GOP delegates only bound to candidate on the first ballot

Washington Examiner:
Republicans are in uncharted territory as they inch toward their first contested presidential nominating convention in 40 years.

Delegates to the quadrennial GOP gathering cast the official votes that nominate the party's presidential candidate. But not since Ronald Reagan challenged President Gerald Ford in Kansas City have their votes been more than a formality. This year could be different, as four Republican contenders threaten to divide the vote in the primaries and caucuses and arrive in Cleveland having blocked each other from 1,237 delegates, the threshold needed to secure the nomination.

"These people will be free to vote for who they want to," said Shawn Steel, who as the Republican National Committeeman from California is a delegate to the party's July convention. "These are political people. When they realize the power they have, there is going to be a lot of dealing."

The looming question is whether delegates are prepared to exercise that power and nominate a candidate other than the individual who earns a plurality of votes (and delegates) in the primaries.

It's an issue not just because of the uncertainty of the outcome, but because Donald Trump is the clear front-runner. The New York celebrity businessman is not a traditional Republican. He has historically supported liberal politicians and causes, and despite evolving on some issues still holds many positions that are anathema to the GOP and its conservative underpinnings. There's a movement among some Republicans and conservative activists to block Trump from the nomination.

A growing number of elected officials are declaring they will not vote for Trump in November. Joining them are insurgents who are normally at odds with the GOP establishment.
...
Trump may be better off than they think in this scenario.  He is a deal maker willing to compromise much more so than Cruz.  There is little telling what he might be willing to promise to win.

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