? You can’t. They’re not reported. OK I’m really confused. What numbers do you want? At the time of the caucus there were just over 940,000 registered Republicans in Colorado. We were the one state that never had a straw poll so we never voted for a candidate so there are no numbers in existence for how we voted. Instead we elected a slate of party hacks as delegates that later selected another slate of party hacks as delegates that just recently selected the final slate of party hacks as delegates that by state rules are unbound delegates to the RNC. Were we disenfranchised? Yes by our own state rules. The idea was that our delegates would be free to vote as they wanted at the RNC but they are 100% Cruz supporters. Cruz claims it’s because he was the only one organized out here. Trump claims it’s because the RNC is actively trying to ensure he loses. ---
**Author:** ![Reyemile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@Reyemile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reyemile)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3711 "2016-04-15T17:07:02Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [Trump Uses Eric Garner’s Dying Words To Mock Mitt Romney; His Supporters Roar With Laughter](http://www.addictinginfo.org/2016/04/13/trump-uses-eric-garners-dying-words-to-mock-mitt-romney-his-supporters-roar-with-laughter/). I don’t see any actual evidence in the text of this article that the headline is accurate. “I can’t breathe” isn’t exactly a unique combination of words, and the author cites no evidence that Trump or his crowd connected it to Garner. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3712 "2016-04-15T17:09:38Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > OK I’m really confused. What numbers do you want? > At the time of the caucus there were just over 940,000 registered Republicans in Colorado. We were the one state that never had a straw poll so we never voted for a candidate so there are no numbers in existence for how we voted. Instead we elected a slate of party hacks as delegates that later selected another slate of party hacks as delegates that just recently selected the final slate of party hacks as delegates that by state rules are unbound delegates to the RNC. > > Were we disenfranchised? Yes by our own state rules. The idea was that our delegates would be free to vote as they wanted at the RNC but they are 100% Cruz supporters. Cruz claims it’s because he was the only one organized out here. Trump claims it’s because the RNC is actively trying to ensure he loses. And what portion of those 940,000 actually showed at caucuses, and what percentage actually voted for Trump? (Those would be the ones who were supposedly ‘disenfranchised.’) Your number already shows Trump was overblowing the numbers to make his point. (Again, there’s the caveat that I don’t think he’s bright enough or has the attention span to write a several-pages-long tract, I think it was a surrogate who wrote it and he just OK’d it.) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3713 "2016-04-15T17:10:42Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Cruz claims it’s because he was the only one organized out here. Trump claims it’s because the RNC is actively trying to ensure he loses. I’d say both statements are true. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3714 "2016-04-15T17:16:02Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Instead we elected a slate of party hacks as delegates that later selected another slate of party hacks as delegates that just recently selected the final slate of party hacks as delegates that by state rules are unbound delegates to the RNC. My niece’s husband was selected as a delegate to attend the Colorado State Republican Convention, and he is not a party hack. He just went to caucus, and they elected him. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3715 "2016-04-15T17:31:11Z")
> [@Reyemile](#): > > I don’t see any actual evidence in the text of this article that the headline is accurate. “I can’t breathe” isn’t exactly a unique combination of words, and the author cites no evidence that Trump or his crowd connected it to Garner. There are a ton of left-leaning sites that dopers keep quoting that make no effort whatsoever to fact check. They just slap eye-grabbing headlines on things and bam, ready-made audience. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3716 "2016-04-15T17:31:21Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > 538 makes the point that it’s ‘unfair,’ but in a different sense: > > [http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trumps-right-that-the-gop-primary-is-unfair-it-favors-him/](http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trumps-right-that-the-gop-primary-is-unfair-it-favors-him/) Whoever feels that Reince Priebus or Paul Ryan is out to give him the high hat probably cares even less about Nate Silver’s (or Harry Enten’s) opinion. Again, I don’t agree with Trump’s argument but I’m thankful that it’s not my job to argue against it to the millions and millions of Trump supporters. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3717 "2016-04-15T17:33:13Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Yet Trump (or whichever surrogate wrote that tract and Trump approved) If Trump wrote even one sentence of that editorial, I’ll eat a hat factory. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3718 "2016-04-15T17:33:23Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > And what portion of those 940,000 actually showed at caucuses, and what percentage actually voted for Trump? What do you not get? THOSE NUMBERS ABOUT VOTING FOR CANDIDATES DON’T EXIST!!! Colorado Pubs never voted for a candidate. Never. Voted. For. A. Candidate. Never Voted For A Candidate ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3719 "2016-04-15T17:34:56Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > My niece’s husband was selected as a delegate to attend the Colorado State Republican Convention, and he is not a party hack. He just went to caucus, and they elected him. Then I stand corrected. All of the delegates being interviewed talk about working for the party for years. Incidently do you know who he supported? ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3720 "2016-04-15T18:00:51Z")
[GOP Race in the 17 states that have not yet voted: Trump 51% Cruz 21% Kasich 14%]([https://twitter.com/PpollingNumbers/status/720972924769931264](https://twitter.com/PpollingNumbers/status/720972924769931264)) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3721 "2016-04-15T18:02:43Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > What do you not get? THOSE NUMBERS ABOUT VOTING FOR CANDIDATES DON’T EXIST!!! Colorado Pubs never voted for a candidate. Never. Voted. For. A. Candidate. > > Never Voted For A Candidate Let me see if I can make this clear. What the hell do you think a caucus is? Those who wanted to, voted. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3722 "2016-04-15T18:15:24Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I’m not personally convinced by Trump’s WSJ argument (I’m also fine with Democratic super delegates, the electoral college, etc) but I can see how it’s a convincing one. And it makes his argument that the system is “unfair” and makes it about the American voter where the RNC can only defend with rules written by party elites. It’s very difficult to frame “The rules we wrote say that we don’t have to listen to you” as a positive to people who feel like they’re being ignored or disenfranchised. ## “We wrote the rules to give Coloradans a bigger voice in the Presidential selection process. Last year, when we looked at the calendar, we saw that Colorado was one of the later states. So we (Colorado Republicans) wanted to make sure our voice was heard. That’s what this process does. We let you know. We put information on our websites, we published it in newspapers, we sent email and snail mail to Colorado Republicans to ask them to come and let their opinions be known. Some people did, and this is the will of those people. We’re proud that Colorado voices will have a significant effect on the Republican nomination and hope that Colorado Republicans have an impact on choosing the next President of the United States” Really, they weren’t ignored. They weren’t disenfranchised. They were invited to the table and they didn’t bother to come. I read somewhere that only 5% of registered Republicans made it to the precinct caucuses. That’s a lot of apathy. It also means that it wouldn’t have taken very much at all to flip the vote the other way - if Trump truly has all those supporters, where the hell were they? Whining about it now is not good form. ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3723 "2016-04-15T18:39:28Z")
[After briefly dropping below 50% last week, Trump’s chances to get the nomination climb to 60%](http://predictwise.com/) With Clinton holding steady, currently at 93%, it looks like the chances of a Clinton/Trump election are \>50%. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/3724 "2016-04-15T18:41:20Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Let me see if I can make this clear. What the hell do you think a caucus is? Those who wanted to, voted. Yes but we were the one state that **did not vote for a candidate**. We voted directly for delegates. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828.md?page=185) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828.md?page=187)