If Romney were forced out...would the 'pugs have an open convention? and who'd get their nom?

[Ken Burch]

And who would be the most likely possible replacements?

Everybody the far Right was salivating about as a possible candidate went down in flames in the primaries.

Jeb B. has made too many announcements that he was gonna wait for 2016(and if he were to get drafted, it's almost certain that a large bloc of Romneyites would sit on their hands this fall out of vindictive spite).

And Caribou Barbie has essentially vanished.

so who are the most likely alternatives?

6 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Reanimated Reagan?
	0 (0%)
	Zombie Nixon?
	0 (0%)
	Pat Buchanan(cue convention orchestra playing "Tomorrow Belongs To Me")
	1 (17%)
	Ted Nugent, just because he showed up with more guns than anybody else?
	0 (0%)
	One of the "Team America" marionettes?
	0 (0%)
	Glenn Beck...just because he wouldn't stop crying unless they picked him?
	4 (67%)
	Other?
	0 (0%)
	No nominee...rocket attacks on all blue state polling stations instead?
	1 (17%)
	meh(because people keep asking for it)?
	0 (0%)
	Somebody they shanghaied from a waterfront dive?
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[Kalidurga]

1. They will dig up some dirt on some poor SOB GOP slob and make him/her run...

usually they use sex scandals and the like to bury candidates, but never say that Republicans are above dirty tricks. This time they will make the biggest GOP loser run just so they can say they tried.

[Ken Burch]

2. nomination-as-penance, then.

Interesting.

[Mz Pip]

3. Romney can stonewall this whole episode

unless the SEC pursues it. I have my doubts that it will, though.

Hopefully the Democrats can continue to make a big enough issue out of this from now until election day.

[regnaD kciN]

7. The thing is, even if he were found to have committed tax fraud...

...I doubt it would make a bit of difference to those who would be planning on supporting him. The fact is, people in that bloc hate taxes above all else, probably cheat a little themselves, and would gladly cheat a lot more if they could get away with it. Something like this would just make Willard "more like us." An analogous situation would be if the Republicans thought they could derail the election prospects of a liberal Democratic nominee for mayor of San Francisco by revealing that he was...gay!

[regnaD kciN]

4. It won't happen, but, if it did...

...my money would be on Jebby.

[Mz Pip]

10. I think they're saving Jeb

for 2016.

[Motown_Johnny]

5. I think Ron Paul might be the only one eligible under their rules

and even then he would need to have won a plurality of delegates in 4 states.

[Ken Burch]

9. Do they actually require a nominee to have a minimum number of state delegations

under his control just to be put in nomination?

[Motown_Johnny]

12. That is my understanding, but they are (R)s

The truest test of a savage society is whether or not they follow the rules they set for themselves.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_presidential_primaries,_2012

^snip^

Plurality: A candidate secures a delegation when he has the highest number of delegates that can vote for him on the first ballot in the nomination at the National Convention. According to the current RNC rules it takes plurality in five delegations to be on the first ballot at the National Convention, and it takes 1,144 delegates at the roll call of the ballots to become the Republican nominee.




Edit to add: I guess it is 5 states and only for the first ballot. I don't know if they can open it up to anyone after that but I would love to watch and see what happens.

[Ken Burch]

13. Well, there are different ways to win control of those delegations.

I'm not sure to what degree the delegates are actually bound at RNC conventions, so you could see blocs of delegates that were, in theory, pledge to Mitt switch to Paul NOT out of any wish to see the old buzzard get nominated, but simply to push Mitt out the door.

If, say, a LARGE pro-Romney delegation(Texas or Ohio, for example)were to switch to Paul(or some type of "favorite son" candidate from either state), the sheer humiliation of that defection, even if Romney still had a huge majority of the remaining delegates, might force Mitt to drop out simply to avoid being reduced to a narrow convention plurality or perhaps even to be denied a first-ballot majority.

It all gets interesting to ponder.

If you see somebody from the Bush family make less-than-enthusiastic comments about Mittens this week(or McCain, or another 'pug of national stature)that might be the signal that the collapse was coming.

[wolfsister77]

6. they'll stick with Mitt

I don't think they are trying that hard this election cycle.

They'll bring out their big guns, if they have any, in 2016.

[Warpy]

8. Ron Paul is the one with the fanatical organization so he's the likely screwball

they'll nominate if it goes completely south for Rmoney before he gets anywhere near the convention.

In fact, they're planning to twist arms and bully people after the first ballot if it's isn't a clear Rmoney victory and will create the hard feelings that will completely poison the 2016 convention to the point they'll have a hard time fielding a national candidate, at all.

[demosincebirth]

11. Jeb Bush.

[amandabeech]

14. Mitt will only get out if his financial backers refuse to give him more money.

If that happens, the nominee will be a sacrificial lamb and the money will either go to downticket races or held in reserve for 2016.

If the lamb position becomes open, then watch Santorum and Gingrich duke it out.

All-in-all, this will not be pretty for the Rs.

As I posted elsewhere, the best thing for Mitt and the Rs is a major jump in the jobless numbers after Labor Day.

[2pooped2pop]

15. Christy

that's who I think they would replace him with. But they have to move Mittens first and he won't be giving up without a fight. He feels he has bought this presidency fair and square.

[Douglas Carpenter]

16. it's highly, highly unlikely he will be forced out ,,but seriously I think Marco Rubio would be

their best bet that would also satisfy their base and generate some enthusiasm, probably not carry the majority of the hispanic vote but if he led the ticket he would probably get a healthy chunk of it and he would likely carry Florida which the Democrats feel a strong need to win