Posted on 04/13/2016 5:09:25 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz is close to ensuring that Donald Trump cannot win the GOP nomination on a second ballot at the party’s July convention in Cleveland, scooping up scores of delegates who have pledged to vote for him instead of the front-runner if given the chance.
The push by Cruz means that it is more essential than ever for Trump to clinch the nomination by winning a majority of delegates to avoid a contested and drawn-out convention fight, which Trump seems almost certain to lose.
The GOP race now rests on two cliffhangers: Can Trump lock up the nomination before Cleveland? And if not, can Cruz cobble together enough delegates to win a second convention vote if Trump fails in the first?
Trump’s path to amassing the 1,237 delegates he needs to win outright has only gotten narrower after losing to Cruz in Wisconsin and other recent contests, and would require him to perform better in the remaining states than he has to this point.
In addition, based on the delegate selections made by states and territories, Cruz is poised to pick up at least 130 more votes on a second ballot, according to a Washington Post analysis. That tally surpasses 170 delegates under less conservative assumptions — a number that could make it impossible for Trump to emerge victorious.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Cruz will be mathematically eliminated in 6 days. NY shuts him out from attaining 1237 ... and his support will then tank.
No one will vote for the second place candidate when he has no chance to get to 1237.
If Cruz thinks gope delegates are going to vote him in he is delusional. If he succeeds in stopping trump on the first ballot, then he has paved the way for a gope victory and we won’t get a chance to reform the GOP again for a generation.
Rooting for the GOPe’s plan to come to fruition - and aided and abetted by many who have lost their way.
If there is a second ballot.
I guess the same headline though would hold for the first ballot too, right? Waste of print.
In reality, there won't be a second ballot. Renders this whole goofy article irrelevant, huh?
That will be a hollow victory after which Trump voters sit it out.
So, ask yourself this question: Will the GOP-E Pick Cruz to win?
Trump will have more than 1237 by time the convention starts, there won’t be a 2nd ballot to worry about.
Guess that doesn't push the narrative, though.
All it will take is one little tweet from the RNC and all of Ted’s ‘pledged’ delegates will throw him out like yesterday’s trash. Enter Jeb Bush or whoever the RNC picks.
Mr. Trump better figure out how to run a legitimate campaign or he’s going to get his clock cleaned.
I agree with the article that Trump is very unlikely to win on the second ballot unless he starts courting the delegates.
Option 1: Win on the first ballot and make that issue irrelevant.
Option 2: Start courting his own delegates to keep them loyal, start courting unbound delegates (”stealing” them) to add to his lead for the first ballot and boost his numbers if it goes to a second ballot, and start courting Cruz/Kasich delegates (”stealing” them too) to take their support as soon as they are unbound.
If Trump makes the effort, he should have a huge advantage in courting delegates. That is normally done over elegant meals, and he owns some great restaurants. It is also sometimes done by bringing the delegates and their families to a resort for those discussions. Again, Trump owns some great resorts.
If Trump doesn’t bother courting his own delegates and others, he’s the one responsible if he loses. If Trump doesn’t want the nomination enough to try, I’m okay with nominating and electing Cruz instead. Cruz and Trump are both imperfect but they agree far more than 80% of the time (see my tagline from Ronald Reagan). They should be friends and allies, and we should treat both of them as such.
Explain that to the Kasich voters. I’m pretty sure voters in Indiana, South Dakota, Nebraska and other non-Trump states will still vote for Cruz knowing as long as Trump doesn’t get to 1,237 on 1st ballot, Trump isn’t the nominee.
Since when is second place winning? When you’ve got a slick attorney?
Cruz is no longer a real candidate. He will be mathematically eliminated next Tuesday from winning the candidacy based on the vote of citizens. Cruz is Romney’s spork weasel sock puppet.
Tagline, which is in contrast to your Freeper name, as in seeking truth.
/If Trump doesn’t bother courting his own delegates and others, he’s the one responsible if he loses. If Trump doesn’t want the nomination enough to try, I’m okay with nominating and electing Cruz instead. Cruz and Trump are both imperfect but they agree far more than 80% of the time (see my tagline from Ronald Reagan). They should be friends and allies, and we should treat both of them as such./
Agreed.
3 seconds to say “Donald Trump”. Less than 1 minute into the interview, and 38 seconds of that was Hannity’s question.
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