Given the political climate, any talk about delegates going to the convention and wreaking havoc immediately reminds us of the messy process for picking the Democratic presidential nominee. But in this instance, I’m talking about Republican delegates.
The editors of the National Review, not exactly fans of John McCain, seem resigned to reality. McCain will be the party’s (and the right’s) standard bearer, whether conservatives love the idea or not. But, the magazine argues today, Republican delegates need not make McCain’s life easy.
John McCain won the Republican primaries by running as a pro-life Reagan Republican, committed to low taxes and a strong defense. We assume that he will therefore pick a running mate who shares his positions on fundamental issues whom conservatives can support with enthusiasm. We assume, as well, that he is more interested in winning the White House than in redefining the Republican party, and will not try to make the party platform reflect each of his views.
Win or lose, in picking a running mate Senator McCain will also be conferring front-runner status on a candidate for his party’s future nomination. A selection that reassures wary conservatives will help to enthuse his supporters for the tough race he faces. We also assume the Senator appreciates that the right pick is good politics.
Should the senator make an error in judgment in these respects, however, conservatives should have an insurance policy.
Yep, as messy as the Dems’ convention is going to be, the National Review has a proposal to ensure some degree of political mayhem in Minneapolis, should McCain choose a running mate who falls short of conservative fealty.
With the names of unacceptable candidates being bandied about as possible picks, conservatives should bear in mind that they are not powerless with respect to McCain’s choice. The delegates to the Republican convention have real clout. Even McCain’s own delegates should be willing to use their power, if necessary, to pursue the party’s (and McCain’s) best interests.
Those rules are such that delegates cannot vote against the presidential candidate’s vice-presidential pick. But that pick needs a majority of all delegates to win the nomination, and delegates are allowed to abstain. If a majority of six states’ delegations support another vice-presidential candidate, meanwhile, they can force a floor vote on that alternative. Six delegations are all that is required to contest a portion of the platform, too.
Fun! Better yet, the NR editorial concludes that Republican delegates “should be prepared to stand for their principles, and the party’s future,” and remember that they need not “go along with McCain no matter what.”
The editors weren’t specific — they didn’t, for example, list specific VP possibilities who would trigger this delegate revolt — but one assumes that a pro-choice and/or pro-“amnesty” running mate has the potential to stir things up a bit.
As a Dem, I find this vaguely reassuring. I assume that the Democratic convention will be contentious and divisive, possibly weakening the party for November. It never occurred to me the Republican convention could be a mess, too.
Realistically, will McCain delegates throw a procedural fit if he picks a running mate they don’t like? No, probably not. But if National Review pushes the idea, and talk radio and the blogs pick up on it, we can at least prolong Republican schisms for a while, right? Maybe? Please?