The Republican Primary Race Is Filling Up

[olhorseman]

Carson says Trump is the most Christian of those remaining...

Yeah, I'd give Donnie a 78 on the ol Christian meter chart.

 

[JettaKnight]

Carson says Trump is the most Christian of those remaining...

Well he did quote from "Two Corinthians".

 

[jamil]

Carson says Trump is the most Christian of those remaining...

Well, fruits and all...

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Non-vetted...FWIW.

BREAKING: Rubio Tells Supporters NOT Vote for Him in Ohio, Instead Vote For...

 

[UglyAmerican]

Cruz 2016!
[video=youtube;kNa5w9js48s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNa5w9js48s[/video]
Uh...

 

[JettaKnight]

Uh...

Yeah, uh...


I thought that video was a little weird with the numerology... then I noticed the Star of David.

 

[chipbennett]

Non-vetted...FWIW.

BREAKING: Rubio Tells Supporters NOT Vote for Him in Ohio, Instead Vote For...

Anyone still think that Rubio, Cruz, and Kasich are legitimate candidates, rather than as merely pawns in the GOPe splitter plan?

Cruz pulls out of Florida and Ohio. Rubio pulls out of Ohio (and tells his supporters to vote instead for Kasich). Kasich isn't even on the ballot in Pennsylvania and parts of Illinois.

Now, please: somebody tell me how stupid Trump voters are? If you can't see through this obvious ploy, time to get your IQ checked.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Makes perfect sense to keep Trump from getting the nomination. The goal is convention.

 

[Expat]

Anyone still think that Rubio, Cruz, and Kasich are legitimate candidates, rather than as merely pawns in the GOPe splitter plan?

Cruz pulls out of Florida and Ohio. Rubio pulls out of Ohio (and tells his supporters to vote instead for Kasich). Kasich isn't even on the ballot in Pennsylvania and parts of Illinois.

Now, please: somebody tell me how stupid Trump voters are? If you can't see through this obvious ploy, time to get your IQ checked.

Tell me the rules of the game, and I will play the game. Rubio and Kasich have no hope of getting the nomination unless there is a contested convention. The rules of the convention are that if no candidate wins on the first ballot, then they start the process of moving delegates from one candidate to another. They hope that they will be the one to get those delegates to move to them. Suddenly it becomes important who those delegates are and how solid they are for their nominee. Cruz still hopes that after Ohio and Florida that the other two get out and he can try to win the further contests down the line. I have already opined on what I think it will do to the party if it goes to a contested convention and Trump is the vote leader but does not get the nomination. That does not appear to be a consideration of anyone in the party leadership though.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Anyone still think that Rubio, Cruz, and Kasich are legitimate candidates, rather than as merely pawns in the GOPe splitter plan?

Cruz pulls out of Florida and Ohio. Rubio pulls out of Ohio (and tells his supporters to vote instead for Kasich). Kasich isn't even on the ballot in Pennsylvania and parts of Illinois.

Now, please: somebody tell me how stupid Trump voters are? If you can't see through this obvious ploy, time to get your IQ checked.

I'm thinking about contingency voting plans assuming Trump wins. I think I might just write somebody in. We need to have our own INGO write-in primary. For those of us that can't see voting for Trump, Hillary/Sanders, or any of the lesser parties, I mean if we're going to throw our votes away anyway, maybe a few of us could be united on one of our own.

 

[chipbennett]

Makes perfect sense to keep Trump from getting the nomination. The goal is convention.

...which proves that none of the three is a legitimate candidate. You don't pull out of the biggest, winner-take-all states, tell your supporters to vote for one of the guys you're running against, and then get to claim that you honestly want to (or think that you can) win the nomination.

If their gambit works, the convention will be brokered. Not contested, because the GOPe will not nominate any of the Three Stooges. It will be brokered, with someone like Mitt Romney riding in on a White Horse.

And when that happens, the #NeverTrump campaign will have accomplished only one thing: giving the White House to Hilary Clinton.

 

[chipbennett]

I'm thinking about contingency voting plans assuming Trump wins. I think I might just write somebody in. We need to have our own INGO write-in primary. For those of us that can't see voting for Trump, Hillary/Sanders, or any of the lesser parties, I mean if we're going to throw our votes away anyway, maybe a few of us could be united on one of our own.

I simply cannot understand the logic of anyone who would do ANYTHING that would potentially facilitate putting Hilary Clinton in the White House.

 

[chipbennett]

Tell me the rules of the game, and I will play the game. Rubio and Kasich have no hope of getting the nomination unless there is a contested convention. The rules of the convention are that if no candidate wins on the first ballot, then they start the process of moving delegates from one candidate to another. They hope that they will be the one to get those delegates to move to them. Suddenly it becomes important who those delegates are and how solid they are for their nominee. Cruz still hopes that after Ohio and Florida that the other two get out and he can try to win the further contests down the line. I have already opined on what I think it will do to the party if it goes to a contested convention and Trump is the vote leader but does not get the nomination. That does not appear to be a consideration of anyone in the party leadership though.

The delegates won't be "solid" for any candidate to whom they are bound. They will simply fulfill their fiduciary duty of supporting the candidate to whom they are bound - on the first ballot only - and then they will do the bidding of the GOPe.

 

[Expat]

I simply cannot understand the logic of anyone who would do ANYTHING that would potentially facilitate putting Hilary Clinton in the White House.

This is me. I will reluctantly vote Trump if that is what it comes down to...

 

[chipbennett]

This is me. I will reluctantly vote Trump if that is what it comes down to...

That's the same reason I held my nose and voted for McCain and Romney: to keep Obama out of the White House. Hilary would be orders of magnitude worse than him.

It's the same reason that I'll hold my nose and vote for whomever is the eventual Republican nominee this year.

 

[T.Lex]

I simply cannot understand the logic of anyone who would do ANYTHING that would potentially facilitate putting Hilary Clinton in the White House.

I think this is becoming a harder case to make, the longer Sanders enjoys support. The Dems have problems in their own house - including defectors to Trump, as you've noted.

Trump v. Clinton may be a lesser-of-two-evils choice, but it is starting to look more like a tossup to me. And Trump has proven to be teflon so far, while Clinton not-so-much.

 

[bmbutch]

And could it be that those who are switching side are doing it because of Trump, in that if he wins the primaries then the Dems will have an easier time in the general?

That's what I've been thinking.

 

[jamil]

Anyone still think that Rubio, Cruz, and Kasich are legitimate candidates, rather than as merely pawns in the GOPe splitter plan?

Cruz pulls out of Florida and Ohio. Rubio pulls out of Ohio (and tells his supporters to vote instead for Kasich). Kasich isn't even on the ballot in Pennsylvania and parts of Illinois.

Now, please: somebody tell me how stupid Trump voters are? If you can't see through this obvious ploy, time to get your IQ checked.

...which proves that none of the three is a legitimate candidate. You don't pull out of the biggest, winner-take-all states, tell your supporters to vote for one of the guys you're running against, and then get to claim that you honestly want to (or think that you can) win the nomination.

If their gambit works, the convention will be brokered. Not contested, because the GOPe will not nominate any of the Three Stooges. It will be brokered, with someone like Mitt Romney riding in on a White Horse.

And when that happens, the #NeverTrump campaign will have accomplished only one thing: giving the White House to Hilary Clinton.

You aren't one of those 911 truthers, are you?

This is easy stuff here. There's no conspired plan between secret GOPe operatives Cruz/Rubio/Kasich. These are logical reactions to the reality that is right now. If I were Rubio, and I were desparate, it is exactly what I would do in his situation.

Unless Rubio is completely deluded he must understand that it is now impossible for him to win outright with pledged delegates. His only hope forward is a contested convention and even that's a long shot. There are no other states left that he can hope to win. If the polls hold, Trump will win Florida. If he also wins Ohio, which looks quite possible, Trump will likely win the nomination outright. This is Rubio's only play to stay in the game even as a longshot.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I simply cannot understand the logic of anyone who would do ANYTHING that would potentially facilitate putting Hilary Clinton in the White House.

Frankly, my gut feeling is Trump and Hillary are equally poor candidates. Why does it matter which gets in there? Hoping the stuff Trump is saying now, as opposed to stuff he said a few weeks/months ago is what he really stands for? At least with Hillary, we know what we'll get.

 

[chipbennett]

You aren't one of those 911 truthers, are you?

I'll just pretend you didn't even ask that.

This is easy stuff here. There's no conspired plan between secret GOPe operatives Cruz/Rubio/Kasich. These are logical reactions to the reality that is right now. If I were Rubio, and I were desparate, it is exactly what I would do in his situation.

I'm sure it was completely a coincidence that Jeb Bush met separately with Rubio, Cruz, and Kasich earlier this week. No collusion at all.