After actively stifling conscientious dissent at the Republican National Convention, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus is apoplectic at the result. In a bid to increase his own power base within the Party, Priebus used #NeverTrump as cudgel to get the Trump camp to acquiesce to his own power grab. What Priebus is now learning is that with absolute power comes absolute responsibility.
In the weeks leading up to the convention, a group of delegates tried to get the Party to allow convention delegates to vote their “conscience” on the floor of the convention. Priebus and his establishment allies saw the effort as the lever they needed to get the Trump campaign to go along with his effort to squash pro-grassroots rules changes at the RNC.
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On the opening day of the convention, delegates from eleven states asked that there be a roll call vote on the rules. After a long delay and pressure from RNC-Trump floor managers, wearing lime green hats, it was announced from the floor that enough delegates had removed their names from the required letters asking for a roll call for the effort to fail. There was no roll call vote on the party rules. Priebus got his power-grab and Trump avoided a floor fight on his nomination.
The next night, after Trump was officially named the nominee, Reince celebrated with his Wisconsin peeps. Scott Walker tweeted the celebratory pose.
Miller Lite cheer from 3 cheeseheads! #RNCinCLE @PRyan @Reince pic.twitter.com/Uo0KdVysgm
— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) July 20, 2016
Fast forward two weeks later. Priebus is reportedly livid at the constant series of missteps of the Trump campaign.
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But what was it that finally sent Priebus over the edge? Was it Trump’s call for a minimum wage increase? Perhaps it was Trump’s inarticulate attack on a Gold Star mom? Or maybe it was Trump’s bear hug of Putin?
Nope. What really has Priebus upset is that Trump won’t endorse Priebus’ BFF, House Speaker Paul Ryan. The New York Times reported today.
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That’s right, Priebus has weathered Trump’s implosion since the Republican convention ended, but Trump’s refusal to endorse Ryan is what sent him over the edge.
As the campaign season goes on, Priebus can at least be comforted knowing that in his quest for power, he fought any attempt to allow the delegates to act on their conscience. Priebus helped engineer the Trump Train. He built it. All aboard!
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Poor @reince he can't control what he helped build.https://t.co/CCvRZYylvz
— Rob Eno (@Robeno) August 3, 2016
Reince and the rest deserve what they are getting — including a loss to Hillary and maybe the majority in both houses of congress. Stick a fork in the GOP. It’s done.
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