Replies

If Trump were politically street-smart, he would already be making a backroom deal with Rubio to combine forces against Cruz; a Trump/Rubio ticket would be unbeatable for the nomination (whether it could win the general is another issue). As a Cruz supporter, that is the one scenario that scares me.

Yup. When I simulated the primaries a month ago or so, I overestimated Carson but figured Rubio would have to be the Establishment pick. I came up with a deadlocked first ballot, with Cruz at 900, Trump at 800, and rubio at 500+. Trump could cut a deal with Rubio to make him VP (Cruz would be offered AG and maybe an open SCOTUS spot to unite the party). I want Cruz in the top spot, but that would be a strong ticket, and an impossible deal for Rubio to pass up.

Trump could cut a deal with Rubio to make him VP

Watch out for deals with the e-GOP: That was Ronald Reagan's deal to unify the GOP Main Streeters and the E-GOP. Problem was, VP-designate Bush got all sorts of patronage chips, and he used that to run the Reaganauts out of town well before the end of Reagan's second term (Reagan's getting shot by John Hinckley didn't help, I'm sure).

Bush named Reagan's chief of staff, and he in turn organized a "Tuesday morning" group that filtered everything and everyone, very like Haldeman and Ehrlichmann had done, and shut lots of conservatives completely out of the government.

It was blackmail in the first place (1964 got mentioned a lot), but Reagan gave Bush too much, and the e-GOP were too much apparent in the policies of the Reagan Administration.