Op-ed: 
Stopping Donald J.Trump
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on http://www.americanpbn.com/

"Republican voters want a nominee who best represents their party and their wishes for America... Someone with honor, someone with dignity, someone who shares their moral values and the public policies necessary to make us a better country."                                                          - Congressman Mo Brooks, R-AL, speaking out against presidential candidate Donald J. Trump

Let's start with a simple fact...Donald J. Trump is not presidential material...period. He is egotistical, crude, condescending, insulting, rude, and has an unsubstantial platform driven forward by anger and crass-for-ratings commercialism aided by the 'it's all about ratings' media whores who have...like they did with Barack HUSSEIN Obama...anointed Trump king.

And while many think Trump is unstoppable nothing could be further from the truth no matter what Sean Hannity and his cronies tell you for like I've said many times before, this election is about numbers and numbers alone...more specifically delegate numbers not the number of states accrued...for it's delegate numbers who help one reach the magic number of 1,237 and nothing else, and Donald J. Trump is not getting the delegates he needs to win a first ballot round at this summer's Republican Convention.

Remember, there are still about 20 states left that still have to hold their primaries...20 states that still have to award more than 1,000 delegates...20 states most of which are closed primary states meaning that only registered Republicans may vote in said state primaries...and it's in closed primary states where Trump has not done well or at least not garnered the numbers projected. Trump has won 10 states so far (as of this writing) that have held presidential primaries or caucuses with Nevada and Florida being the only closed primary states that he's won. All the other closed primary/caucus states were won by Ted Cruz leaving Cruz's campaign “encouraged” because there are still more closed primaries states than open primary states to go.

And that leads us back to the convention floor where the possibility of a brokered or contested convention grows more likely with each passing day.

"Regardless of who it benefits, if the Rules Committee for the Republican National Convention has a plan to suddenly change the rules to subvert the will of Republicans across the country, that is a very perilous path with many, many problems and not advisable," said Cruz strategist Jason Johnson.

And let's not forget what happens if the convention goes brokered or contested. Ted Cruz and his campaign have (rightfully) stated that a brokered convention is not something Cruz is open to because a brokered convention would allow the RNC to choose a candidate who has not won a single vote yet is one who they and they alone believe better represents the party. However, Cruz has said that he is open to a contested convention unless the RNC, at this late date, suddenly changes the long-standing floor rules...even if said changes gave him the advantage. Cruz wants the rules staying as they are, but that is something that cannot be guaranteed as some in the party heirarchy are looking for any way possible to stop the current media perceived and perpetrated Trump steam roller.

So again we go back to delegate numbers, and with Marco Rubio's suspending his campaign that leaves roughly 170 delegates (and maybe even a few more as his name will still appear on many state's ballots) up for grabs. And as I write this Trump has 673 delegates (updated now to 739...498 short of the amount needed to win the GOP nomination); and Ted Cruz has 411 delegates (now updated to 465); meaning Rubio's delegates could be the deciding factor in who gets the nomination...as in Rubio holds the 'Trump card'...pun so very much intended as payback will indeed be a bitch.

But here are the facts...there are three tiers of delegates with the first being those whose states allow them to be freed immediately upon a Rubio’s withdrawal from the race; the second being those freed as per state rules after a certain number of ballots at the convention; and the third being those delegates freed once Rubio officially releases them, which could conceivably never happen if certain state delegates stay loyal to him.

The most coveted by the other candidates...especially Ted Cruz...are the 29 of Rubio's delegates who are now immediately free to cast a ballot for another candidate right off the bat. These 29 'free agents' so to speak come from New Hampshire, Arkansas, Minnesota, Georgia, and Wyoming. There are also 40 of Rubio's delegates bound to him for one ballot...even though he suspended his campaign...and then are freed. These delegates come from Iowa, Texas, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Washington, D.C., and Georgia. However, in the case of Georgia, if Rubio officially releases his delegates before the convention, then Georgia’s 14 delegates will become 'free agents' who can vote for whomever they wish to. Rubio's 9 Tennessee delegates are bound to him through the first two ballots and the 34 delegates from Nevada, Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, and Massachusetts are actually what's called 'bind delegates' and must remain bond to Rubio until they are officially released by him most likely through a public statement.

So you can see that Marco Rubio has now been afforded some power at the Cleveland convention with, to date, his giving no indication of his intentions to release any of those delegates. And why hasn't he...that's because most people do not understand the difference between suspending a campaign and formally withdrawing from the race, and until he formally withdraws...if he does... they're Rubio's delegates and they cannot be taken away from him. And herein lies said power as Rubio is just as interested as the RNC is in stopping Trump from getting to the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination.

So what happens now to those delegates who do become released even without Rubio's officially releasing them... according to Republican Convention delegate expert Josh Putnam, they can actually be bribed...yes bribed...for according to the 21 pages of the 'National Republican Party Rules' there is not a single line that prevents gift giving to delegates for votes. And while these rules are always subject to change right up to the convention, seriously would anyone vote to say no to 'perks' in exchange for their vote...I would hardly think so as this is the game of politics and dirty politics have always been and will always be part of that game.

So with the rules not preventing bribe taking the question remains can delegates be held legally liable if they do accept a bribe in exchange for their vote? As reported in 'Law Newz', according to election law attorney Ben Ginsberg it would not be impossible for Ted Cruz or John Kasich...if he's still in the race that is...to file actions to see if they do have a case in court if Trump starts giving gifts or even favors to delegates. Saying, “I mean, that would just be part of the overall circus,” Ginsberg added that some states might have rules...ethics rules...against gift giving and gift accepting but it seems most states do not when it comes to a nominating convention.

Nice huh...the buying and selling of presidential votes is technically allowed...and some still wonder why our country is in the shape it's in today.

But this election cycle...a cycle probably like none any of us have seen before...proves that any and everything can and will happen...and delegate numbers be damned when anger becomes the driving force in who shall become the next president.

And in the Republican corner we now have reality TV star Donald J. Trump, a philosophical liberal trying to pass himself off, at least for now, as a conservative...and one dressed in 'Made in China' clothing to boot...a con man extraordinaire and one who lacks the understanding of the many layers of power needed to be a successful president...a man who has no clear principles or tangible working policies to back-up his media driven sound bytes...and a man who via bullying tactics is out to not only hurt but to destroy the true conservative movement growing within our country...vs not John Kasich, a man who has no chance whatsoever of securing the nomination (so he'll probably, in my opinion, sell out just like Ben Carson...with the hope of becoming Trump's VP pick)...but vs Ted Cruz. Cruz...a true conservative both politically and morally who as last man standing is now the party's sole hope of stopping Donald J. Trump... the man who sees the presidency as an entry-level position on his way to becoming king.

But Cruz's stopping Trump comes back to numbers again...1,237 in specific...and that number must be attained before the convention or Donald J. Trump will turn the convention into a reality show like none ever seen before...a 3-ring horror show with himself as ringmaster and with 'We the People' as the freak show...and that is something neither we nor America can ill afford. 

Op-ed: 
'True Threats' of Violence...More Than Just Media Fodder 
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on http://www.americanpbn.com/

“I think if we go into a convention, whoever gets 1,237 delegates becomes the nominee. It’s plain and simple.” 
- RNC Chief Strategist Sean Spicer

Well folks Donald Trump is spewing words of instigation yet again…this time going way beyond just the absurd about his supporters not caring if he shot somebody while walking down Fifth Avenue; even going beyond his not outwardly condemning the recent violence in Chicago that led to his claiming that his First Amendment right to free speech had been violated...which by the way it was not.

Now Trump is actually putting the Republican delegates and the Republican hierarchy on notice with threats that if after the primaries he does not reach the magic number of 1,237 needed to secure the nomination...and know there is nothing nefarious about that number as it's simply half the delegates plus one...in other words the majority...that should he nevertheless finish with the most delegates no matter the number, and if the nomination were to go to someone else that violence could result...as in his words, “I think you’d have riots.”

Speaking by phone this past Wednesday on CNN's 'New Day' with Chris Cuomo, Donald Trump stated that he's “representing many millions of people”...completely ignoring the fact that the other two candidates still in the race, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, can say the exact same thing. Then by adding that, “If you disenfranchise those people, and you say, ‘I’m sorry, you’re 20 votes short or 100 votes short and we’re at 1,100 and somebody else is at 500 or 400…I think you’d have problems like you’ve never seen before. I think bad things would happen...I think you would see problems like you’ve never seen before. I think bad things would happen. I really do. I wouldn’t lead it, but I think bad things would happen,” Trump has actually tried to blackmail the GOP...as in 'give me the nomination contested or otherwise or else'...thus making Donald Trump no better than the thugs and hoodlums that he so loves to call out. And know that this latest stunt of his will be turned into yet another soundbite...just like Chicago was...that the media will report on ad-nauseum, thus denying both Cruz and Kasich their rightful air time.

Click on link to hear Donald Trump threatening riots in his own voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5vkrtsDX74

And it's the media...the very ones whose 'bought-and- paid-for' ratings whore existence revolves around 'The Donald Trump Presidential Reality Show'...who wait with baited breath to see if Trump's words are legally an actual threat or just wishful thinking on his part...wishful thinking by the man who, like Barack HUSSEIN Obama, thinks himself king...and if he's not perceived as king he'll buy, if you will, your undying loyalty...just ask Dr. Ben Carson.

And while being quick to tell Cuomo that he himself won’t lead any riots...I personally believe he'll just orchestrate them from behind...Donald Trump made sure in the interview to stop legally just short of directly threatening violence. But know that nowhere in his words did Trump denounce or discourage violence...which would have been the honorable thing to do...thus proving himself to be what many of us have thought since day one...that Donald Trump is nothing but a thug in a multi-billionaire disguise. And now add in the many talking heads...especially FOX's Sean Hannity who has been in the tank for Trump since the moment he announced his run...who love to feed into and help perpetrate the Trump mantra about riots breaking out at the convention if he were denied the nomination. After all, violence of any kind is a ratings bonanza and the masses so relish in watching Donald Trump vs. the GOP establishment show, that it's now become yet another blood sport.

And what has the reaction of the Republican party hierarchy been to Trump's rhetoric of possible riots if he's denied the nomination even if he doesn't reach the must have 1,237 number...“Well first of all, I assume [Trump] is speaking figuratively,” said RNC Chief Strategist Sean Spicer, who went on to say that the convention is just part of the process, and that the Trump campaign will not receive any special treatment, and that he will not be voted up or down based upon anything other than the will of the delegates and whatever wheeling and dealing that happens on the convention floor, both for or against Trump.

In other words, the convention would still go contested but not brokered, with the all important difference being that in a brokered convention a party committee picks the nominee while in a contested convention the delegates themselves make that decision having been released from their pledge after the first balloting. And really there is nothing wrong with that especially since some members of the RNC are working towards being more transparent on the convention floor by trying to replace the currently used 1,500-page Parliamentary Handbook of the U.S. House with Robert's Rules of Order. And while Robert's simpler procedures and rules still would not guarantee Donald Trump the nomination it will at least thwart any underhanded dealings to deny him the nomination if he reaches the all-important 1,237 number.

But even with the RNC at least trying to work things out fairly for all parties concerned, if truth be told Trump's threatening, instigating, or even just alluding to riots or violence is, in my opinion, reason enough to deny him the nomination as threats of violence against individuals, according to the Supreme Court (Watts v. United States), fall outside First Amendment protection and are arrestable offenses. Citing three main reasons why 'true threats' of violence are not protected rights, the High Court has stated that, “protecting individuals from the fear of violence, from the disruption that fear engenders, and from the possibility that the threatened violence will occur,” takes precedence over the right of someone to spew words instigating violence.

In fact, the Ninth Circuit has stated that a 'true threat' is “a statement which, in the entire context and under all the circumstances, a reasonable person would foresee would be interpreted by those to whom the statement is communicated as a serious expression of intent to inflict bodily harm upon that person,” adding that “It is not necessary that the defendant intend to, or be able to carry out his threat; the only intent requirement for a 'true threat' is that the defendant intentionally or knowingly communicate the threat.” And Donald Trump has said time and again that anything he says is true...meaning even his alluding to or wishing for possible violence can and should be taken as a 'true threat.'

And while Justice Learned Hand, a champion of free speech, stated in his 1917 opinion 'Masses v. United States' that even dangerous 'dissident speech' was somewhat protected under the First Amendment, he conceded that government could regulate and call to task any speaker who would "counsel or advise a man" to commit an unlawful act...which is exactly what Donald Trump did with his threats about bad things happening if he is denied the nomination.

And even if Trump's 'true threat' words were to be dismissed...which I believe they should not be what with the pattern of violence at his rallies and events increasing while he feeds into it with vile rhetoric (see my Right Side Patriots partner and friend Craig Andresen's and my joint article about just that here: http://thepatriotfactor.blogspot.com/201...)...it must also be noted that Trump's words about possible riots are nothing but a ploy...a scare tactic...to disenfranchise voters into not voting at all if the delegates or the party award the nomination to anybody but him. In fact, Donald Trump has even stated that if he does not get the nomination that he will bring charges that a contested convention is illegitimate, and that he will advise his many supporters not to back the nominee so as to do as much damage to the Republican party as he possibly can.

And folks, if that is not yet another threat then seriously I don't know what is.

So now while Donald Trump's 'true threats' seem to be taken as nothing but made-for-TV media ratings fodder, we are left with a game of mathematics...will Trump reach the 1,237 number needed for the nomination before it goes to convention or will Ted Cruz or John Kasich be able to stop him. And let's be honest here...John Kasich with his lowly 68 delegates has no chance of stopping Trump before the convention, while Ted Cruz has an outside chance of pulling it off...that is if he can pull 78% of all the remaining delegates from the states who have not yet voted into his corner. It's a long shot but it can be done if he can secure former candidate Marco Rubio's 170 delegates once they are released...or better yet if a deal is worked out and announced before the convention for a Cruz/Rubio ticket.

Now that is something I could go for and a ticket like that would steamroller over Hillary in a heartbeat. And it would also knock the wind out of both Donald Trump's campaign and any words he could say because together Cruz and Rubio have more delegates and support than Trump...and no threats made and no hopes of violence can counter numbers...it truly is that simple.

Op-ed: 
Pushing for a Brokered Convention 
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot factor / Right Side Patriots on americanpbn.com

“I don’t think anyone in our party should say, ‘Oh no, even if the people of the party wanted me to be president, I would say no to it'...”No one is going to say that.”
- Mitt Romney when recently asked by a reporter whether he would accept the Republican nomination in the event of a brokered convention

Donald Trump's followers keep flooding the online polls in an attempt to try and prove that either last week's poor debate performance didn't hurt their boy or that he won it no matter that anyone with even one working brain cell could see that Trump got caught in a Rubio/Cruz sandwich. Being once again ill-prepared to discuss the issues, Trump didn't know key facts relating to the questions asked and as such reverted back to his usual personal attack style, but even that backfired as he turned red, sweated, and appeared ready to implode from within. That debate hurt him and it was proven by Ted Cruz's two big wins in last Saturday's primaries.

So Trump's latest tactic is to now bait the Republican party into thinking that if he is not the nominee that chaos will ensue if what's known as a brokered convention...some call it a contested convention...becomes reality. But know that there really is no need to fear this for all a brokered convention means is that no candidate received enough delegates on the first round to lock-in the nomination and that now further voting must be done. It is not a sign that any 'monkey business' has been going on or that any will go on.

Simply put...the convention would then be deadlocked with the nominee now having to be chosen through multiple rounds of voting by delegates from all 50 states and the six U.S. territories instead of the delegates entering the floor with the nominee already chosen. And a brokered convention is legal, above board, and is playing by the rules no matter that Trump supporters claim otherwise.

So what is it that Trump supporters are claiming...they're claiming delusions...for their thinking is that if Donald Trump wins the most states and delegates but still falls short of the 1,237 delegates needed to legally secure the nomination that the nomination should be his no matter numbers to the contrary. And the fact is that if a brokered convention happens it will be the result of a process that is not a secret for as I mentioned above no one candidate garnered the must have majority of votes...it is that simple. And, according to Real Clear Politics, it's the way individual states select delegates that allows for the fact that if any of what some call 'establishment' exists, it’s at the less high-profile state and county levels. And those delegates would be picked from amongst local level party officials or from a coalition of delegates for 'underperforming' candidates who could then band together and decide the nomination allowing someone who may have only managed to take third or fourth place in the overall voting to become the nominee.

And yes, this would be within the confines of the rules and this is what has many of the Trumpers in an uproar no matter that's how the game is played. And if it did get to that point, it would be the first time in 40 years that no one candidate had enough delegates going into the first round of balloting...with the last time being when incumbent President Gerald Ford and nominee Ronald Reagan battled for the nomination. But deals were made before the first round of balloting allowing Ford enough votes to secure the nomination stopping the convention from going brokered. However, in 1948, there was indeed a brokered convention when Thomas Dewey became the Republican nominee after three ballots, but it must be remembered that when it came to the general election both Ford and Dewey lost.

But when all is said and done the race to the nomination comes down to one simple number...1,237... and coming short of that number is the only way to stop Donald Trump from becoming the nominee...and doing so by playing by the rules for to do otherwise will not only ruin the process but would render what remains of the Republican party, for all intents and purposes, null and void.

So how do the other candidates rack up the needed numbers to stop Donald Trump...the only way to do so is by blending their combined delegates together to secure the needed count to stop Trump from reaching the magic number of 1,237.

And to that affect Ted Cruz should not be telling Marco Rubio or John Kasich to drop out of the race as both men are needed in order to stop Trump from getting the nomination...as in the more delegates they rack up in addition to Cruz's number the more Trump will not reach the needed 1,237 number. And Ted Cruz needs to realize that he cannot reach that number alone because he no chance of winning the delegate rich northeast states...especially the delegates from the Trump friendly winner-take-all states of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania...yet the three's numbers together can stop Trump and send the convention to brokered. So, Ted Cruz needs to rethink his words...seriously rethink his words...or not only will he not get the nomination but he will be the cause of the White House staying in Democratic control.

But the fact remains that it's all about numbers and the math is far from certain, but here is one scenario where the convention could go brokered. If Marco Rubio can beat Trump in Florida, if John Kasich can beat him in Ohio, and if Ted Cruz can pick up more of the 'Plains' states, then Trump might very well come up short of the all important 1,237 number, despite his currently being well ahead of all his current rivals.

So what happens at a brokered convention...first, it must be remembered that when you hear that a certain candidate has won a certain number of delegates, that does not mean that said candidate gets to hand-pick those who will go to the convention to represent him. It's each individual state's Republican party hierarchy who choose from party members those who will go to the convention with orders to vote for said candidate during the first round of balloting, but only during the first round, then being released to vote for the candidate of their choice at the next round of balloting.

Second, now the reeling and dealing begins...to talk, vote, and negotiate no matter how long it takes until one and only one candidate...or even an individual not on the original ballot...garners that magic number of 1,237.

And while 1,237 is indeed the number needed to secure the nomination, there is something most don't know about and that's an item called 'Rule 40'...a rule where a candidate has to win a majority of the delegates in at least eight states in order to be considered for the nomination. And that in and of itself is quite unfair as winning eight large states but states with a low delegate count cancels out someone who might only win five or six states but having those states being delegate rich. But the rules are allowed to be amended right up to the time the convention begins, so we can assume that 'Rule 40' will be changed or even eliminated making a brokered convention more likely. And while delegates are obligated to vote for a certain candidate during round one they do not have to show support for rules which blatantly favor one candidate over another.

To break down the numbers even further...if the convention does indeed go brokered...and I hope it will...what exactly will happen. First, we need to look at the delegate count as it stands now. Right now at the time of this writing Democrat masquerading as a Republican Donald Trump has 384 delegates; Ted Cruz has 300 delegates; Marco Rubio has 151 delegates; and John Kasich has 37 delegates; with March 15th being the target date to see if Rubio and Kasich are still viable candidates. However, and this is important, to date, Cruz's, Rubio's, and Kasich's numbers together reach 488 delegates 'trumping' Trump, and as the primaries and caucuses continue that number will increase, that's why Rubio and Kasich need to stay in the race...to form a wall with Cruz that Trump cannot cross over, thus denying him the magic 1,237 number.

Now if no candidate currently running reaches the needed 1,237 number after the first ballot is called, all delegates are released from who they are pledged to and can vote for the candidate of their choice or they can nominate anyone they so choose to in the next round of balloting. This is the part that many fear for what if a delegate nominated Mitt Romney or Paul Ryan...and what if one of those who already dropped out of the race was nominated, say Chris Christie...and what if that person got 1,237 delegates to support them...the fact is they would then become the defacto nominee. And it's legal, binding, and nothing to the contrary could be done to stop it. So the goal now is to not just stop Donald Trump but to assure that either Cruz, Rubio, or Kasich is the nominee as these men are the ones the public already has voted for.

And how do we assure this happens...by making sure that Marco Rubio wins Florida and John Kasich wins Ohio. That puts both men back into the fray and makes them and Ted Cruz a possible nominee even if the convention goes brokered, because delegates would then be freed to vote for the one they personally think could best beat Hillary. And know, too, that there are now percentages of remaining delegates that Trump needs to win the nomination...Trump needs another 54% of all the remaining delegates while Ted Cruz needs to win 60% of said delegates; Rubio needs to win around 69% of the delegates; and Kasich needs to win about 77% of the still to be awarded delegates...and the range from 54% to 77% is not insurmountable, it being only a 23% differential between first and last place...and being reachable only through a brokered convention.

So now as the primaries move forward and more delegates are amassed by each man only time will tell who becomes the nominee. But one thing I will say is that with the anger in our country today...an anger fueled on by the one candidate who has no tangible policies to back up his multi-level bloviations...we cannot and must not allow anger at the process to lead to a write-in Donald Trump party to emerge as that will most assuredly hand the presidency to Hillary...but maybe that was Trump's plan all along...just saying.

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Today, Wednesday, March 9th, from 2 to 4pm, Right Side Patriots Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss Hillary's buddy Bryan Pagliano now singing like a bird, the logistics of a brokered convention, and remembering Nancy Reagan.

Hope you can tune in at: americanpbn.com