Posted on 04/26/2016 6:35:03 PM PDT by drewh
Ted Cruz is a walking ghost. In deadly radiation poisoning, this term describes the symptomless period that may follow immediate nausea, right before the immune system shuts down.
Cruz has already lost the nomination, it's just that he and the so-called 'Never-Trumps' are yet to realize it. When awareness dawns, the agony will be fast, acute, and terminal.
Cruz's exposure came from his pyrrhic Colorado victory; his nausea followed the New York primary last week; and the Cruz-Kasich deal finalized on Sunday heralds his final demise.
The Colorado Incident:
In 2013, the Republican National Committee changed its rules to require state delegates be pledged to the candidate who wins the popular caucus vote. In Colorado, the popular caucus has tended to support outsider candidates, such as Rick Santorum in 2012.
With Donald Trump and Ben Carson dominant in the polls, the Colorado Republican Executive voted last August to abolish the vote altogether. It was a naked move to spite the RNC, undermine democracy, and disenfranchise Colorado Republican voters from the nomination process.
As a GOP outsider himself, Cruz was not originally the intended beneficiary. After Bush and Rubio dropped out, however, the 'NeverTrump' forces rallied around the Cruz campaign and secured all of Colorado's 34 delegates without a single popular vote being cast.
Immediately after the Colorado result the state GOP unbelievably confirmed the conspiracy, tweeting:
The tweet was deleted within minutes, and the Colorado GOP claimed it was the result of "unauthorized access" of its account. There is no evidence to support this claim, and subsequent investigation has yielded no result.
In any case, the media reported Cruz's delegate sweep as evidence of the "sophistication of the Cruz campaign" relative to Trump's, adding to the narrative of political obituaries (in some cases literal) being written for Trump after his Wisconsin defeat.
For media and pundits, it was yet another free kick directly in front of goal where they totally failed to connect with the ball.
In reality, the Colorado coup was a 34 delegate suicide note for the Cruz campaign and for anyone hoping to see a contested GOP convention come July.
The New York Nausea:
In the days before the New York Primary, Donald Trump contributed an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal titled 'Let Me Ask America a Question'.
Critics who panned it as a ghost-written puff piece entirely missed the core message from Trump: 'My campaign strategy is to win with voters. Ted Cruz's strategy is to win despite them'.
Two days later a poll was released that showed 62% of Republican voters believe that if no candidate wins an outright majority leading into the convention, then the candidate with the most pledged delegates should be the nominee. This is obviously going to be Trump, and yet this level of support is wildly higher than the number of people who, prior to New York, had actually voted for him.
This, more than any other noisy statistic, is why Trump will achieve outright victory.
The timing is critical. Prior to the New York primary Ted Cruz could technically (albeit not feasibly) have accumulated 1237 delegates going into the convention. After New York that became mathematically impossible, and now both of Trump's remaining rivals can only secure the nomination through a contested convention.
What voters hear, with some merit, is that the only way Trump will lose is if their votes are discounted and the election is stolen. As the 62% poll result shows, this is a concern for Trump supporters and non-supporters alike.
The Terminal Phase:
None of this was an accident. Trump and Paul Manafort (Trump's seasoned new convention manager) clearly planned for this. They didn't even try to secure delegates in Colorado, instead they just watched the NeverTrumps walk into the Cannae envelope and then capitalized with remarkable effect.
It is a case study in the Hannibal style brilliance that has defined the Trump campaign so far.
For Ted Cruz, it will be all rapidly downhill from here. Not only are the upcoming primaries strongly favoring Trump demographically, those who would otherwise support Cruz or Kasich are now likely to stay home. This will be because they either believe the candidate with the pledged delegates should not have the nomination stolen, or because that they see little point in voting in a seemingly irrelevant primary.
As of this week, the NeverTrumps have gone into meltdown. The Cruz and Kasich campaigns announced they will be coordinating their efforts and giving each other a free run in remaining primaries; Cruz in Indiana and Kasich in Oregon and New Mexico.
This move by Cruz and Kasich is an attempt to keep Trump from 1237 by ensuring each receives the minimum voting threshold to peel delegates off Trump within individual Congressional Districts.
Tim Miller, spokesman for the anti-Trump Super PAC 'Our Principles' said he found the move "encouraging" and obviously believes it will lead to a contested convention. In an email to the media, he haughtily stated "see you in Cleveland."
Tim Miller, spokesman for the anti-Trump Super PAC 'Our Principles' said he found the move "encouraging" and obviously believes it will lead to a contested convention. In an email to the media, he haughtily stated "see you in Cleveland."
Miller is a fool. Had Kasich dropped out of the race completely it would still have been a desperate move, but one that would have carried a small chance of success. As is, it plays right into the narrative of corrupt insiders rigging the system to thwart a democratically elected nominee.
There isn't going to be a contested convention. Trump will reach 1237 pledged delegates in California to emerge presumptive nominee. The NeverTrumps have played their hand so badly they deserve what's coming. Best they just tear the rings from their fingers now and hurl them at the Carthaginians, it will save much time and slaughter.
Trump has totally mopped the floor with Ted Cruz tonight
LosTED
As a Republican....
I will vote for the Democrat before Trump.
Watch your “Future” swirll down the toilet....
Crapping in the punchbowl is not a good way to endear yourself with the others in attendance.
That’s your right, man :)
Good luck.
“The walking Ted” !!! good one !
The walking dead, ted, turn out the lights ted.
Looks like Christie has lost weight! (live now)... and, Rove is getting fat, Karl has a bad double chin now.
Alright, Cruz backers, the time has come to give it up.
He’s done.
We need to stop the nastiness and infighting and all get behind Donald.
He WILL secure the border and put a stop to the criminal invaders.
He will run into lawsuits and long delays in building the way, for sure. But in the meanwhile he will put enough guards on the border to put a stop to the invasion.
(by the way, Gregg Abbott, where are you when Obama has told guards to stand down and allow the flood over the border?)
He WILL put a stop to the thousands upon thousands of dangerous muslim colonists/jihadists Obama has imported and distributed all across America for the future overthrow of our government and have it ruled by to islam.
Donald is a good man and a brilliant businessman and CEO.
He knows how to run this country AND GET THINGS DONE.
Lets stop the fighting and get behind Donald NOW!
.
Above post should read, ‘building the WALL..not way
Maybe Karl will be looking for a weight loss advert plan. Blowprah seems to make a killing on those every few years.
Exactly. Cruz was my favorite up to just that moment. I’m still feeling a bit gut sick about it. I really thought he was better — and smarter — than that.
a Republican....
I will vote for the Democrat before Trump.
Watch your “Future” swirll down the toilet....
You might as well turn your guns over to killary now.
“Trump has totally mopped the floor with Ted Cruz tonight”
DAMN!
I just HATE a greasy floor!
“The prominent announcement of the “Link up with Kasich to screw Trump” is what reallllly did him in.”
You are so right. I was Cruz from the very start and still considered him until they came up with the Cruz/Kasich deal so, today I cast my vote for Trump. So be it
It finally dawned on me days ago why some threads did not have as many posts. Yep, I am slow.
Thanks.
CNN coverage of Trump speech is having audio issues. Irritating. Time to throw a steak on the BBQ!
Go Trump!
“As a Republican....
I will vote for the Democrat before Trump.”
As a Republican I am sure you will. No real difference after all.
Your decision and I support your right to do as you wish. We make decisions for ourselves.
As you leave the battlefield, will you be so kind as to let us borrow your dropped weapon so we can continue the fight on the front lines?
ted man walking.
You won’t be doing it from here.
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