Boston Herald letter, March 22, 2016

Adriana Cohen is wrong to insist that the Republicans are somehow cheating if Donald Trump goes to their convention with the most votes and delegates but short of a majority of either and loses the nomination (“Party can kiss me goodbye if front-runner shown the door,” March 20).

To use Cohen’s NFL comparison, the convention is the playoffs. Going undefeated during the regular season doesn’t guarantee the Patriots a trip to the Super Bowl. They must make it through the playoffs.

Trump’s great weakness is that, while his outrageous campaign has garnered him a plurality of votes, it has also alienated something close to a majority of the party. When more than two candidates go into a convention with delegates, it becomes very important to be the second choice of many. Trump is not. The number of delegates needed to win — 1,237 — remains the rule at the Republican National Convention.

Trump may get his majority yet, but he has so badly split the GOP, that whoever wins is likely to lose to Hillary Clinton.

— Brian R. Merrick, West Barnstable