GOP Establishment freely states membership in Republican Party is only open to those they approve

.
2/26/16, "Tripwire Alert – The RNC, GOPe, Marco Rubio, Chris Christie and Donald Trump…," tcth, sundance

"Yesterday, four times -and most notably on the debate stage- RNC Head Reince Preibus said: “the candidates are applying to join the republican party and gain the benefit of the national party apparatus“. Think about this very carefully. The key takeaway is the RNC now saying all the candidates are outside the party, and the party will determine who leads it. The candidates are mere applicants to the group for the position of nominee."...

================

Added: Same "admissions committee of private club" attitude expressed in 2010 by GOP E during Florida gubernatorial primary when "outsider" Rick Scott won the primary over Establishment candidate McCollum. Florida GOP establishment said it would have to examine winner Rick Scott more closely before deciding whether or not to support him against the democrat:

8/25/2010, "Florida primary results: Can Rick Scott, GOP 'insiders' unite?" Orlando Sentinel, Aaron Deslatte

""There are still questions about him," said Seminole County GOP Chairman Jason Brodeur, who won a legislative primary Tuesday night. "If he answers the questions correctly, we'll have no problems getting out the grass roots for him."...

"I think he has to show us his credentials," said Bill Bunting, chairman of Pasco County's McCollum team. "He's going to need the party to win this election; I think he knows that. He only took this by a small margin, despite all the money he spent."...

Republican National Committeeman Paul Senft said Scott had expressed frustrations to him before the primary that the party was being "unfairly" used to help McCollum.

"His (Scott's) big problem was we were not impartial and should have been in the primary," said Senft, a Haines City businessman. "Internally there were people in the party that felt the same way.""...

===============

Rick Scott became Fla. governor in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014: 

11/5/2014, "Scott stays in office, 1/3 Amendments pass," eaglenews.org, by Nina Barbero

 
Above, 8/24/2010, Outsider Rick Scott beats GOP insider Bill McCollum in Florida Governor primary, ap photo. Rick Scott went on to beat democrat nominee Alex Sink and became Florida Governor. Top photo via Palm Beach Post, ap photo

   

..................