Cruz, not Rubio, is the alternative to Trump

[bigbadjohn45]

March 2, 2016
Cruz, not Rubio, is the alternative to Trump
By Robert A. J. Gagnon

With almost all the votes counted on Super Tuesday, Cruz finished with 2.5 million votes, compared to Rubio's 1.9 million and Trump's 2.9 million. Cruz bettered Rubio by 600,000 votes, which makes him the candidate around which other Republicans opposed to Trump need to coalesce. The latest polls before Super Tuesday indicated that Texas would be a close race between Cruz and Trump, yet Cruz ended up crushing Trump by 17 percentage points and nearly half a million votes. Trump was expected to beat Cruz in Oklahoma – so the latest polls told us. Yet Cruz defeated Trump decisively there. He also won the small-population state of Alaska.

What of Rubio? He did better in Virginia than polls predicted but still finished second to Trump. He won one primary, Minnesota, beating Cruz by only 8,000 votes. He did overtake Cruz for second place in Georgia, but only by less than one percent. He finished a distant third to Trump and Kasich in tiny Vermont and third to the same pair in Massachusetts. Cruz finished ahead of Rubio everywhere else, with second-place finishes in Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee, in addition to his three victories.

In the latest Florida poll (Feb. 26), Trump was leading Rubio in his home state of Florida by 20 percentage points. If Rubio cannot carry even his own home state, and that by a wide margin (as Cruz crushed Trump in his own home state), he stands no chance of beating Trump. It is time to face the math. It is time for Rubio supporters to come around to Ted Cruz as the only candidate left who both respects our values and can beat Trump. Let's put our differences aside and make this a two-person race, before it is too late.

In the latest polling for head-to-head races with Hillary Clinton (the almost certain Democratic nominee, given the results of Super Tuesday), Cruz edges out Clinton, while Trump loses decisively to Clinton. The only Republican with higher unfavorability ratings than Hillary Clinton is Donald Trump (58%).

Trump will destroy first the Republican Party and then, with a likely Democratic victory, the nation. It's now or never. Let all who recognize the train wreck that is Donald Trump unite. Cruz is not perfect. He's not the Messiah (that role is already taken). But he has the brains, the conviction, and the guts to lead our nation in the direction that we want it to go and that the country needs it to go.

 

[MidTnBlues]

They're all nuttier than a squirrel turd.

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

It is time for Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly to acknowledge Trump cannot win the general election. It's pathetic that these two are suppose to be politically astute yet their friendship of Trump make them intellectually dishonest and blind to the fact that the majority of Republicans don't approve of him. Sure, Trump is getting a lot of votes from Democrats and that is why he is winning the open primaries but true conservatives don't support him. Yes, many "poorly educated" Democrats are voting for Trump but that doesn't mean he should be allowed to highjack the Republican Party.

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

I am not a Trump fan but you guys are not reading all this right and are going to absolutely piss of the 35-39% that are voting for Trump.

And Romney, McCain and the establishment are going to destroy the party that was rebuilt by Reagan.


I stand in amazement.

 

[bigbadjohn45]

It is time for Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly to acknowledge Trump cannot win the general election. It's pathetic that these two are suppose to be politically astute yet their friendship of Trump make them intellectually dishonest and blind to the fact that the majority of Republicans don't approve of him. Sure, Trump is getting a lot of votes from Democrats and that is why he is winning the open primaries but true conservatives don't support him. Yes, many "poorly educated" Democrats are voting for Trump but that doesn't mean he should be allowed to highjack the Republican Party.

View embedded media

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Flash, a quarter of Republicans and 3/4 of Democrats won't vote for Trump. No one has higher negatives. His nomination ensures Hillary is our next President. He must be defeated.

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

The list keeps growing everyday (click link below).

25 Republicans who won’t back Trump as nominee

Across the Capitol, Reps. Reid Ribble (Wis.), Mark Sanford (S.C.), Carlos Curbelo (Fla.) and Scott Rigell (Va.) are also refusing to back Trump.

And the opposition isn’t just on Capitol Hill.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker told reporters after Super Tuesday that he won’t vote for Trump.

Republicans who have publicly stated that they won't back Trump for President:

Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.)

Gov. Charlie Baker (Mass.)

Glenn Beck, conservative host

Jay Caruso, RedState

Eliot Cohen, former George W. Bush official

Rep. Carlos Curbelo (Fla.)

Steve Deace, conservative radio host

Rep. Bob Dold (Ill.)

Erick Erickson, conservative writer

Doug Heye, former RNC communications director

Former Rep. Bob Inglis (S.C.)

Bill Kristol, The Weekly Standard editor

Kevin Madden, former Mitt Romney aide

Former RNC Chairman Mel Martínez (Fla.)

Liz Mair, GOP strategist

Former Gov. George Pataki (N.Y.)

Former Rep. Ron Paul (Texas)

Rep. Reid Ribble (Wis.)

Former Gov. Tom Ridge (Pa.)

Rep. Scott Rigell (Va.)

Rep. Mark Sanford (S.C.)

Sen. Ben Sasse (Neb.)

Former Rep. J.C. Watts (Okla.)

Peter Wehner, conservative New York Times contributor

Former Gov. Christine Todd

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/271578-22-republicans-who-wont-back-trump-as-nominee

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

This is not how the process works...you guys realize you will lose the majority of the Trump vote ensuring another 4-8 years of liberals. The supreme court will be liberal for the next generation.

You all are witnessing and supporting the destruction of the Republican party...many of these name are establishment R's - guilty of not governing well.

 

[bigbadjohn45]

This is not how the process works...you guys realize you will lose the majority of the Trump vote ensuring another 4-8 years of liberals. The supreme court will be liberal for the next generation.

You all are witnessing and supporting the destruction of the Republican party...many of these name are establishment R's - guilty of not governing well.

Mike, just to set the record straight, I've never said I won't vote for Trump if he's the nominee. So, your "you guys" and "you all" statements were hopefully not directed at me. I do think that Trump's entry into the race is causing untold damage to our party and eventually to our country as his nomination would, I believe, ensure a Hillary Clinton victory this fall (assuming, of course, she's not indicted--which I seriously doubt she will be).

Also, you mention "you guys realize you will lose the majority of the Trump vote ensuring another 4-8 years of liberals." What about the roughly 65% of Republican voters who don't support him now? Do you really think Trump could win without their support? There were roughly 4-5 million conservatives who sat out the last election--refusing to vote for Romney. This scenario could easily happen again thanks to Trump. Think about it.