Posted on 04/23/2016 8:25:03 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The anti-Trump movement is at odds with Ted Cruz and John Kasich over how to stop Donald Trump.
In interviews and strategy memos, operatives aligned with the anti-Trump movement have outlined a roadmap for how to block Trump from obtaining the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination.
But Cruz and Kasich – both of whom have been mathematically eliminated from winning the nomination outright — are carrying on with no regard for the anti-Trump movement’s proposed pathway to a contested convention.
The differences have stirred tensions between Republicans who share the same goal of stopping Trump, but can’t seem to get on the same page about how to do it.
“The challenge is that when you have more than one non-Trump candidate, those candidates are going to be advocating for what’s in their individual best interests rather than for the group as a whole,” said GOP strategist Doug Heye.
That tension spilled into the open after Tuesday’s primary in New York that saw Trump claim 89 delegates, compared to only four for Kasich and none for Cruz.
The Kasich campaign lashed out at the anti-Trump forces, saying they didn’t do enough to help the Ohio governor compete in districts where Trump was vulnerable.
“The #NeverTrump movement missed opportunities to take delegates away from Donald Trump in more than half a dozen New York congressional districts last night by not engaging in any serious ways,” Kasich strategist John Weaver wrote. “A repeat effort by #NeverTrump forces on April 26 would put Donald Trump on track to win the nomination on the first ballot.”
Those remarks have baffled the anti-Trump groups.
Katie Packer, a veteran of Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign and the executive director for the anti-Trump group Our Principles PAC, said it had long been clear that Trump was headed for a landslide victory in his home state and that that playing there would not have been a prudent use of resources.
“I can’t believe someone as smart as John Kasich would endorse that memo,” she told The Hill in a Facebook Live event. “I view that as a John Weaver memo, and I think what John Weaver meant to say was, ‘thank you for all you’ve done, because without you we wouldn’t even be in this race today.’ So I just say ‘you’re welcome’ and leave it at that.”
Splits in strategy will now play out in a new round of states.
Pennsylvania and four Atlantic Coast states hold contests on Tuesday, followed by Indiana on May 3.
Never Trump, a grassroots group started by allies of former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), has endorsed Cruz in some states and Kasich in others, frustrating allies of both candidates.
Indiana is ground zero for the current round of disputes.
There is little polling, but many Republicans believe Cruz has the best shot of defeating Trump in the state. A WTHR-HPI survey released Friday backed that up, with Trump taking 36 percent support over Cruz at 31 percent and Kasich at 22 percent.
The anti-Trump forces are frustrated that Kasich is making a play for the state, worrying that he will suck support away from Cruz and open the door for Trump to win more delegates than he should.
“Don't understand Kasich logic of competing in Indiana,” former Romney strategist Stuart Stevens tweeted. “He can't win but can help Trump, greatly reducing any convention option. Why?”
Never Trump is urging “every Hoosier who doesn’t want Donald Trump be the nominee to vote for Cruz.”
And Packer says there is nothing there for Kasich to play for.
“There’s nothing we see that indicates that Kasich has real opportunities to pick up delegates [in Indiana],” she said. “I don’t really know what their campaign’s objectives [in Indiana] are…but for our purposes - no.”
Still, Kasich this week unveiled his Indiana leadership team and announced he’d be opening two new offices there. He’ll also spend election night in the state on Tuesday while voters are casting ballots along the East Coast in contests that are believed to be a more natural fit for him.
State Sen. Michael Karikhoff (R-Ind.), a co-chairman for Kasich’s campaign in Indiana, said those calling for Kasich to defer to Cruz in Indiana are misguided.
“Gov. Kasich can absolutely win some delegates here,” he said. “People saying he shouldn’t be here aren’t being respectful of the process.”
Cruz is also running at cross-purposes to the anti-Trump movement in some instances.
Never Trump has circled the Maryland primary as the best shot for a non-Trump candidate to overtake the front-runner in the April 26 contests. The group has endorsed Kasich in that effort, saying that “unity is an absolute necessity” to topple Trump in Maryland.
But Cruz is making a play for the state, and his supporters are puzzled that the anti-Trump forces would have thrown their weight behind Kasich there.
According to the RealClearPolitics average, Trump is at 41 percent in the state, followed by Kasich at 26 percent and Cruz at 24 percent.
“I could understand it if there was a clear polling difference but Cruz has just as good a shot,” said state Sen. Justin Ready (R-Md.), who is on Cruz’s leadership team in the state.
“I personally have no problem with Kasich, I like him fine, personally,” he continued. “But here you have a guy who has won only one state out of 35 and is still behind Rubio in delegates, or you have Cruz, who is winning or finishing second everywhere.”
Never Trump spokesman Rory Cooper downplayed the differences. He said voters who are opposed to Trump understand the math and will cast their ballots accordingly.
“The presidential campaigns should be focusing on how to best secure as many delegates as possible and we think that’s largely inline with our thinking of where their strengths and weakness are,” he said. “Hopefully they’ll gravitate accordingly, but we can only control what we control.”
Cruz and Kasich need to drop their losing campaigns, and get with Trump to defeat Hillary.
Now read the article.
Loser Doug Heye, a former Cantor aide, called Trump an abortion on CNN. Katie Porker spent at least $10 million on negative ads in FL and didn’t move the polls one point. You keep fine company.
#NeverDem
#NeverHillary
#NeverBernie
Why read the article. I’m completely series.
We need a winning candidate. Cruz needs to step aside, and join Trump is opposing Hillary.
Cruz won’t win. He just won’t.
One more time for the “night shift”
The dazed and confused kamakruzies hunker down in their bunkers. After being routed in NY they await the further Trumpian onslaught in the NE sector. Intelligence reports are bleak. Their west flank (CAL) is collapsing and the center (IND) is failing to hold.
Trying to find some hope they tune their radios in to Tokyo Ted. He exhorts them to fight to the last in the republican civil war. “Wonder weapons” are coming the radio crackles, that will turn the tide in the second, third, etc ballots. Double agents are infiltrating the Trumpian forces, which will betray the Donald in Cleveland. All the kamakruzies need to do is keep hoping so that Tokyo Ted can complete his treachery to eliminate the Donald. The kamacruzies, their eyes glazed over, hug their radios in states of bliss.
Tokyo Ted then sets aside the microphone satisfied. He has given his kamacruzie suckers, hope for another day. But he is troubled. Should his underhanded strategies by some miracle work, he wonders what then?
There are occasions he recalls the civil war between Sparta and Athens and how soon after, they were conquered by the Macedonians. He fears for his chances leading a shattered republican remnant against their common enemy, the goblin queen and her army of orcs.
But then he casts a wicked smile. Revenge against the Donald is all that matters. After that, who cares?
Yeah, I have them all over at the house right now. We’re sipping Martinis and laughing at your ridiculous posts.
As Jim stated again today...Cruz and Kasich are not going to win the nomination, we are backing Trump to beat Hillary...you were there, and you know what he said...why are you still posting anti- Trump threads? Just wondering...
How long are you going to keep ignoring the question? Why was 0b0la ineligible for the presidency as a NBC but Cruz isn’t?
Isn’t this the tagline you used to use?
“20 posted on 5/12/2010, 1:03:41 PM by 2ndDivisionVet (Don’t care if he was born in a manger on July 4th! A “Natural Born” citizen requires two US parents!)”
Don’t worry, it’s taking awhile, but I’ll keep looking until I find out just how long you used that tagline and I’m going to make sure every time I see you and your anti Trump posts, I’m going to remind what a hypocrite you are.
I think Trump could be at McGovern levels.
You raise a good question. I’m not going to hold my breath waiting for an answer though.
No you’ve got that exactly backwards.
Cruz would be McGovern all over again. Trump is gaining (a lot) of supporters from both parties. He is strongly winning across the country, and it is only is heavily GOP-manipulated “primaries” he even shows up.
Cruz is completely the wrong guy. He won’t win, he is against the one guy who will, and I strongly say he should stand down now.
The problem with the *noTrump gang is what do they have to offer in return?
They are selling nothing, and no one, but for an outcome of chaos, that gives the RINO’s a leg up to install Paul Ryan, et. al.
They are not even selling anything to the two losers. Why would the two loser candidates agree to be “rode hard and put up wet”, so to speak?
Oops. :D
That should read “He (Trump) is strongly winning across the country, whereas Cruz is only placing in GOP-manipulated “primaries”, where he only shows up by using backroom deals to stack the results”
Cruz needs to stand down.
Trump will win all 5 primaries on Tuesday, setting him up for a big win in Indiana. Then comes West Virginia, Nebraska, Oregon and Washington. Some way that Cruz will have a good shot at Nebraska, Oregon and Washington, but if he loses 7 primaries in a row, his support will collapse, and we’re already seeing it collapse, both nationally, and state by state. People realize that Cruz is just one of the establishment spoilers. The media and the establishment want an open convention, but most republicans realize the only one who would benefit from a contentious convention is Clinton.
Eric Cantor and his cabal, along with Mittens Romney, is not exactly the people I would want to be in company with during an election or a war. Who trusts them? That is the position Cruz and Kasich have taken in aligning with tje #NeverTrump movement. I want to see Cruz stay as Senator of Texas and learn from this campaign. Kasich would be a reasonable budget Director or a few other positions.
Time to rally all the anti-Hillary forces and stop the greatest threat.
THe hidden hand behind all this is the RNC. Once they realize that there is more upside for them by supporting Trump and working with him to protect and grow the party and the Congressional majority, all this delegate nonsense will fade away.
And there’s still the real possibility that proof of Cruz’s birth status will be released, or the sex scandal evidence will come to light, in which case it’s all a moot issue.
Yes, that ever “about-to-explode” sex scandal.
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