HARRINGTON, Del. (AP) – As his top aides spent the week gingerly courting Republican insiders at a seaside resort in Florida, Donald Trump was busy railing against them.
“The system is all rigged,” Trump told supporters at a rally Friday at the Delaware State Fairgrounds ahead of the GOP primary. “That’s why we have to win big. That’s why on Tuesday, everyone has to go out and vote. We have to win big because the system is rigged.”
While it may seem counterproductive, Trump’s foot-stomping has served as a rallying cry to boost voter turnout and allowed him to continue to appeal to voters who feel disenfranchised. The “rigged” system also is a convenient scapegoat, taking the blame for any future potential losses and lost delegates instead of an outmaneuvered campaign.
Trump has won more states than his rivals, yet his team has been badly outplayed by Ted Cruz in the intricate game of ensuring that supportive delegates make it to the GOP convention in July in Cleveland.
Pennsylvania, one of five states voting Tuesday, has an especially confusing delegate system. While the winner of its primary will emerge with 17 delegates, the vast majority of delegates – 54 – are unbound and can vote for whomever they choose. The ballot will feature 162 potential delegates, but it will offer no information about whom they support. That means voters who haven’t consulted with the campaigns about their rosters will be voting blind.