Well, you can relax. It turns out that when Donald Trump said there would be riots in Cleveland if he is denied the nomination, he was only speaking figuratively. So says the Republican National Committee’s chief strategist and spokesman, Sean Spicer:
“Well first of all, I assume he’s speaking figuratively,” Sean Spicer, the RNC’s chief strategist and spokesman, told CNN. “I think if we go into a convention, whoever gets 1,237 delegates becomes the nominee. It’s plain and simple.”
CNN host Carol Costello pushed back, remarking that she did not think Trump was speaking figuratively when he told the network’s morning show that in the event he comes up short of the nomination, “I think you’d have riots. I think you’d have riots.”
Spicer disputed the assessment, remarking, “It’s the left, and the people on the left that have disrupted events are trying to go in and undermine people’s First Amendment rights,” a possible allusion to protesters supporting Bernie Sanders who forced the cancellation of Trump’s rally in Chicago last Friday.
Given the definition of figuratively, we have to assume that Spicer doesn’t believe Trump meant it when he said that there would be riots. Maybe he thinks whatever fisticuffs occur among foaming-mad delegates won’t rise to the level where the term “riot” would “literally” apply.
If Trump doesn’t win on the first ballot, the question will be whether the riot occurs right then and there in an effort to intimidate those intriguing against him, or if the riot only breaks out after Trump has been outmaneuvered and sidelined.
I’m pretty sure that it will prove impossible to have a “plain and simple” second ballot vote, but the aftermath is sure to be messy if Trump is denied. Will Trump’s delegates file peacefully out of the convention hall in protest? Will Trump take to the podium and promise to pay their legal fees if they assault opposing delegates?
It’s not going to be orderly. I’m sure of that.
Don’t Republicans always say any comments they make that causes others to gasp in horror aren’t intended to be taken literally? IOW, “We’re just lying sacks of shit that love to yank the chains of liberals.” And “it’s so much fun because liberals are so darn predictable.” The Trumpsters appear to relish being in on the game.
Yes. We discussed this meme in a thread last week. Several of us commented that our friends and relatives often adjure us that they just listen to Limbaugh because they think he’s “funny,” and it’s not meant to be serious. Ha ha funny… NOT.
On a different, prior post about how Cleveland is stocking up on riot gear (or something) in advance of the convention, I said that Cleveland PD/National Guard better ready for something big to happen. These are big-time 2d Amendment types, and Trump is bellowing about how the 2d Amend is “under attack” (as if) and needs to be “strengthened.”
I wish for a peaceful convention, but it you rile up a bunch of rattle snakes, you’d better have some anti-venom very very very handy. These people are likely to be armed and dangerous. Trump is riling them up very very deliberately imo.
Should also note that building a stockpile of military gear isn’t unique to Cleveland. In this case, both sides are actually doing it.
Contentious conventions are always problematical. The ’64 GOP convention was ugly and the threat of violence hovered right below the surface. The ’92 GOP convention was also contentious but express more politely than ’64. Those conventions probably weren’t unique to the history of this country. (Note: DEM ’68 was different because those that objected weren’t on the convention floor.)
We might end up with the 1964 GOP convention (or worse!) inside the convention hall and the 1968 Democratic convention outside–the worst of both worlds.
Now I’m wondering about how the Whig convention that failed to re-nominate their own sitting President unfolded.
I must say…I hope the RNC does try to steal the nomination from Trump. I really do. Can you imagine the chaos that would erupt!!!??? And I don’t just mean fistfights in the audience. The entire RatPub Party would implode.
How fun!!!
AG
P.S. Plus it would further awaken many people who are only now beginning to realize the extent of the ongoing, bipartisan PermaGov fix.
Can’t wait!!!
WTFU, folks. If Bernie had beaten HRC, the same game would be being played by the DNC.
Bet on it.
If I had some ham, I could make ham and eggs, if I had eggs.
We’ve got the ham!!! And plenty of it, too.
We also have the eggs. Lots and lots of them as well.
Most of them already cracked. (Like Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Check him out. Obviously yolk-damaged.)
Let’s make a omelet!!!
AG
I too hope the RNC tries to steal it from him. It would be like a nucular bomb to the party.
Has their been any indication that Trump is mobilizing previously non-voting people or getting any significant numbers of Democrats to switch to him?
I’ve been playing with numbers on 538’s vote calculator trying to game out different scenarios. Without a really big shift in non-college-educated white votes, presumably his best demographic, I’m having a hard time coming up with a realistic Trump win.
http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-swing-the-election/
Just heard a commentary that there’s good evidence that Trump is not mobilizing new voters to caucus/primary. Instead, he is mobilizing Rep voters who have simply not been involved in the process at this stage before.
It’s a complete mystery how Trump could possibly win the GE. But might be best to table any objective analyses until it’s seen if he wins the nomination and what he rolls out for the GE.
The new wrinkle is Jonathan Alter’s piece about how Trump can’t afford to fund a GE and so much of the dark money has been placing ads against him. But dark money it will be, and Trump will find himself accountable. Gone will be his self funding mantra.
As if the ten of millions in PAC monies plus untold amounts of dark money did Jeb? and Rubio any good in taking down Trump.
Objectively, Trump has received over a billion dollars worth of free MSM coverage more than his nearest “free coverage” competitor — HRC — who also dwarfs the others. Who will draw in more eyeballs during the GE – Trump or Clinton? And eyeballs is how the media MSM makes its money.
Given how little Trump has spent on his primary campaign, he could consider accepting public financing for the GE. Don’t know what the rules are and if public financing comes with a no PAC string. However, as PACs aren’t supposed to interact with campaigns, and all the candidates have been violating that rule, not sure how the FEC could impose it on Trump. Then there’s true dark money — advocacy for a candidate through organizations not directly tied to a campaign. Nothing can stop them regardless if Trump accepts public financing or funds his own campaign.
Not point I was making actually. Trump doesn’t have the liquidity to fund a GE. He just doesn’t. The money has to come from somewhere and he’ll need a boatload of it. Boatloads his supporters don’t necessarily have so that leaves him to ask the big money.
And big money comes with strings. He will lose entirely his ‘self funded’ meme.
Thought my comment reflected that Trump wouldn’t spend any of his own money during the general election.
This is John McCain’s fundraising and spending in 2008. Most of it was for the general election. Note how much he was able to raise and spend while taking the $84 million in federal financing. This was before the CU decision. The money — large and small donations will roll in for the general if he’s nominated. Would also expect him to use every available means possible to skirt any of the remaining laws. The FEC is so slow to act that we’ll be into the 2020 election cycle before they could catch up with Trump for financing violations.
Now it is true that Obama spent twice as much as McCain and beat him by over six points. But McCain wasn’t an interesting or exciting candidate compared to Obama and his sidekick running mate was a train wreck. If anyone can take federal funding and possibly make it work, it would be someone that generates as much interest as Trump does. His big problem is himself — his not suitable or qualified.
Problem is he loses his main attraction for his supporters. He will no longer be self funding. Where will he find money that doesn’t offend his supporters?
It’s not his main attraction.
Everything I’ve read points that it IS his main attraction. Being self funded means he isn’t beholden to the corporate masters of the Rep that have failed his supporters. The theme runs through his entire campaign and allows him to riff from there.
I pointed out a couple ways to parallax last night. Being unconventional in terms of how political science says candidates operate means HRC’s playbook may not work very well against Trump and she does not do well off balance.
Second, because of our binary system, a collapse in the coalition of one party will effect the other with unpredictable results.
How about if Democrats and Independents don’t show up at the polls? Just kidding. Or am I ?
Assuming that Trump delegates are chosen because they are the most raucus, there’s good reason to take it another step forward and say that they would go the extra mile to shove the Donald down the throats of the convention holders. They won’t back down, period. Spicer’s statement misses the point that Trump is all about violence, take away the fists and he’s just Karl Rove.
Anyone noticed that Trump is sounding more like Palin every day? When asked this morning who his advisors were he answered simply, ‘me’. Then when pressed he said he had lots (as in I read lots of papers) and he’d let us know who they were when he felt like it.
He’ll nominate himself as VP.
Now that’s funny!!!.
Thank you.
AG
Maybe his son?
Fits the Trump family dynamic!
.
There’s no legal impediment to that, but they may not be able to pass the residency requirement. But seriously, this would be a bridge way too far for a majority of the electorate and wouldn’t be surprised if it’s too far for the Trumpstes as well.
I bet he also has binders full of women. (Or is it bindersful?)
The Drumpf he was sure, the Drumpf was not quiet. “If you don’t select me, there might be a riot! Yes, a riot I say, though I truly hate violence. But my supporters? They will not take this in silence.”
And there the Drumpf sat, like a frog on his pad, and the grand GOP had a very bad sad.
There was Bill Kristol who sputtered and sighed, as Marco and Jeb sat together and cried. And all of the folks at the Nashnul Review could not figure out the hullabaloo. They huffled and puffled “now how could this be? The Drumpf will destroy our whole GOP! His base was OUR base and he took it away. We don’t like this Drumpf. We don’t like how you play play.”
Brilliant.
Thank you.
AG
Well done!
I’ve got a bunch more.
Lay it on us.
I’ve been getting a little…down…recently.
AG
Sean Spicer is doing his work to catapult the propaganda.
“Rioting” is what liberals and non-whites do when they protest in any way, including non-violently.
“Making America Great Again” is what Real Americans are doing when they demagogue, shove, punch, maim, kill and spit on people who are Destroying Our Country with their liberalism and dusky “cultures”.
Republicans cannot riot. They can only be rioted upon.
That, or he’s just in plain denial. I used to give out awards named after Cleopatra for really blatant examples of this defense mechanism. If I were still doing so, I’d nominate Spicer for one.
Well, for goodness sake one certainly must conclude that Der Trumper means this literally—what in hell kind fascist movement doesn’t involve political violence and riots? Violence is a critical component of the authoritarian stew.
Now, are you telling me that Law-Abidin’ Second Amendment Protectin'(tm) gun nuts AREN’T gonna be able to bring their heavy weapons into the Cleveland Arena and walk around like Wyatt Earp Jr? Who could bear the abject hypocrisy? And whatever could go wrong with all those Armed American Patriots? It’ll all be fine!
It certainly looks like Der Trumper’s volk…er, folks, can’t quite sell the deal to a majority of the GOoPers, and neither Cruz (the REAL conserva-loon) and Kasich (the Official Establishment Phony Conserva-passionate) are goint to drop out–there’s no reason on earth for it. So no one in the (heavily armed) arena will have a majority if the present trends hold, although there will be a majority to block Trump: i.e. Kasich/Cruz (in his home state no less!)
Thank God we can rely on the highly responsible Repub party officials to handle this scenario with their usual wisdom, professionalism and aplomb! Coach KKK Rover will have all the answers! Me, I’ll be staying outta OH until the smoke clears and the dust settles…
As in this article, I keep reading about one of Donny’s people clarifying what he had clearly said by saying he didn’t mean what he said. The question is (and I’m not really sure I want to know the answer, but I guess I better) “What in the hell does Donny mean??”
He’ll do what he damn well pleases on the day but he wants to remind the that GOP that anything is possible and he’s still “in ur base killin ur d00dz”.
See? “Visibly taken aback by the response, Blitzer pressed Hughes if she truly wanted riots to break out at the Republican convention.” Attaboy, Wolf.
“The very first essential for success is a perpetually constant and regular employment of violence.”
― Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf
“If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.”
― Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf
“What luck for rulers that men do not think.”
― Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf
I wonder what Drumpf has been reading lately?
Cleveland is an open-carry state, right? I’m long metal detectors.
He was only spekaing figuratively? Oh man, that Trump is a riot. He slays me.