This Republican presidential primary is so much fun (when it’s not incredibly depressing on policy and moral grounds). The threat of a nominee who says out loud what “mainstream” Republicans know you're supposed to dog whistle has the party establishment planning for a convention floor fight if that’s what it would take to keep Donald Trump from being nominated. And Ben Carson is Not Happy about that chatter. In fact, he “won’t stand for it,” according to a statement he issued in response to the Washington Post’s reporting about the establishment’s convention planning:
“If this was the beginning of a plan to subvert the will of the voters and replaces it with the will of the political elite, I assure you Donald Trump will not be the only one leaving the party. [...]
“This process is the one played out by our party. If the powerful try to manipulate it, the Republican National Convention in Cleveland next summer may be the last convention. I am prepared to lose fair and square, as I am sure is Donald. But I will not sit by and watch a theft. I intend on being the nominee. If I am not, the winner will have my support. If the winner isn’t our nominee then we have a massive problem. My campaign is about ‘We the People’ not ‘They the Powerful.'”
Since the “We the People” backing Carson’s candidacy are dwindling rapidly, by the time of the convention there may not be a ton of interest in what Carson does, but this is a swell way to try to grab back a little of that outsider credibility and attention, while sucking up to Trump.
Also, he’s sure Donald Trump is prepared to lose fair and square? Ha ha ha. That may be the funniest thing Ben Carson has said this entire campaign.