Watching the GOP steal the nomination from Trump in slow motion to give it to equally vile Ted Cruz may be my favorite show of this season.
— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) April 9, 2016
From the NYTimes, “Turbulent Race Could Mean Cash Crunch for Republican National Committee”:
Confronted with a prolonged presidential nomination fight and two leading candidates whom donors are uneasy about, the Republican National Committee could be contending with a cash crunch that limits its ability to pour resources into battleground states…
The R.N.C. reported having just over $15 million in the bank at the end of February. But at the close of the last financial reporting period about $4.5 million of that money was restricted to costs such as payments for its headquarters and legal affairs. In 2008, the party had over $21 million on hand at the same point in the race, and more than $23 million in 2012.
The money worries come as many high-level party strategists in Washington and swing states are beginning to worry that the R.N.C. will be unable to fully fund what are called “victory programs,” the money sent to the most competitive states for organizing and get-out-the-vote efforts.
Hard-fought presidential states like Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania also have Republican-held Senate seats up for grabs this year, and the results may determine who controls the Senate…
Mr. Spicer confirmed that the R.N.C. is in discussions with all three Republican presidential campaigns about joint fundraising agreements, as reported by the Washington Post. But Senator Ted Cruz and Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, candidates facing longer odds, may have little incentive to raise funds for the party. And Donald J. Trump has no major fundraising network to turn to, and will have to build from scratch…
Who would ever have suspected that an exhaustively winnowed trio of IGMFY narcissists would be less than interested in providing support to lesser members of “their” party? Or that the GOP donor class, as every individual refines their very special demands, would fail to coalesce around a single candidate?
And if that isn’t enough enjoyment for a Sunday evening, Tim Mak at the Daily Beast reports on “The Secret Movement to Draft General James Mattis for President”:
An anonymous group of conservative billionaires is ready to place their bets on a man dubbed “Mad Dog,” hoping to draft him into the presidential race to confront Donald Trump.
Think of it as a Plan B should Trump be nominated by the Republican Party in Cleveland: swing behind retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis and press him into service yet again as a third-party candidate…
“Everyone is hoping that Ted Cruz pulls it out, but I think a great deal of Republicans would rally behind an American hero if the choice is between Mattis and Trump,” said John Noonan, a former Jeb Bush aide now involved in the project to draft Mattis…
The strategy would not be for Mattis to win, at least at first—the operatives behind this potential bid would only be seeking to deny Trump and Clinton the 270 electoral votes necessary to win the general election outright…
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Apart from checking the popcorn stocks, what’s on the agenda as we wrap up the weekend?
Sunday Evening Open Thread: (Further) Confusion to Our Enemies!Post + Comments (118)