Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Anatomy of a Trump Defeat
National Review ^ | April 5, 2016 | Eliana Johnson

Posted on 04/06/2016 2:26:07 AM PDT by reaganaut1

Last Friday, four days before Wisconsinites would cast their ballots, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, and Sarah Palin headlined an event for the Milwaukee County Republican party. Donald Trump, whose unconventional campaign rests almost entirely on his public appearances, had left it to Palin to carry the banner for him while he jetted off to Washington, D.C. There, he would cap a dismal week by sitting down with Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus for a remedial lesson in delegate allocation.

It’s looking as if he will need it. Cruz trounced him in Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary, 50 to 33 percent, with 73 percent reporting, making a contested convention more likely in July. The results were significant in another way, too. Trump has mostly over-performed, astounding political onlookers at every turn. Wisconsin marks the first contest in which he has, arguably, underperformed, ceding to Cruz what had been an eleven-point lead in late February, as measured by a Marquette University poll, for a 28-point reversal over the course of just five weeks.

“I think Wisconsin is significant because it’s the first state that he was on track to win that he is going to lose as a result of his demeanor, temper, and comportment as a presidential candidate,” says Steve Schmidt, who managed John McCain’s presidential campaign in 2008.

Wisconsin was always going to be difficult terrain for Trump. Though the state has plenty of rural areas populated by the sorts of lower middle-class voters who have fueled Trump’s campaign, and hosts an open primary, in which Democrats and independents are free to cast ballots, it also has an unusually unified, politically sophisticated Republican electorate thanks to the bruising battles its governor, Scott Walker, has led it through in recent years.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Cheese, Moose, Sister
KEYWORDS: trump
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-125 next last
To: verga

Don’t waste your time trying to talk with, let alone reason with, the Trumpsters here..it’s like talking to a brick wall..


41 posted on 04/06/2016 3:34:00 AM PDT by ken5050 (Trump: "I'm no conservative, but I sure can play one on TV")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: verga; All
Or the more accurate way to look at it, ANTI-tRump vote 62+%

Only 'accurate' if you have chosen not to drink the Cruz FoolAid(c) but to snort it straight from the envelope.

Exit polling established that voters would support Trump in the general election before they would support Cruz, and when half the state of Wisconsin hates you like they do Cruz (except for that far left liberal enclave of Madison), that translates to Wisconsin in the 'RAT column come November.

But you go right ahead and engage in your frenzied fantasies.
42 posted on 04/06/2016 3:35:07 AM PDT by mkjessup (Jim Rob: "Cruz has a tiny sliver of a chance. He should step aside." - 4-1-2016.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: SteveAustin
The exit polls here said Kasich voters would have voted Cruz 51-13 had Kasich not been in the race.

And where is "here" Steve? That bionic calculator working overtime for ya?
43 posted on 04/06/2016 3:36:08 AM PDT by mkjessup (Jim Rob: "Cruz has a tiny sliver of a chance. He should step aside." - 4-1-2016.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: HWGruene

Because they did not vote for your guy, that makes them supporters of open borders and sharia law?

What are you on?

Use a little common sense... Cruz is not and has never been for open borders. In fact, he was talking about the wall and locking the border down LONG before Trump was.

And sharia law?!?! I guess I missed that part of his platform...

What nonsense.


44 posted on 04/06/2016 3:36:34 AM PDT by plewis1250 (The pecking order: Christian, American, Conservative)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: mkjessup

You are living in a drew world if you do not recognize the HIGH unfavorables Trump has.

He secured right around 35-40% of the vote last night. Like he always does.

He has a cap.

He has 60-70% disapprovals, and with a compressed field, he gets his hat handed to him.

Simple as that.


45 posted on 04/06/2016 3:39:17 AM PDT by plewis1250 (The pecking order: Christian, American, Conservative)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: plewis1250
You better ponder this sport:

Image and video hosting by TinyPic
46 posted on 04/06/2016 3:42:04 AM PDT by mkjessup (Jim Rob: "Cruz has a tiny sliver of a chance. He should step aside." - 4-1-2016.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: plewis1250
"You are living in a drew world if you do not recognize the HIGH unfavorables Trump has."

A couple of months ago I said on FR that unfavorables will not matter this cycle, especially if it is Trump v Clinton. I waiting for sultans of smart to say it on one of the gab-fest shows on Faux. Tangent to this is we haven't heard or seen much of Michael Barone this election cycle. To me he was the go to guy and blew it like everyone else in 12'. I wonder if even he can't Gage the electorate anymore because of twitter, instagram, snapchat etc. Sadly we have again the choice of the evil of 2 lessers, Ran Paul is looking better everyday IMHO...

47 posted on 04/06/2016 3:46:02 AM PDT by taildragger (Not my Monkey, not my Circus...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: manc
cruz the establishment guy have gone all out in their war against those who wish to stop the establishment ivy league corruption as they know their time is coming ton an end.

What makes you think "their time is coming to an end"? I seems to me GOPe Ted is doing exactly what the R wing of the uniparty wants, keep Trump from getting 1237. Should Trump fail to get 1237 then the globalist will win and the USA is finished as a constitutional republic entirely due to the traitor Ted Cruz.

We only have one shot at remaining a sovereign nation and that's by electing Trump. Which is why the oligarchy lead by Ted Cruz is all out to stop Trump. Trump is the only candidate not owned by the anti-American globalist uniparty.

48 posted on 04/06/2016 3:48:04 AM PDT by jpsb (Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied. Otto von Bismark)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: mkjessup

yep seems nearly half the state does not want cruz and most counties don’t either.
Seems he did well in the liberal city of Madison too


49 posted on 04/06/2016 3:49:01 AM PDT by manc (Marriage =1 man + 1 woman,when they say marriage equality then they should support polygamy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: mkjessup

Anti-Trump Vote: 62.4%

If you think Kasich voters are going to side with a candidate with the demeanor he has...

Unprofessional, childlike, and literally a New York liberal...

My guess is people have had enough of his antics and its downhill from here.

Dump Trump!


50 posted on 04/06/2016 3:52:43 AM PDT by plewis1250 (The pecking order: Christian, American, Conservative)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: plewis1250

You’re not getting it.
They must be able to WIN against either hillary or bernie.
You really think that lyin’ Cruz will have a chance?

2 terms by a half black george wallace who wants muslims and illegals to replace the current demographics.

Trump will probably be our only hope to not go over the cliff into a full blown socialist society. bill of rights, what was that old useless thing?


51 posted on 04/06/2016 3:53:46 AM PDT by HWGruene (REMEMBER THE ALAMO! Really, no kidding.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: plewis1250

if he is for the wall and closing the border why did cruz give out teddy bears to illegals?


52 posted on 04/06/2016 3:55:36 AM PDT by manc (Marriage =1 man + 1 woman,when they say marriage equality then they should support polygamy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: taildragger

Unfavorables would not have mattered. You were correct. They shouldn’t have.

We are talking about Hillary Freakin’ Clinton...

A rock should be able to beat her.

Unfortunately Trump is a joke. His behavior is childlike, immature, and he flip flops on core issues which a 70 year old should have down by this point.

That tells people he likely cannot be trusted.

Top it off with his near constant personal attacks and tiffs with folks on Twitter, and you end up with someone who is disliked by 60-70% of the electorate.

With numbers that high, it lets Hillary have a shot.

Maybe he was being honest in his quest, but there are too many warning signs with the guy, and people have seen it all along.

He just benefited from a crowded field. Now that it is compressed, and you’ve got 1 conservative remaining who is going up against him, the results write themselves.

It’s over for Donald J. Trump.


53 posted on 04/06/2016 4:00:27 AM PDT by plewis1250 (The pecking order: Christian, American, Conservative)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: HWGruene

Cruz has a far better shot of defeating Hillary than Trump does.

Please give me some data to show me Trump has a better chance than Cruz. Any data.

You can’t.
It’s hyperbole.

What’s amazing is you attribute the fighting of socialism to the empty shell which is Trump, yet you fail to LISTEN to his own words where he advocates FOR government sponsored universal healthcare, aka socialism.

Lyin’ HWGruene is at it again... Smearin’ Cruz all day long...


54 posted on 04/06/2016 4:04:36 AM PDT by plewis1250 (The pecking order: Christian, American, Conservative)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: manc

Because sometimes you need to be humane to kids.

If you remember correctly, almost all of that influx (caused by the Obama admin rhetoric in Central America) were kids which their parents had loaded up on trains to better their lives.

Cruz was not by any means endorsing illegal immigration. He was being a descent human being.

Stop slandering the man with false accusations.

Show me the law he passed expanding illegal immigration and tearing down our border... Show me the speech he gave where he supports illegal immigration...

You can’t. Because they don’t exist. It’s a lie.


55 posted on 04/06/2016 4:08:39 AM PDT by plewis1250 (The pecking order: Christian, American, Conservative)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: plewis1250
The GOPe and Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham and the rest of those establishment losers thank you for your support, you blind fool.
56 posted on 04/06/2016 4:12:06 AM PDT by mkjessup (Jim Rob: "Cruz has a tiny sliver of a chance. He should step aside." - 4-1-2016.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: plewis1250; HWGruene
Lyin’ HWGruene is at it again... Smearin’ Cruz all day long...

plewis1250 is at it again, strapping on those kneepads for a day of worship on his knees before his anointed 'king'.
57 posted on 04/06/2016 4:13:46 AM PDT by mkjessup (Jim Rob: "Cruz has a tiny sliver of a chance. He should step aside." - 4-1-2016.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: plewis1250
He was being a descent human being

You got that right. The question on everyone's mind is how low is he willing to go?

58 posted on 04/06/2016 4:14:20 AM PDT by Fightin Whitey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

Looking at the Real Clear Politics polling data, Trump never polled very well in WI, except for a few outlier polls. After Walker dropped out, Cruz dominated most of the polls. Given the fact that the entire republican party apparatus, WI talk radio, and all the anti-Trump Super PAC’s, it was not favorable territory for Trump.


59 posted on 04/06/2016 4:26:10 AM PDT by euram
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ken5050

Your Cruzade hits brick wall in NY. Tilting at windmills is fun until you realize everyone is laughing at you.


60 posted on 04/06/2016 4:34:26 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-125 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson