Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire RNC Chair to Pledge-Breakers: Don’t Try Running Again

Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, had some veiled warnings for primary candidates who have gone back on their pledge. In an interview with CBS’s Face the Nation program on Sunday, Priebus said that Republicans like Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush might want to reconsider their stance on Donald Trump. That is, if they were thinking of ever running for president again.

“Those people need to get on board,” Priebus said. “And if they’re thinking they’re going to run again some day, I think that we’re going to evaluate the nomination process and I don’t think it’s going to be that easy for them.”

Priebus stopped short of naming names, but the warning may as well have been stamped with Cruz and Bush on the side. Oh, and perhaps a little left over for John Kasich, whose campaign team has already made public comments about a 2020 run.

“People in our party are talking about what we’re going to do about this,” Priebus said Sunday. “I mean, there’s a ballot access issue in South Carolina. In order to be on the ballot in South Carolina, you actually have to pledge your support to the nominee, no matter who that person is. So what’s the penalty for that? It’s not a threat, but that’s just the question that we have a process in place.”

Priebus said it wouldn’t be fair to let these candidates break the pledge without consequences.

“If a private entity puts forward a process and has agreement with the participants in that process, and those participants don’t follow through with the promises that they made in that process – what should a private party do about that if those same people come around in four or eight years?” he asked.

Jeb Bush has made it clear that he’s not going to support Trump, and Kasich and Cruz have pretty much said the same thing. Kasich recently said it was “extremely unlikely” that he would vote for Trump. Cruz has been silent on the election for the last couple of months, but his dramatic refusal to endorse Trump at the Republican National Convention seemingly closed that door for good. It’s not yet clear if any of the three will be running for president again, but the odds are pretty good, especially for Kasich and Cruz.

Whether or not they’ll be welcomed back under the RNC banner, however, remains to be seen.

I wasn't too big of a fan of Priebus in the past, but this year he has really impressed me.

He's better, for sure.

As to Jeb running again??? Why? Does he wanna get trounced? Again?

It's a little early to be touting the rebirth of the RNC isn't it?

Good for him.

The problem with Cruz/Bush etc is they are too stupid and arrogant to understand the Establishment GOP is not wanted anymore.

They blew it.

Bush I can understand since he's dumbed down from too many years of being a spoiled rich kid. But Cruz I don't get since he's obviously intelligent. His ego is simply too big to handle rejection.

Kasich needs to be out of politics. The guy is a tax-n-spend liberal and a cuck.

Ol' booger eating Ted. Just what we need.

You're talking about the establishment GOP, you mean the guys that are backing Trump now?

The anti-establishment candidate?

So, was Cruz an establishment candidate or what?

Is being backed by the establishment good or not?

Can you point "up" for me?

Listen up and I'll tell you how it is. Nobody likes Cruz. Establishment...anti-establishment...nobody likes a lyin' booger eater.

Oh they can run if they want to run.
Just run as an independent, kill whoever is running as a Rep, there you go. These kind of threats are BS.

Well that's quaint low information bullshit, EE.

I'm trying to parse all the Trump being the non-politician candidate who is backed by the party politicians that everyone hated, but now they are eating it up because politicians are backing the non politician - who seems to not only want, but needs the support of the party politicians. Meanwhile, no one is able to really tell who exactly is a party politician.

You make it clear, as others do, that it was all about hating Cruz?

Don't complain about the state of things. Your part of the problem.

Not saying Cruz was the fix - he is not.

Just saying priorities are really [bleep] up.

its a calculated move on their part. Priebus doesn't mean schit in the bigger picture.

If Trump narrowly loses in November, Cruz, Kasich and Bush will be blamed for it

If Trump wins in November, Cruz, Kasich and Bush are now afterthoughts

If Trump wins and then goes on to have a very successful presidency, then its not just Cruz, Kasich and Bush, its the entire RNC that folds up and goes away.

The only real win scenario for them is if Trump gets blown out and Hillary wins in a landslide.

I still don't trust him. There is a lot to consider after the election. The viability of the GOP/RNC is on the line. Deservedly so.

Priebus is smelling the wind.

You asked somebody to smarten you up and I did. Too bad it didn't take.

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Actually buddy, it may be the perfect time.

My thoughts, too. All that statement did is tell us which way the Priebus weathervane is pointing today.

Point taken, but I also need to note that I was a huge fan of Debbie Wasserman Shultz. I am not a praying man normally, but I said a little prayer for her everyday to keep her position at the DNC as long as possible.

Maybe be proof that prayers work.

Good to know that all the Trump fans are very happy with the thought of the RNC being able to choose the candidates in the future and keep undesirables out.

Very confused by it, but good to know where they stand.