The Republican Party is in disarray. For the first time ever, three different presidential candidates have won the first three primaries of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, and the GOP establishment has become worried that Former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-MA, whom they presume to be their most electable candidate, may not obtain the nomination. For the past year, primary voters have been resisting Romney by switching from one conservative alternative to another, including ridiculous fringe candidates like Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-MN, and Herman Cain.
But these more conservative choices have all had serious faults making them unmarketable to independent voters. I haven't the slightest inclination to support any Republican regardless of the nominee, but speaking as one of the many obsessed followers of the Presidential election, I see one solution to this problem: broker a convention and draft someone else.
A brokered convention, in which no candidate secures the needed majority of delegates and a special election is held to pick the nominee, is clearly attainable. Although the race is still young, the delegates are well spread across the four remaining candidates. Consider a scenario in which Former Speaker Newt Gingrich sweeps the South, Romney wins the Northeastern states thanks to his Massachusetts name identity, Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-PA, gets a few wins from blue-collar states, and Rep. Ron Paul, R-TX, grabs whatever delegates he can from the caucus states to which his campaign has devoted the rest of its resources to. When the numbers are crunched, a brokered convention seems within reach for the GOP.
Those who remember the 2008 Democratic primary may recall "Operation Chaos," a plan orchestrated by Rush Limbaugh wherein the popular radio host directed his listeners to vote for Hillary Clinton in the open primary elections to prolong the Democratic nomination process and weaken the Democrats. As impossible to coordinate as this may be, it's not insane to suggest that the Republicans could try and deliberately divide the delegates to broker their convention. In fact, former Congressman and MSNBC host Joe Scarborough has suggested that Newt Gingrich's victory in South Carolina is "a vessel... for a brokered convention."
While brokered conventions have made parties look disorganized and weak in past elections, it could be life-saving for the Republicans this time around. All four remaining candidates can detonate a ticket in their own ways. Mitt Romney may seem like a strong national competitor to Obama, but his awkward behavior leaves many cold and his shadowy past in venture capitalism makes him a prime target for the anger of the "99 percent" movement. Newt Gingrich's bombastic grandiosity and high disapproval ratings from his time as Speaker diminish his viability. Ron Paul's extreme libertarian views alienate him from even the base of the Republican Party. A brief Google search will explain Rick Santorum's lack of appeal.
The Republicans have to select a candidate who both excites the base of their party and can compete in swing states. Plenty of these candidates are out there. Gov. Chris Christie, R-NJ, is probably the most obvious choice. His unabashed, straightforward demeanor and well-publicized attacks on unions and public schools have made him a party favorite despite his insistence on staying in New Jersey. Governor Mitch Daniels, R-IN, who delivered the response to President Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday, has a strong record of fiscal conservatism and was among the most desired candidates for 2012. From Florida, Sen. Marco Rubio has a powerful life narrative and Tea Party support behind him despite his lack of experience, and Former Gov. Jeb Bush may be weakened by his last name, but his tenure as governor was highly popular. At the very least, the GOP could look at past candidates like Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-MN, and Gov. Jon Huntsman, R-UT, who were not mortally wounded by the primary race.
All of these choices, and many others, would be better than the selections currently available. And while the potential chaos that a brokered convention would makes it more likely that Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich will capitalize on their momentum and wrap the race up quickly, said chaos could shake up the race in their favor.
Yes, sometimes brokered conventions lead to someone like Adlai Stevenson. But sometimes they lead to Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Ryan Waal is a sophomore majoring in English. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com
