Bottom line, Mr. Davis thinks that a Jeb Bush candidacy assures a Third Party run for Trump.
Bush will lose regardless of what Trump does.
Seven months to go until the first caucusses and primaries, 8-10 months until we’re in the thick of things.
Trump’s candidacy will mostly likely burn out before then due to overexposure. The GOPe is nuts to try to play games to trip him up, especially now.
Best thing any GOP candidate and the Party itself can do is soft peddle criticism of him, keeping it focused on “honest differences” and try to piggyback onto his media exposure by pointing out areas of policy (but not tonal” differences.
Which seems to be exactly what Cruz is doing.
...and a win for the dems
A Jeb Bush nomination assures a Democrat successor to the Current Occupant now squatting in the White, er, “Rainbow” Hut, whether The Donald mounts an “independent” third party run for the office or not. Jeb is not really interested in being President if he has to FIGHT Herself, Madame Benghazi, the Cold & Joyless, for the job. That would be “ungentlemanly” and “not compassionate”.
A plurality is as good as an outright majority, and some would say it is more “representative” and “fair”, as a minority gets to rule over a majority.
How a minority, reaching majority, seizing authority, hates the minority.