++++
It's amazing to me that we have seen so little discussion of this rather obvious Trump strategy. Surely it has occurred to Let's Make A Deal Trump. That's his thing after all. Should be a piece of cake.
Posted on 04/07/2016 3:09:50 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Utah Sen. Mike Lee said he believes Ted Cruz would be the GOP presidential nominee if the convention is contested.
"On successive ballots, I think victory is more likely to go to Ted Cruz," Lee, who is a backer of the Texas senator, said during a radio interview Wednesday. "We have to remember that most Republicans around the country have voted for someone other than Donald Trump."
A convention would become contested if no candidate gets 1,237 delegates beforehand. On the first ballot, delegates are typically bound to the candidates their state picked in the primaries or caucuses. On subsequent ballots, however, many are released and can shift to another candidate.
"I would not be a bit surprised if Ted Cruz won in that circumstance, in fact, I'd be surprised if he didn't. On second ballots, on successive ballots, you're going to see more and more delegates moving to Ted Cruz," Lee said.
Donald Trump leads the pack with 743 delegates, followed by Cruz, who has 517, according to Bloomberg's count. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who left the race last month after a loss in his home state, has 171 delegates, followed by John Kasich, who has 143.
Just luv that Trump class;)
Oh yeah, Trumpsters will throw him under the bus for telling the obvious truth. If it goes to a second ballot, Cruz will almost certainly beat out Trump for the nomination.
Also New York values (ie, east coast liberalism) will suddenly be popular with the Trumpster mob - and Rudy Giuliani, formerly considered a pro abort RINO, will now be some kind of hero for voting for Trump.
What is most amusing of all is contrasting the 2012 primary to this one. In 2012 Romney was routinely and roundly condemned for racking up wins in open primaries with non conservative and Democrat crossovers. Back then it meant he was a squishy moderate attracting people who weren't actual conservatives. The cry went up that all primaries should be closed and Democrat crossovers were unacceptable. Now that Trump relies on this very group of centrists, Democrat and "moderate" crossover in many states the average Trumpster finds it perfectly okay.
It’s not stupidity, that’s why many states have run-off elections when no candidate gets over 50%. The convention is like a run-off election conducted through the delegates. We simply don’t KNOW if over 50% would ever support a candidate until they demonstrate they can get there. And whatever the 50%+ want is what they’re supposed to get in a democracy.
I swear it’s all stop making sense! The magic math is being employed along with the psych op that the GOPe really hates Teddy but just went begging on hands and knees to allow them to support him, or something strange like that!
Dear God people, get a hold of reality, these power hungry freaks are NOT on your side, they will do whatever it takes to retain power and control. And here we have people championing this kind of crud. No wonder our ‘party’ is a hot mess.
Thanks alot Cruzers, you guys sure know how to make a compelling argument of why anyone should vote for the one losing (48% in WI is NOT a blow out) over the one winning. Just follow your GOPe masters, stay in line dammit!
“We have to remember that most Republicans around the country have voted for someone other than Donald Trump.”
Far more voted for someone other than Cruz.
I was laying out probable scenarios for my wife. This is pure tea-leaf reading and nothing about where I stand on any candidate.
IMHO: In order of probability (1 is best chance):
1) Trump has enough delegates and is the candidate
2) Trump has a LARGE plurality of delegates and is declared the candidate (saber rattling notwithstanding)
3) Brokered convention, Trump makes a passionate speech but stays put, Cruz wins 2nd vote (this article’s prognostication)
4) Brokered convention, Trump takes his delegates and walks out, GOP Schism — candidate is irrelevant (but probably Cruz)
5) Same as 3 but Trump wins
6) Same as 3 but Kasic wins
There are a LOT of different variations on these and some may not agree (in fact I would be amazed if some agree) but that is the way I read the tea leaves this moment.
Thank you.
If Newt was discussing it, smarter heads are already marshaling arguments for/against the respective sides.
I’m glad someone is thinking about it.
Gwjack
Yeah if Cruz by a miracle pulls it out, they the media and the Dems won’t suppress Cruz’s pecker problem. It will go 24/7 in the main stream news.
All he's gotta do is put Monica Lewinsky and someone dressed in a prison jumpsuit in the front row for he and Hitlery's first debate, and it's all over but the crying. Trump in a landslide come November.
Cruz will then lose the General election by 10-20 million votes.
What will you have gained. Nothing.
‘It’s not stupidity, that’s why many states have run-off elections when no candidate gets over 50%.’
Trust me, I remember the Cochran/Chris McDaniel runoff.
Indeed, I’ll never forget it.
I will give it a shot. Average Americans know Donald Trump. They know very little about Cruz, Rubio, Kasich, etc. Many of the votes were choices between an unknown and a "hell no." Many of them would still prefer that last unknown standing.
Not only his lying, sleazeball, womanizing, but also his eligibility to run. Remember, kids...it was Hitlery's camp in 2008 that first questioned obunghole's eligibility.
‘these power hungry freaks are NOT on your side, they will do whatever it takes to retain power and control. And here we have people championing this kind of crud. No wonder our ‘party’ is a hot mess.’
Pretty soon they will be telling us how ‘clever’ Cochran was to beat Chris McDaniel in the Mississippi runoff.
THe GOP is playing a different game than Trump OR Cruz. They are playing to hold onto the control and power and money and influence they have enjoyed for decades.
The strategy clearly is to use Cruz and to a much lesser extent Kasich and Rubio to keep Trump from 1237. Cruz’s main usefullness is to pull delegates away from Trump.
They know they can easily take Cruz out with an eligibilty lawsuit.
Yes, let's pin our hopes on a guy that finishes third in primaries.
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.