If it was up to the GOP District Chairman from Howard County, Satan would make a better choice for the Republican nominee for President of the United States of America over Donald Trump. This is what Craig Dunn, the Chairman, told Politico in an interview. According to Politico, Dunn said, “If Satan had the lead on him (Trump) and was one delegate away from being nominated as our candidate and Donald Trump was the alternative, I MIGHT vote for Donald Trump. I have always wanted to own a casino, but he couldn’t give me a casino and have me vote for him”.
If it were just Dunn, this might be dismissed, but it is not. The GOP in Indiana has it totally backwards. Most of the 57 delegates, three from each Congressional District and 27 at-large, that will represent Indiana and its citizens at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland have already been chosen. If you wanted to be considered for a spot in the delegation, an application had to be filed by March 15th; long before the citizens of Indiana will vote on May 3rd. One requirement for eligibility to be selected as a delegate is a promise to provide $2000 to participate. This selects out people of limited means. One GOP district leader who is involved in delegate selection also says, “One of my criteria for filtering out folks was whether or not they supported Donald Trump. I didn’t care whether they supported Ted Cruz or John Kasich”.
The final choice of delegates is made by Party insiders. Delegates have one obligation and that is to vote on the first Convention ballot for the Presidential candidate chosen by the people of Indiana. Beyond that, they have no obligation or loyalty. They can vote for whomever they choose. Politico says that according to interviews with a dozen party leaders and officials in the delegate selection process, an anti-Trump sentiment runs “hot” among the GOP leadership in Indiana. This means that if Donald Trump does not secure the nomination for President on the first ballot, they will be free to “vote their conscience” regardless of the outcome of the vote by the citizens of Indiana.
In other words, the dice are loaded. Your vote may come to mean nothing, particularly if it was for Donald Trump and even if the majority of voters in Indiana voted for Donald Trump. The only vote that would matter would be those of Republican Party insiders; the system as usual.
People in the United States are angry. They are fed up with politics as usual. They are fed up with party insiders and politicians who for decades have feathered their own nests. They are fed up with the loss of millions of jobs and the decline of the middle class. They are fed up with political manipulation and skulduggery. They want America back.
If the Indiana GOP engages in back room politics as usual, which it appears is happening, there will be consequences. The voters of Indiana, regardless of who wins the vote in our state, should be represented by delegates loyal to the will of the voters; not their personal whims and interests. They should stand fast for the voters regardless of the outcome of the first Convention ballot.