When Republican delegates from across the country arrive in Cleveland in July there will be one thing on their mind: Who can beat Hillary Clinton in November. I have some experience in delegate thinking as I’ve written about previously.
If Donald Trump or Ted Cruz do not have the minimum 1,237 delegates needed to secure the GOP nomination, neither will be the nominee.
And they shouldn’t be.
Clinching the nomination by winning a variety of primary and caucus states is how the process works. If no candidate can accomplish it, the process leads to an open convention and then it’s back to square one.
Based on everything we know about critical battleground states, including Ohio, the GOP is going to want a stronger nominee than either Trump or Cruz.
As I’ve written previously, the strongest consensus name in the Republican Party today is Paul Ryan. The man who has already been through a national campaign as Mitt Romney’s running mate. Without question. He is the George Washington of 2016. I know he says he doesn’t want to be the presidential nominee but that’s nonsense. This is the man who insisted he didn’t want to be Speaker. And now he’s Speaker.
To those who say the nomination “must” go to a candidate who has run this year that’s ridiculous. The rules are created to make sure there is a strong consensus candidate. If you don’t have a candidate who can pull together 1,237 delegates that’s a warning bell. Thus you have the option of looking elsewhere.
And this 2012 rule about “having to win eight states” to be the nominee? It’s just a party rule. Look for it to be bounced by the rules committee the week before the convention starts.
Sending Paul Ryan into battle this fall will shield Republican candidates across the country, from congressional to state to local. In addition, I believe Ryan could beat Hillary Clinton in the battlegrounds – Ohio, Florida, Virginia. So if Republicans unite now and start working on this plan they might not only save the reputation of their party…but just might elect a president along the way.