I think I’ll write a hit Broadway musical called Convention, Gavel, or A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Nomination. Regardless of the name, one of the songs will start with,

Rules, glorious Rules, so frumpy and unctuous / Tool of the elites, who live to boss the bumptious.

What happened yesterday could be a pivotal moment in the history of the Republican Party. Unless they pull a stunner tonight, we saw the death of the #NeverTrump faction. But, that is only some of what the kerfuffle accomplished. To understand the strife on the floor Tuesday, you must grasp two important facts. One, many of the #NeverTrump people are convinced that Trump’s nomination will radically redefine the GOP, maybe to the point they can no longer tolerate it. They’re concerned with several matters, not just Trump’s nomination, though that is their proximate complaint. Not only would they like to prevent Trump’s ascension, they want to reconfigure elements of the GOP’s structure to make sure it is responsive and less likely to go down this path in the future.

Two, the convention rules are about more than a conscience clause, though that element has been much reported. They essentially shape and bind party elements not only this week, but for the next election cycle. The rules also determine the extent to which the party leadership–the actual Republican National Committee–can alter the rules without the support of the entire convention. To a degree, the strife yesterday was an argument over whether the “C” in RNC stands for Convention or Committee.

The so-called “Never Trump” segment wanted to limit the RNC’s ability to change the rules independently, tweak the GOP nomination process to reward states that hold closed contests, and, ideally, insert language into the rules that would unbind the delegates. They failed in their efforts to change the rules in committee last week, and yesterday (Monday) was their attempt to resurrect the issue on the floor. Their parliamentary tactics (win a voice vote, force a roll call which would allow the #NeverTrump delegates to vote against Trump’s rules even though the may have been bound, or to establish a “point of order” to require debate on the rules) failed, primarily because the GOP leadership was determined to defeat them. The convention chair first pretended to “hear” a majority that did not exist, refused to acknowledge complaints, and even left the podium so the national committee could squelch the states where a majority of delegates wanted more debate and/or a roll call. In short, during the past six or eight weeks, the RNC has had a chance to either nourish or step on the #NeverTrump movement. It chose to jump on it with both feet and that got public Monday.

Ironically, the elites of the RNC “rigged” the system to assure the nomination of a man who rose to fame castigating such rigged systems.

Two questions seem pretty easy: why would the GOP do this and what impact will it have? The first question is pretty simple to answer, but you will not like it. Parties don’t exist to enact an ideology. They don’t exist to fulfill my goals or the goals of a bloc of voters. Parties exist to fulfill the needs of those who run the parties–primarily party officials and office-holders. In other words, the GOP does not care if Donald Trump is conservative or liberal, loving or hateful, absurd or rational. The GOP cares that Donald Trump gives it the best chance to win right now. Once that calculation was made, the rest was a foregone conclusion. Let’s put a fine point on it. The GOP has been the party of conservatism only when it suits the party. It only seeks conservative ideals when those ideals are marketable and winning. Once those days are over, the party changes gears. Hence, the orange man has broken the party.

This is no longer the party of Reagan, or Bush, or Romney. This is the party of Trump and it will be for the foreseeable future. Buckle up, conservatives. It is only going to get worse.

The impact? That will have to wait until tomorrow.

More pics and thoughts to come then.