Columnist quits Republican Party over Trump

Former Bogota, New Jersey, Mayor Steve Lonegan, a Ted Cruz supporter and spokesman for a super PAC backing the effort, said he plans to hire East, West and Central regional field directors to begin building a “comprehensive list of every single delegate” to get to know their interests and issues. The campaign is attempting to convince delegates that they do not have to be bound to vote for Trump and that they can vote for anyone they want. However, if the anti-Trump forces cause a scene on national television, it would not look good for the image of the Trump campaign or the Republican party, The New York Times reports. Marco Rubio, who launched a website called DelegatesRevolt.com, told delegates on the call that he thought of himself and his group as serving as a “cheerleader” for those opposed to Trump.

Thus, if one believes that America needs a responsible two-party system in which at least one of the two parties stands for individual liberty under the rule of law, then the most urgent task at this point should be saving the GOP, regardless of the cost when the votes are counted in November. “We’ll see how things go between now and the convention as to what the next steps are”. “Make sure he loses”, Will said of Trump”. And he suggested he doesn’t expect the GOP platform to reflect Trump’s ideas.

Kendal Unruh, a Colorado delegate, leader of the movement to unbind delegates and a member of the Rules Committee, said reports that the committee is stacked against her are false, describing them as “misinformation”. An unquestioned success in the GOP primaries, they have struggled to respond to the increased demands of a general election as Trump emerged as the party’s presumptive nominee. On Monday, Trump fired campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who conceded he lacked the experience needed to grow Trump’s operation. George Will said as much upon declaring his departure: “This is not my party”.

“I don’t think he has a history of conservatism, let alone Republicanism”, says delegate Matthew Ridenhour, a Mecklenburg County commissioner. In swing-state Iowa, experienced operative Sara Craig says she won’t work for Trump or even support him.

“If any such delegate notifies the secretary of his or her intent to cast a vote of conscience, whether personal or religious, each such delegate shall be unbound and unconstrained by these rules on any given vote, including the first ballot for the selection of the Republican nominee for President of the United States, without the risk of challenge, sanction, or retribution by the Republican National Committee”.

“He has an advantage on me, because he can say everything he knows about any subject in 140 characters and I can’t”, he said.

“Delegates were elected to represent Michigan Republicans and enter the RNC Convention pledged to vote for a specific candidate for president… changing the rules right in the middle of the game would disenfranchise record numbers of Republicans who voted in the selection process this year”, the statement read.

“I’m not”, echoed Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC).