Don't we know... Trump in Michigan tonight:
Posted on 12/21/2015 4:51:14 PM PST by conservativejoy
At last, Lindsey Graham did the right thing. After months of increasingly irrelevant undercard debates and poll numbers in the naughts, South Carolina's littlest senator suspended his campaign. He joins far more promising ex-candidates Rick Perry, Scott Walker, and Bobby Jindal who were unable to capitalize on today's frustrated electorate.
Reviewing the polling this weekend, it's past time for several others to follow their lead. Trump is still leading most surveys, Cruz has surged into prominence, and then there's the amorphous lump of everybody else. Said amorphous lump represents a powerful constituency, as it holds a third of GOP primary voters. But divided among several candidates, these voters will lose out unless several of their current choices step aside.
Let's face facts, George Pataki: You are not going to be the GOP candidate. The same goes for Rand Paul, John Kasich, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, and Rick Santorum. You cast your lines, but the fish ain't biting. It's time for you to "spend more time with your family," just in time for Christmas.
Ben Carson, you had your moment but couldn't close the deal. Make millions on the lecture circuit as a consolation prize. To Chris Christie, what does it profit a man to place second in New Hampshire and lose his party to Trump? Get out. And Jeb, you should have taken my advice in August.
This sensible adjustment would leave the field to the three candidates who actually have a chance at winning this thing: Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, and Marco Rubio. And that would be a fun race to watch.
I assume Cruz would get Carson's votes, as well as the few currently held by Huckabee and Santorum. He would probably get most of Paul's as well (with a few of the diehards deciding to stay at home to prepare Rand's 2020 campaign.)
The majority of Bush, Christie, Fiorina, Graham, and Kasich voters (and George Pataki's immediate family) would prefer Marco Rubio. With the also-rans stepping aside, here's how the race would look based on current polling:
*Iowa
Cruz 45.9%
Trump 26.2%
Rubio 23.5%
Undecided 4.4%
*New Hampshire
Rubio 33.1%
Trump 28.3%
Cruz 19.1%
Undecided 19.5%
*South Carolina
Cruz 35.6%
Trump 33.7%
Rubio 15.8%
Undecided 14.9%
*Nationwide
Trump 34.4%
Cruz 32.3%
Rubio 12.3%
Undecided 21%
GraphUS
If you are an also-ran candidate mortified by the prospects of a Trump victory, step aside to give a Republican not endorsed by Vladimir Putin a better shot at winning. If Cruz isn't your top choice, suspending your campaign is the best way for Rubio to carry the banner for your views.
With these two thoughtful conservatives taking Iowa and New Hampshire, the GOP can finally have the debate it needs to move forward toward the general election. Hillary is an eminently beatable candidate and that needs to be the party's top priority.
I wish the networks or GOP would whittle it down to 4 or 5 candidates for the debates.
I deliberately did not turn on the CNN debate because of am sick of the MOB they are putting on stage. Had it been only a few candidates, I would not have missed it.
This is the first I’ve heard of gramnesty’s suspension of his campaign. A step in the right direction. Now a couple more need to go. Jeb, Rubio?
I agree with this advice, which is why I want Jeb and Christie to stay as long as Rubio is a threat. Graham was so irrelevant that no one will notice his departure.
I think that Fiorina, Christie and Pataki are auditioning for cabinet positions if not VP in either a Cruz or Trump administration.
Huckabee is gone. Graham is gone. Bush should go. Kasich should be institutionalized.
I agree. The more Uniparty or moderate candidates, the better.
Your assumption that Cruz gets everyone else’s votes is nonsense.
This guy is not a math major. The idea that the leading candidate, Trump, would not pick up any from the pool is statistically impossible.
They will go when they want to go. People should worry about themselves and stop being so bossy to everyone else.
Its fun to campaign, spending other people’s money, being treated like royalty...why quit? Other than to be ethical, that is...
These dopes are too egotistical and too delusional to give up yet.
I think that they are in only to be vote splitters to sink the real conservatives, as is well documented at theconservativetreehouse.com
I agree with nhwingnut, Trump would certainly pick up quite a few from those who drop out. Good chance he’d pick up more than anyone else. Cruz would get quite a few too, I’m expecting Rubio to start dwindling though.
Everyone still staying in the race now is jockeying for cabinet positions or possible VP spot. That’s the only reason for anyone not named Trump, Cruz or Rubio to not step down already. And I don’t want most of them even in cabinet positions...Huckabee and Christie maybe, everyone else can pound sand.
It was way past time for Graham to go, but I was wrong, I thought it would be Rand Paul dropping out next. Now if we can just get Kasich to give it up before we have to hear the mailman story again...
I don’t see voters supporting the other candidates coming to Trump. If he was their cup of tea they’d be on his bandwagon already.
Ha! Where do you think his rising poll numbers are coming from? Thin air? They are coming from other people's former supporters.
I'm not saying you should give up on your guy, but recognize it's an extreme long shot. The overwhelming likelihood is Trump will be the nominee. Be ready to deal with it.
The majority of votes coming from other candidates have, thus far, gone to Cruz.
Don't we know... Trump in Michigan tonight:
Hey, as long as Rand Paul keeps attacking Rubio, I say let him stay.
You didn't get the memo. Don't you know that Trump has hit some sort of contrived conventional wisdom "ceiling", and that he will get NO MORE SUPPORT than he has right now? That's why his poll numbers continue to go up....oh...wait....
Iowa
Ping!
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