1 hour ago, Pugu said:

^Good article. This may be crazy, but could the GOP not nominate Trump at its convention? Has either party ever had a surprise nomination like that?

 

Not in the last 100 years or so.  From what I've read, the nominee was chosen at the conventions in the 1800s but at some point the convention votes became formalities. 

I think the process started to become a formality after the Presidential Election of 1968 (Nixon vs Humphrey with George Wallace). State Delegates were bound to their constituents vote for the '72 election (Nixon vs. McGovern) and that is when State Primaries started to get more influence in the process.