John Kasich finally acknowledged reality that he’s not a serious Presidential candidate, something that’s been apparent to objective observers for months.
Maybe he had a bet with someone he could stay in the race longer than Ted Cruz…
Posts Tagged ‘Ted Cruz’
John Kasich Finally Abandons The Delusion He’s a Presidential Candidate
Wednesday, May 4th, 2016Everybody Take a Deep Breath
Wednesday, May 4th, 2016If you’re a conservative, today is probably going to be rough.
We’re certainly living through interesting times, but today is not the day to apply for Australian citizenship, burn down the nearest Republican Party headquarters, or climb up on a high ledge.
Ted Cruz is still a Senator, the Constitution hasn’t been nullified overnight (as much as the Supreme Court is working on it), and Republicans still hold majorities in the House, Senate and Governor’s mansions that owe no allegiance to Donald Trump.
America survived a revolution, a civil war, two World Wars, the Cold War, disco, and Barack Obama. It will survive Donald Trump.
Now’s a good day to take a deep breath, hug your kids, kiss your wife, pet your dog, and put off thinking about politics until you’re less angry and depressed.
Ted Cruz Suspends His Campaign
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016“We left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything we’ve got but the voters chose another path,” Cruz said. “So with a heavy heart but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign.”
He ran a great campaign in a year it just wasn’t enough.
Cruz is still a senator and a conservative leader. I doubt we’ve heard the last of him.
So: Trump
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016Both Decision Desk and CNN are both projecting Donald Trump to win Indiana with over 50% of the vote. At this point, it makes Trump a prohibitive favorite to clench the GOP nomination before the convention over Ted Cruz.
This is not an outcome I would have foreseen when the race started, nor is it one I desire.
But it is what it is.
Presidential Race Update for May 3, 2016
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016Today voters go to the polls in Indiana. If Cruz wins, we’re likely headed to a floor fight at the Republican convention. If not…
Cruz Picks Carly Fiorina as VP
Wednesday, April 27th, 2016Ted Cruz has named Carly Fiorina as his Vice Presidential running mate. Assuming, of course, he gets the nomination.
Fiorina is OK, but there are better candidates, and candidates that help you more in the general election. Of course, Cruz has to get the nomination first. Can he pick up more Republican women with the pick? Maybe, but I’d be surprised if it really moves the needle. Fiorina’s own campaign didn’t set the world on fire, and if women weren’t already alienated by Donald Trump, I don’t see Fiorina pulling them into the Cruz camp.
I do see four potential positives:
- It helps put Trump’s very good Tuesday night (where he won every state) in the shade.
- Maybe it gives women voting for John Kasich an excuse to vote Cruz?
- Maybe it forces the press to cover Fiorina going after Trump full-bore.
- Maybe it makes Cruz slightly more competitive in California.
Can it keep Trump from getting a first ballot win? Maybe, though Trump was already slightly off pace to clench anyway. But I’m not sure it alters the fundamental dynamics of the race.
Presidential Race Update for April 26, 2016
Tuesday, April 26th, 2016Today primary voters go to the polls in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. A few Presidential race updates:
Cruz-Kasich Detente in Indiana, New Mexico, Oregon
Sunday, April 24th, 2016Ted Cruz and John Kasich have evidently come to an understanding about clearing the way for the other to fight Donald Trump in the states they’re respectively strongest in:
Tonight, Kasich for America chief strategist John Weaver issued the following statement:
“Donald Trump doesn’t have the support of a majority of Republicans – not even close, but he currently does have almost half the delegates because he’s benefited from the existing primary system. Our goal is to have an open convention in Cleveland, where we are confident a candidate capable of uniting the Party and winning in November will emerge as the nominee.”
Blather about Kasich’s awesomeness snipped.
Due to the fact that the Indiana primary is winner-take-all statewide and by congressional district, keeping Trump from winning a plurality in Indiana is critical to keeping him under 1237 bound delegates before Cleveland. We are very comfortable with our delegate position in Indiana already, and given the current dynamics of the primary there, we will shift our campaign’s resources West and give the Cruz campaign a clear path in Indiana.
In turn, we will focus our time and resources in New Mexico and Oregon, both areas that are structurally similar to the Northeast politically, where Gov. Kasich is performing well. We would expect independent third-party groups to do the same and honor the commitments made by the Cruz and Kasich campaigns.
This is a smart move against Trump, and one that keeps Cruz’s real hopes (and Kasich’s delusional ones) alive.
This is not only the strangest Presidential election of our lifetimes, it’s probably the strangest Presidential election since 1876 (the last time the House of Representatives choose Republican Rutherford Hayes over Democrat Samuel Tilden due to double sets of returns from southern states still undergoing reconstruction), and possibly since 1860…
Ted Cruz Cleans Up On Delegates Yet Again
Sunday, April 24th, 2016Once again, Ted Cruz has outflanked the Donald Trump Campaign:
While Donald Trump is winning big delegate states and trumpeting his presumptive-nominee status, GOP presidential rival Sen. Ted Cruz and his campaign are quietly fighting — and winning — delegate support, the latest coming Saturday night in Maine.
Cruz won 19 of 20 delegates Saturday night at the Maine GOP convention.
Snip.
On Saturday, the Cruz campaign picked up a total of 65 delegates, including nine in three Minnesota congressional districts, one in a South Carolina congressional district and at least 36 of 37 national delegates in Utah, after winning the state’s GOP caucus last month, according to Politico.
Again, none of this matters if Trump can secure a first ballot victory at the Republican convention. But if he doesn’t, Cruz is exceptionally well-positioned to become the Republican nominee on the second or third ballot.
Trump is great at getting free media attention, but he sucks at actually dealing with the Republican grassroots. That, his inability to hire and lead a first-rate campaign team, and his unwillingness to learn from his mistakes, could very well cost him the nomination.