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发帖数: 351 | 1 TRUMP DOES RESET ON DELEGATES
Donald Trump’s ability to reset the media narrative at his will has been
tested the past few weeks. While he once was able to jump from one brash
statement to the next, the New York businessman has had a difficult time
lately changing his campaign’s characterization as one that doesn’t really
understand the party’s delegate selection process and can’t navigate its
way to an outright win.
But his op-ed in the WSJ looks like the first sign that he might just be
able to turn things around yet again. Trump’s basic point in the piece is
that, yes, he understands the rules he just doesn’t agree with them,
arguing that the process disenfranchises voters.
In doing so, he sets the establishment’s process as a system severing “the
interests of political parties at the expense of the people,” and he’s
the man to change all that. And in a Reaganesque move, he asks voters: “
How has the ‘system’ been working out for you and your family?”
Using this as what is likely to be his campaign’s mantra over the remaining
primary contests leaves Trump with two possible avenues depending on the
delegate count after the last contests on June 7: If Trump wins the majority
of the 1,237 delegates needed he will say he did it in spite of the
establishment rules. If he loses the majority, and further loses on a second
or third ballot at the convention, he will say the system is rigged. The
latter could set him up for a possible third party run, which he has
threatened if he felt he was treated unfairly by the Republican National
Committee.
What’s most surprising about the piece, however, is that it’s not a rail
against the establishment or the rules, but rather makes the case on behalf
of voters arguing that they deserve a better system for selecting a
presidential nominee. It’s a change for Trump who has spent weeks lamenting
the system and was called out by Sen. Ted Cruz for “whining.”
The RNC has already jumped on this story releasing a memo that explains how
and when campaigns were given the information on each state’s delegate
process, but their response seems to merely further Trump’s additional
point that the party isn’t even defending the rules, they’re just saying
this is what they are.
Trump makes no argument for what he would replace the system with, but does
say that he will work with the party to come up with a new system to “
restore the faith and the franchise” of voters. This will play well with
his supporters many of whom have said they support Trump because of his
ability get things done.
What’s also playing heavily in Trump’s favor is that many voters, and even
some political insiders, are not familiar with each state’s local delegate
selection process, meaning he has more freedom in building a narrative over
the next few months. At this point in recent history, the party frontrunner
has been pretty clearly decided already and so the local selection of
delegates has played little or no importance in the national media.
Ahead of next week’s big primary in New York, which looks like a Trump
blowout, his timing on this latest campaign messaging reset could be his
best move yet. Riding a likely wave of victories in the East as the
frontrunner who will play by the rules he vows to change for the betterment
of voters is a powerful combination. |
