Oh, sorry. I forget people might not have been paying attention. The splitter strategy was a club plan to run 16 GOP candidates in '16 so that Jeb could get nomination with 15-20% of primary vote.
Each candidate would drop, endorse Jeb, & give delegates in a specific sequence.
During the 2014 RNC club winter rules meeting, to determine the election year primary sequence and winner take all (WTA) or proportional delegate distribution by state, the map was outlined. Florida changed primary dates and shifted to WTA to facilitate a Rubio/Jeb ticket split.
The candidates were recruited, financed and eventually announced in the predetermined sequence, entering the race in 2015. However, Trump waited til they were all in, then entered the race as #17. This blew up the RNC club plan. DJT was not expected. The club was furious.
From August 2015 (first poll all in) throughout '15 and '16, Trump held the #1 polling position taking 30%+ from the top of the entire field. This totally imploded the club plan. One of the billionaires, Murdoch, tried to take him down early w/ Megyn Kelly, but failed.
Fox News political director, Bill Salmon (circled above), following Murdoch's instructions, was the one who organized the first effort.
Murdoch's job was to promote the lane of Rubio. Mercer supported Cruz. Koch supported Scott Walker lane etc. They all supported Jeb per plan.
Trump messed up the Club plan. The rest is history. Kelly was given $5 million advance by Murdoch's Harper Collins book outfit, Mercer went along with Trump at RNC convention, Bushes etc went home with a grudge to reassemble for Trump removal in '20.
That's the way the club operates, but most voters don't see the RNC and DNC as privately run corporations, private clubs. As a result, they mistakenly think voters are selecting candidates.
In reality, sans Trump, the Club rules (map) decides the primary winner. Same for DNC.
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