Romney, who was defeated by incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama, said “about 65 percent of Republicans who would like someone else” to be the party’s leader, but admitted that Trump now has the biggest share of both supporters and delegates following Super Tuesday. It’s beginning to sink in that this strategy nearly certainly depends on a “contested convention”, the first for Republicans in forty years. That’s why he emphasized how important it is for him to win the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. “Well he (Trump)’s very flexible, so you never so”, Rubio said.
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On Saturday, the first test of the Republican Party’s desperate strategy will come when Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and ME vote.
Mitt Romney, the party’s 2012 nominee, on Thursday made a rare public appearance to denounce Trump as “a phony” who is “playing the American public for suckers”. Most analysts agree that if he doesn’t win his home state’s winner-take-all primary on March 15 – with 99 delegates at stake – Rubio has nearly no path forward.
Cruz answered next, saying he too would support Trump as the nominee.
Speaking from Idaho, where he’s campaigning ahead of the state’s primary on Tuesday, Cruz told the crowd, “God bless Kansas, and God bless ME”, another state where early returns put him ahead of Trump.
On the Democratic side, voters in Louisiana, Kansas and Nebraska were weighing in on Saturday on the race between Clinton, the former secretary of state, and Bernie Sanders, a USA senator from Vermont.
Cruz suggested Saturday it was time for some Republican candidates to quit the race. “Trump knows that Marco has the momentum in Florida and is afraid because he knows losing those 99 delegates to Marco will be a turning point in this race”.
Rubio, for his part, has had no qualms denouncing Trump as a fraud and a “con artist”.
“I totally disavow the KKK, I disavow David Duke – you’re the 18th person who’s asked me the question”, Mr Trump said. MI votes March 8, while Florida and IL vote March 15.
Romney, and being pressed several times, said he’s not running for president and doesn’t see any scenario he would.
Republicans in Louisiana were also voting on Saturday, as were Democrats in Louisiana and Nebraska.
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“My strong, strong advice and I’ll say this as strongly as I can, hey look, compete; win it; lose it; but don’t steal it; because if somebody gets in there and tries parliamentary monkeybusiness and steals away this endorsement, you’ll have a massive mess on your hands”, Pawlenty said.
