Kasich and Cruz have agreed to try and beat Trump in a few states by not competing with each other, with an eye toward throwing the nominating convention into a second, third, and fourth ballot, keeping the nomination away from Trump (and, one assumes, giving it to one of them).
It's been fascinating watching this year's GOP nomination process, just to see a return to bare-knuckled politicking, bitter alliances, and rules-lawyering in a way that the relatively sedate nominations of decades have never allowed to surface. It used to be that TV networks covered the major conventions live, but that faded away a long while back for partial evening coverage of keynote speeches. But I suspect we're going to see a lot more convention coverage this year, should Trump be short of the needed pledged delegates to win on the first round.
On the one hand, this is an appalling power squabble over what should be a democratic process. On the other hand, it's all grinding down the likelihood of the GOP winning the White House in November, which, frankly, I am happy to see.
Still, the stakes (said White House) are so high that it's deeply disturbing to think that any of these three could actually get the nomination, though it's highly likely that one of them will (no bets from me as to which). Trump is a blustering narcissist. Cruz is a smug theocrat. Kasich is merely an arch-conservative in moderate's clothing. I think Cruz is the worst of the lot, but that's damning the others with faint praise. I have reservations over both Clinton and Sanders, but I'd vote for Bozo the Clown over these three.
(The Dems have their own rules squabbles, to be sure, but those should be settled by the convention, most likely in Clinton's favor. The biggest danger at this point that I see is if significant proportion of the Dem loser's supporters won't turn out in November, and give whatever Republican is nominated the election. That would be a profound political tragedy, giving new meaning to cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.)
Will Kasich and Cruz manage to snatch victory from Trump? Will their alliance of convenience last even through the contests they've agreed on? It all has a Game of Thrones vibe to it; if only it were just a TV show, and not something that could affect our nation's future.
Ted Cruz and John Kasich Team Up to Stop Donald Trump – The Atlantic
The Texas senator and the Ohio governor team up against the Republican front-runner in three upcoming states.
TRUMP is right. Proof that rigging is right in your faces, obviously establishment team work, as expected. Cruz is like the others – he knew establishment would rather cut deals with establishment – who better to stack decks. Cruz is somewhat of a surprise attack. Oh, well – a win is a win?
VOTE TRUMP 2016.
Got to love the candidates on both sides who parachute into a party and then claim that rules that have been in existence for decades are somehow rigged when they aren't winning.
+john does This doesn't quite rise to the level of "rigging" — there is no dishonesty here, about either tactics or intent. Cruz' acts are less part of the "establishment" (which generally loathes him) as part of running second and teaming up with the third place person to try and win the nomination.
I respectfully disagree.
John- disagree all you like. The rules were set before the contest began. The failure of Trump to work with those rules has lead to him gaining no votes in at least one state (I’m sure Dave can fill in the blank). the rules may be arcane – the whole process needs dragging kicking and screaming into the 20th century, but the rules were set. They were clear from the outset.
What amazes me, apart from the lunatic caucus etc idea the US uses, is the idea that the reason to vote for someone, especially on the right, is because they are an outsider. Trump sells himself as someone who hasn’t worked in the system. Can you imagine any other organisation where no experience is a selling point?
Actually I’d be calmer with President Trump than President Cruz. Trump’s ideas will hit wall after wall as he tries to implement them – I look forward to many SCOTUS decisions kicking him. Cruz not only knows the system, knows how to game it to get his through, but his ideas are horrific. His fundamentalism, his roots in the Tea Party would be a disaster for minorites, women, the poor. He wants a flat 10% income tax, while massive expansion of the largest navy in the world. One analysis said that would mean a 85% cut in all other government functions..
I suspect that BOTH parties will be affected by light turnout. Clinton's and Trump's determination to crush their enemies will bite them in November when they're trying to energize those same supporters. And whichever of them wins, they'll have to face Senator Cruz…grinning.