I said this on a related thread, and I will repeat it here. This is the way it has always been, where people active in the party (active year round), are on the top of the list for events like this, such as Precinct Captains and County Chairpersons and Party volunteers, phone bank callers, etc. They simply earn their invitation and right to be first because they get involved. And yes, most donate either to the RNC or to a candidate or Super Pac directly.
When President George W. Bush came to Seattle limited invitations for the departing handshake line were sent out in this same way. I got my invitation because I was a Precinct Captain, and volunteered for his campaign. I got Christmas Cards from the Bush’s for 2- years in a roll, and was sent official invitations to his Inauguration and some of the D.C. Balls in the same way.
This is why I found it a personal insult when Trump called them nothing but a bunch of donors. Can you imagine the nightmare these debates would be if tickets were available to the general public? Leftist activist groups would buy banks of tickets. Hard enough keeping a handful of Code Pink or Black Lives Matter activist out as it is.
