Of course he is literally right on both counts. This is blatant, blatant collusion between the two campaigns – a pact of pure convenience born of desperation. Neither Cruz nor (especially) Kasich have a chance of winning the nomination if Trump wins 1,237 delegates by June 8,
Or if the favorite wins the first round of voting in Cleveland. The whole game is to deny delegates, and Cruz has done almost everything he can to do that hefty lifting. Each delegate elected from Trump’s opening column is a step closer to the multi-vote convention around which both men’s strategies now revolve. If either were fully convinced that Trump would not achieve his goals by early June, this belated political marriage would necessarily never have materialized. But the novel polling trends have apparently spooked both campaigns enough to form an uneasy alliance aimed at ensuring that the anti-Trump vote is not diluted in a counterproductive way that benefits their common opponent. Speaking of which, he is not cheerful with any of this:
Wow, I just announced that Lyin’ Ted and Kasich are going to conspire to prevent me from winning the Republican nomination. DESPERATE!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2016
Lyin’ Ted Cruz and 1 on 38 Kasich can’t beat me alone, so they have to team up (collaborate) in a 2 on 1. Shows weakness!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2016
It shows how delicate and desperate Lyin’ Ted is when he has to team up with a guy who openly hates him and has only 1 win and 38 losses on his record.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2016
“One in 38 Kasi” may be the first time Trump has deigned to give the Ohio governor a derogatory nickname, so at least that’s progress. (It’s also worth recalling that “Lying Ted” has a higher sincerity rating than Trump, as Everyone else in the race, including notorious liar Hillary Clinton.) Trump’s completely predictable ranting and ravings aside, the real issue is whether this tactical plan will work. Maybe: Trump is a polarizing frontrunner with historically impoverished national approval ratings. With a few exceptions, his appeal has been circumscribed to less than 40 percent of the GOP primary electorate, a small slice of the broader population that will choose the next president in November. One notable case informing this analysis is Marco Rubio March Appeal for his Ohio supporters to back Kasich to aid strip Trump of the Buckeye State’s 66 delegates. The Florida senator’s advice was heeded in droves, ultimately giving the governor a comfortable Margin of victoryA few weeks later, a enormous swath of Kasich’s Wisconsin supporters apparently defected to Cruz as it became clear that the Texan was the only viable anti-Trump play in town. Cruz and Kasich have now signaled clear preferences to supporters in Indiana, Oregon and New Mexico — clues that could also aid direct the efforts and resources of various allies and super PACs.
May not: As with any political “trick,” there is a certain risk that any uncharacteristically calculated machination will provoke a backlash, in this case by inflaming and mobilizing Trump’s supporters (who are already convinced that the entire system is sullied because of his
cynical complaints) and Trump supporters, while also potentially irritating supporters of the two low-engagement campaigns involved. Moreover, the only clear example of this kind of attempt and success this cycle is the aforementioned Rubio/Kasich gambit, which had the added benefit of prompting a more natural migration of voters. There is a fair amount of polling data indicating that a certain segment of potential Cruz and Kasich voters would prefer Trump over another anti-Donald candidate. All of this means that this move is a gamble that is not guaranteed to work out as it is presented on paper. We will have our first — and likely last — significant verdict when the Hoosier State race is called a week from tomorrow. If Cruz can consolidate support and pull out a victory, the plan will be vindicated. If not, Trump is a very likely candidate. Either way, the Trump campaign released a bitter, poorly written statement last night, when the candidate himself repeated his objections to a raucous crowd in Rhode Island this afternoon. Ted Cruz’s team is defending itself, Fundraising far from reports banditry and threats imposed on delegates by Trump operatives and supporters, further fueling the bitter tone of this ugly election campaign. Even Kasich’s nice-guy facade shows signs of overloadbecause Trump has now started criticizing ”
disgusting“the way Ohioans eat their food. And in case you were curious, Trump’s nickname is:Wonderful Donald.” All right, Wonderful DonaldAre these promises? Would you be willing to, say, sign a loyalty oath to that end? What could possibly go wrong?
Trump: If I Lose, ‘I Don’t Think You’ll Ever See Me Again’ https://t.co/sc6nOL9NYP photo:twitter.com/2tQMlKsrSV
— The Hill (@thehill) April 25, 2016
Trump just promised to stop tweeting if elected president. “Not presidential.”
— Christine Rousselle (@crousselle) April 25, 2016
I will leave you with this cheerful note that reached me after reading Peggy Noonan’s latest column:
BTW, the fractured party will probably lose in November. It’s about preserving the *chance* of winning, mitigating damage, and preserving dignity/principles.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) April 25, 2016
