First on CNN: Rubio prepares for contested convention

[brooklynite]

Source: CNN

Marco Rubio's campaign is preparing for a contested Republican Convention as one option to take the GOP nomination away from Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, his campaign manager told top donors at a closed-door meeting in Manhattan Wednesday night.

As Rubio scrambles for support ahead of Super Tuesday, Terry Sullivan, Rubio's top adviser, used a Power Point presentation and took questions from attendees to lay out the two courses that Rubio's quest for the GOP nomination could take in the coming months, two people present told CNN, speaking anonymously to share details from a private meeting.

The first showed the number of states and delegates Rubio would need to clinch the nomination outright before July's convention. The second was the scenario in which none of the candidates gain the simple majority delegates needed to clinch the nomination before the convention, unleashing a messy and potentially unpredictable battle where multiple candidates are vying for the title.

The meeting comes as Rubio is trying to lock up the support of establishment Republicans looking for an alternative to Trump and Cruz. The Rubio campaign needs to convince donors and GOP power brokers that it has a true path to victory. Trump is heading into Super Tuesday as the undisputed GOP front-runner, having won New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, and Rubio has not yet won a state.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/25/politics/rubio-republican-convention/index.html

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Marco - you realize that this strategy requires you to actually WIN somewhere, right?

[lunamagica]

1. I don't know if it will happen, but if it does, it'll be awesome.

I would be quite an spectacle. I'll have my ready

[DeadLetterOffice]

2. This is a stupid question I know, but...

... for those of us who have never seen one:
wtf is a contested convention and how does it work?

[yellowcanine]

4. If no candidate wins on the first ballot the horse trading begins.

And they keep balloting until someone gets a majority of the delegates. It can get messy because technically delegates are only held to their candidate for the first ballot - after that they can go where they want. So even if a candidate tries to throw his support to another candidate in exchange for, say the VP slot, his delegates do not necessarily have to go along with it.

[DeadLetterOffice]

7. Thank you! n/t

[yellowcanine]

3. In that event Jeb Bush will be cooling his jets in the wings.....

Trying to be the "consensus" candidate. After the first ballot all bets are off and it may take a number of ballots to settle on somebody. The Trump delegates are likely to hold out to the bitter end for at least the VP slot. And if they don't get it - look out - Trump does a Teddy Roosevelt and bolts out of the convention with his delegates and launches a third party run.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. Jeb, or maybe rMoney? Always willing to help, you know. nt

[Renew Deal]

5. That's been obvious

He's just trying to collect delegates, not win. He's trying to get on the ticket.

[HoosierRadical]

8. Wow, I see little Marco's

monied men got him hyped up... It could happen to a "nicer" party

[mike_c]

9. Rubio's campaign will be kept on life support if necessary...

...to bring a semi-viable candidate to the convention. I just love the smell of GOP chaos in the morning.

[NurseJackie]

10. The party will be shattered! Trump will run as a 3rd party candidate!

This will cripple the GOP for a generation!

[davidpdx]

11. Well if the rumors about his affair, preparing for a contested convention

would be the least of his problems.

[roamer65]

12. Like watching a train wreck in slow motion.