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The Trump Prisoner’s Dilemma
Alexandra Petri at the Washington Post sums it up. “If Candidate A and Candidate B are really in it to win it,” she writes, “Congratulations, Nominee Donald!”
After Marco’s comparatively poor showing, it seems to me he’s the one who should drop out. This pains me, because I like him more than Cruz. Heavy stress on “like,” I don’t necessarily have exceedingly good arguments for preferring him. I just find his a much more appealing personality. But I thought he’d do better in the general, and after today, it looks as if I may have been, again, wrong. Numbers are numbers. Cruz has excelled him in delivering the delegates.
That said, Texas is his home state, leaving just enough uncertainty that Marco may be able to convince himself not to believe the numbers yet.
I reckon one of these men must drop out now, because if they wait until more data comes in, they’ll be waiting too long. I hate to say it, but looks like it should be Marco.
Anyone disagree?
Published in General
Hillary Clinton will never be the President of the United States.
Yeah, and BTW, can anybody tell me what Kasich’s set of ideas are?
Says the man at 4% in polling.
Rubio out performed his polling in every state, and after just 5 days of telling people who Trump really is…..
We need Kasich and Rubio to stay in long enough to educate the voters.
Then they will be begging to replace Trump at the convention.
As I write this, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are in a neck-and-neck race for the Alaska caucus.
Right. But the other point is that the anti-Trump offensive barely had time to sink in. Rubio did this in four days, and he was barely even in the state. I don’t know how much ad spending they put in here, but I’m guessing it’s a fraction of what is about to happen in Florida.
Besides Rubio is doing something to Trump right now that I don’t think Cruz can do. So long as they don’t get tangled up against each other, having them both in has its effect for the moment. Suppose Rubio can’t win Florida he should get out first — but not now.
I don’t know who you support — but I keep hearing this from Cruz fans, and they perhaps need to realize it’s a double-edged argument that confirms the reasons we’re with Rubio in the first place.
Well since John Kasich said it, it must be true!
I am fine if the racists stay home. I’d rather lose than have their support.
[Editors’ Note: Please see our comment here.]
What did Kasich say about Trump?
A postman shall lead them.
OK. I say a candidate with a functioning Republican party apparatus in Florida who is already running well ahead of candidate #3 in the state shouldn’t drop out to benefit candidate #3. We’ll agree to disagree.
Kevin Costner for president!
Cruz can’t win. Rubio voters will split. I am finally okay with Cruz, but not happy about it, many would rather slit their wrists.
And then Cruz isn’t going to win in the fall, many Rubio voters are voting for who can win. That will split for sure. Because if they liked Cruz they’d already be there.
I’m afraid I’ll need to have this explained to me.
Time for them to cut some deals and solidify behind one candidate.
Clinton will wipe the floor with Trump. Biggest landslide since ’84. Her margin of victory will be huuuge.
Anyone dropping out is a gamble… no one knows where his support goes, and Trump gets a boost of at least some.
It’s safer to try for the convention, and keep trying to drive Trump’s numbers into the dirt.
The opposite will happen.
Which is why you can’t see how bad Cruz really is.
Nope, because much of the Republican party will help her.
The Florida establishment is still waiting for Bush… it all depends on what Bush does. Will he let bygones be bygones or does he do a Christie?
Only a handful of pundits, donors, and remaining Rockefeller Republicans, all of whose influence is waning by the day.
If we were to assume Rubio dropping out and all his votes going to Cruz, Cruz would still lose in Florida according to this same data.
This is a point people seem to be forgetting here and methinks its because some have an ulterior reason to support such a thesis of coalescing and they want their candidate to be the one benefiting.
The polls had also indicated trump would win in Iowa and even Oklahoma. In other cases the polls were above or below their predictions. Long story short there is much fluidity in the race still.
Not even a fifth of all states have seen votes cast and that is an important consideration as well. Now comes the real test of the importance in good debate performances and ad campaigns (due to the time constraints of so many primaries occurring in so little time) where voters across dozens of states will get their only taste of candidates in most cases.
That and tonight was supposed to be Cruz’s victory night with his Southern Strategy. He needed to do better (not discounting his win in Texas or Oklahoma) and trump again stole the bulk of his steam.
Trump has crushed his enemies, seen them driven before him, and is hearing the lamentations of the RINOs.
Just as predicted.
No body is dropping out. I think there is a plan in place to make sure Trump does win unless they get concessions out of him.
Trump cannot get a majority unless he gains significantly and he is falling after people started learning who he is.
Give it some time. The GOP was really late in the oppo research, so all these staying in is buying the time they need.
Rubio’s attacks worked. It’s only been a few days, and the polling changed significantly.
Since Trump didn’t win as much as he promised will he do another debate? He’s terrified of the Cuban Sandwich. He tried to chicken out.
Does Kasich know that there are strong rumors that Chrystal Pepsi is coming back? Can we really afford to have someone with the nuclear football who doesn’t know that New Coke is the standard for soft-drink flops?
You think Cruz supporters are RINOs? That isn’t a very nice thing to say about his supporters.
He didn’t win nearly what he predicted! He lost at least three… going in, he was maybe going to lose one, but that was doubtful.
Trump showed he is vulnerable.
And his trying to chicken out of the debate… that shows he is scared of the Cuban Sandwich.
And he should be…. the education has only begun.
I have the over-under on Trump electoral votes at 80 . If he gets the nomination, I’m open for business.
Rubio gained 15 points in VA since the debate, that is huge!
Life is looking up.
Rubio went 1 for 11 on Super Tuesday. He’s got Trump right where he wants him!