Mr. Ginsberg outlined two events that would leave Republican leaders scrambling to sort out who will represent the party in the general election: a “clear cluster” and a “party buster.” In the first case, several candidates would be hundreds of delegates short of winning the nomination, creating a free-for-all that could last all four nights or longer. In the second case, a candidate who is dozens of delegates short of the 1,237 needed, could lead to subsequent ballots with unbound delegates in flux and free to back other candidates.
“This situation can unsettle any convention and would require whip operations like no candidate has had for generations,” Mr. Ginsberg wrote.