https://tsukesthoughts.wordpress.com/2016/04/12/the-colorado-screwjob/
The Colorado Screwjob
We all know what happened in Colorado. The straw poll which was non binding in previous years got cancelled and all the delegates in the caucus went to Cruz. It was a caucus attended by party insiders and activists while the portion which was supposed to tell you how the general public felt was cancelled. Surprise surprise the caucus fixed by the establishment selected Cruz unanimously.
MEDIA NARRATIVE
Let me tell you what the media will say. First that the way Colorado voted for their delegates this election was exactly the same as the way they have always done. This is verifiably false. By their own admission there was a straw poll last year , which was non binding, but there was none this year. I will get to why this is very important. Second that its the Republican party and they can make whatever rules they want. This is true. We all knew it was an uphill battle when we decided to take on the Republican establishment. The reason why they are called the establishment is they have been in power for the longest time and are in all the positions of authority. They can change any rules like this at any time they want. It is up to us to punish them for it in the ballot box. Whether we punish them in the primary or the general is the only choice left to them.
THE STRAW POLL
Now for the straw poll. Why would a non binding straw poll be cancelled? Well simply put the RNC came up with new rules and I quote
“RNC Rule 16(a)(1) Binding and Allocation. (1) Any statewide presidential preference vote that
permits a choice among candidates for the Republican nomination for President of the United
States in a primary, caucuses, or a state convention must be used to allocate and bind the state’s delegation to the national convention in either a proportional or winner-take-all manner, except for delegates and alternate delegates who appear on a ballot in a statewide election and are elected directly by primary voters.”
Matters become clearer now. A straw poll conducted among all Republicans in the state would have been binding this year. On August 2015 the RNC Colorado branch cancelled their straw poll so that their delegates would not be bound. It is worth mentioning that there was also a resolution to institute a primary instead of a caucus at the very same time the straw poll was cancelled. It was defeated by the GOP Colorado establishment.
It shouldnt matter right? The reason for the caucus according to the GOP is to better reflect the will of the people. Whatever result the straw poll, which measures all Republicans, should be similar to how the delegates finally vote right?
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
Well lets take a look at past data. There was a straw poll in 2012. Santorum got 40% Romney 35% Gingrich 13% Paul 12%. At this time Colorado had 36 delegates. Well if it was winner take all Santorum should get everything or if it was proportional Santorum and Romney would have gotten around equal delegates and Gingrich and Paul would have gotten around equal delegates as well right? Admittedly the results were non binding but at least its a reflection of how the public felt.
What happened during the first round of the ballot? Did Santorum get at least some of the delegates? This is how they voted. Romney, the establishment pick, 28 votes. Paul 8 votes. Gingrich with 13 % of the straw poll 0 votes. Santorum with 40% of the straw poll and 35% of the actual caucus 0 votes. Somehow everything magically worked out so that the person who got highest in the straw poll and 35% in the actual caucus ended up with no votes while the favored candidate of the establishment picked up 28 out of 36. But of course the GOP insists that this is to better reflect the “will of the people”.
It seems the GOPe learned its lesson well. If your going to claim to fight for the will of the people don't let them vote. Their opinion just gets in the way.
