The Democratic nominee won’t be democratically chosen | TheHill – The Hill

I was fortunate enough in 2016 to play a small role in the unprecedented political juggernaut that was the Trump campaign. Against a crowded field of senators, governors and names that Americans had known for decades, then-candidate Donald Trump emerged as a force outside the GOP establishment that none of the Washington types the Republicans political geniuses could have ever seen coming.

Primary after primary, caucus after caucus, Trump just kept winning. Before the Republican National Convention in July, he exceed the number of delegates needed to clinch the partys nomination by more than 200.

Becoming the nominee was inevitable even as some in the party didnt want to accept it.

Professional losers at the convention, more concerned with tone than taxpayers, worked the few remaining country club Republicans to try to force a floor fight. If you dont remember this, thats OK: It lasted all of an hour and went basically nowhere.

The Republican base voted for Donald Trump to be the nominee. The party understood this, and that was final. It is, after all, the will of the people that matters in a democracy, right?

Ask the Democrats.

It was a very simple question that NBCs Meet the Press host Chuck ToddCharles (Chuck) David ToddTrailing Democrats tout strength with black voters ahead of South Carolina Clyburn says Democrats spent 'too much time on Bloomberg' in Nevada debate The Democratic nominee won't be democratically chosen MORE posed to the candidates in Wednesdays debate in Las Vegas: Should the candidate with the most delegates at the end of the primary season be the nominee, even if they are short of a majority? Simple. Fair. Topical.

For the first time in many years, we are very likely heading toward a brokered convention for the Democrats. So in a world where theres no clear winner according to the rules of the game, would it be fair to award the nomination to the person who came closest to victory?

In essence, should the winner of the popular vote be the nominee?

Listen to what they said.

Former New York City Mayor Michael BloombergMichael Rubens BloombergWinners andlosers from the South Carolina debate Sanders most searched, most tweeted about candidate during Democratic debate Democrats duke it out in most negative debate so far MORE: Whatever the rules of the Democratic Party are, they should be followed. Chuck Todd clarifies, So you want the convention to work its will? and Bloomberg replies, Yes.

Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenWinners andlosers from the South Carolina debate Five takeaways from the Democratic debate Sanders most searched, most tweeted about candidate during Democratic debate MORE (D-Mass.): The convention working its will means people have the delegates that are pledged to them and they keep those delegates until you come to the convention, all of the people.

Former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenWinners andlosers from the South Carolina debate Five takeaways from the Democratic debate Sanders most searched, most tweeted about candidate during Democratic debate MORE: No, let the process work its way out.

Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete ButtigiegPeter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegWinners andlosers from the South Carolina debate Five takeaways from the Democratic debate Sanders most searched, most tweeted about candidate during Democratic debate MORE: Not necessarily, not till theres a majority.

Sen. Amy KlobucharAmy Jean KlobucharWinners andlosers from the South Carolina debate Sanders most searched, most tweeted about candidate during Democratic debate Democrats duke it out in most negative debate so far MORE (D-Minn.): Let the process work.

And finally, Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersWinners andlosers from the South Carolina debate Five takeaways from the Democratic debate Sanders most searched, most tweeted about candidate during Democratic debate MORE (I-Vt.): Well, the process includes 500 superdelegates on the second ballot. So I think that the will of the people should prevail. Yes, the person who has the most votes should be the nominee.

This was actually astounding. Mayor Pete, whose platform includes a proposal to eliminate the Electoral College and replace it with a nationwide popular vote, stood onstage, stared down on the American people and argued that the Democratic nominee should not necessarily be chosen by a popular vote.

Warren, in her very lawyerly way of hiding behind allusions to intricacies of convention rules and delegate counts, avoided the simple form of her answer: No, the will of the Democratic voters is irrelevant unless it ends up in a delegate majority.

Bernie, whose 2016 campaign actually inspired the changes to the nominating process that have given the Democratic Party this new, perilous-looking system, was the only one to show any consistency between whats in his platform and what he believes.

And the thing about Bernie is, even if he werent the new front-runner of the race, a fair characterization to make given his lead in delegate counts and enthusiasm to match, I believe he still would have answered the same way. And thats precisely why the Democratic National Committee (DNC) cant stand him.

Make no mistake in a world where Sanders falls short of the majority of delegates, he will have the nomination stolen from him again. And each of the candidates who advocates for the dissolution of the Electoral College will just sit back and say, Sorry, thats how the nominating process works.

Principle doesnt matter here. If it did, every party figure would have been outraged by the candidates insistence that the will of the people expressed by a popular vote is meaningful only if it puts them over the delegate threshold.

This is about winning about letting the DNC establishment chooseits ideal candidate to face off against President TrumpDonald John TrumpWinners andlosers from the South Carolina debate Five takeaways from the Democratic debate Democrats duke it out in most negative debate so far MORE.It knows its going to be a fight;it knows its going to be tough to win. And for some reason, all these facts add up to the conclusion among party leaders the Democrats geniuses that they cant afford to trust the will of their own voters.

Maybe theyre right, for the sake of the general election, as far as they see it. Maybe not. But what I do know is that the desperate rallying cry among Democrats to vote blue no matter who implies that, at the end of the day, you are responsible to your voters.

If I were the DNC, Id treat them with respect. Thinking theyre incompetent usually isnt a good look.

But hey, trust the geniuses, right?

Corey R. Lewandowski is President Trumps former campaign manager and a senior adviser to the Trump-Pence 2020 campaign. He is a senior adviser to the Great America Committee, Vice PresidentMike PenceMichael (Mike) Richard PenceTrump trails Democratic challengers among Catholic voters: poll Sunday shows preview: 2020 candidates look to South Carolina The Democratic nominee won't be democratically chosen MORE's political action committee. He is co-author with David Bossie of the new book, Trumps Enemies, and of Let Trump Be Trump: The Inside Story of His Rise to the Presidency. Follow him on Twitter@CLewandowski_.

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